1st Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets — Free Printable Passages
Twelve short passages — six stories, six informational — each with four key-detail questions, a word-work box and an answer key. Pick one below and print it.
Aligned to CCSS RL.1.1, RL.1.2, RL.1.3 (literature), RI.1.1, RI.1.2 (informational text) and RF.1.1, RF.1.3, RF.1.4 (foundational skills)
Practices CCSS RL.1.1 · RL.1.2 · RL.1.3
Reading Comprehension — Fiction (Story)
Aligned to CCSS RL.1.1 · RL.1.2 · RL.1.3 · RF.1.3g
Name: ___________________________ Date: _____________
Read the story. Then answer the questions in complete sentences.
Max and the Lost Ball
Max is a small brown dog. He loves his red ball.
One sunny day, Max ran to the park with his ball. He bumped into a tree, and the ball rolled away.
Max looked under a bush. He looked behind a rock. Then he heard a soft bark.
A big white dog had the ball. The big dog gave it back. Max said thank you with a happy bark.
- Who is Max?CCSS RL.1.3
- What does Max love?CCSS RL.1.1
- Where did Max go on the sunny day?CCSS RL.1.3
- Who helped Max get his ball back?CCSS RL.1.1
Some words you have to know by sight. Circle one, said and you in the story.
All 12 Passages
Click a title to load that worksheet above.
Fiction (Story) — CCSS RL.1.1 · RL.1.2 · RL.1.3
Informational (Facts) — CCSS RI.1.1 · RI.1.2
More 1st Grade Worksheets
Which Standards These Passages Cover
The six stories practice the literature standards: asking and answering questions about key details (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1), retelling a story and telling its central message or lesson (RL.1.2), and describing characters, settings and major events (RL.1.3). The six informational passages practice RI.1.1 (key details) and RI.1.2 (main topic) — the pair a first grader needs before non-fiction gets longer.
Every sheet also ends with a word-work box tied to the foundational-skills standards, because comprehension stalls when decoding is still slow. Depending on the passage that box practices sentence features (RF.1.1a), digraphs (RF.1.3a), blending one-syllable words (RF.1.3b), silent e and vowel teams (RF.1.3c), two-syllable words (RF.1.3e), inflectional endings (RF.1.3f), irregularly spelled sight words (RF.1.3g), or re-reading with expression (RF.1.4b). Each task uses words from that same passage. If the decoding itself is the sticking point, work through the 1st grade phonics worksheets and 1st grade spelling worksheets first, then come back to a passage.
How to Print These Worksheets
- Pick a passage type and a title — or click Pick Another Passage for a random one.
- Tick Include answer key if you want it — it prints on its own sheet, so the child never sees it.
- Click Download PDF for a one-page PDF, or Print to go straight to the browser dialog.
- In the print dialog choose US Letter, Portrait, and 100% scale — the answer lines are sized for a first grader's handwriting and shrink if you use “Fit to page”.
- One passage prints on one page. To build a packet, print several passages one after another.
How to Use a Passage at Home
Have the child read the passage out loud once, then again — the second read is where fluency shows up (RF.1.4b), and it makes the questions much easier. Answer the four questions together the first few times, pointing back to the exact sentence in the passage that proves each answer; that pointing-back habit is the whole of RL.1.1 and RI.1.1. Save the word-work box for last. Keep finished sheets in a reading log so the child can see the stack grow, and browse the full 1st grade worksheets hub for the math and writing sheets that pair with these.
FAQ
What reading skills do 1st graders practice?
First graders ask and answer questions about key details in a text (CCSS RL.1.1 / RI.1.1), retell stories and identify the central message (RL.1.2), describe characters, settings, and major events (RL.1.3), and find the main topic of an informational passage (RI.1.2). Each sheet also ends with a word-work box that practices a foundational skill from CCSS RF.1 — silent e, vowel teams, digraphs, -ed endings, syllables or sight words — using words from that same passage.
How long are the passages?
Each passage is 56 to 69 words across four short paragraphs — short enough for a first grader to read in one sitting, long enough to support four comprehension questions. Sentences are short, vocabulary is concrete, and each passage has one clear main idea. The exact word count for every passage is listed in the passage index above.
Is there an answer key?
Yes — toggle “Include answer key” in the controls. The answer key prints on a separate page, with the sample answer and the specific Common Core standard each question targets, plus the word-work answer, so a parent or teacher can mark the work quickly.
How many passages are there?
Twelve — six fiction stories and six informational passages. Use the passage index to jump straight to one, or click “Pick Another Passage” for a random one in the same genre.
Are these reading worksheets free?
Yes — completely free, no signup. Pick a passage, print it or download the PDF, and you are done.