Reading Assessment Packet
for 3rd Grade Report Card Standards
This collection of assessments may be used to support your work with students as you are
determining proficiency levels.
North Clackamas School District
Prepared by the third grade ELA Committee:
Sarita Amaya
Catriona Challenor
Monica Keller
Name____________________________________________ Date________________________
• I can read and comprehend third grade level texts RL 3.10
Fictional Text
Book Title:_________________________________________________________________________________
Main Character:____________________________________________________________________________
List the internal and external characteristics of the main character in the text.
internal characteristics
external characteristics
•________________________________
•________________________________
•________________________________
•________________________________
•________________________________
•________________________________
Setting
Describe where and when the story takes place. Be sure to include information if the setting changes during the
story. You may use the following sentence frames to help you.
The story take place at… The story takes place in… The story takes place on…
It takes place during the…. In the beginning of the story… In the middle of the story the setting changes to...
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Events
Retell the story. You may use the following sentence frames to help you.
Beginning
Middle
End
In the beginning,
At first,
Initially,
Eventually,
After that,
Later on,
At last,
Finally,
In the end,
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Problem: Describe the problem in the story.
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Solution: Describe the solution.
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Name____________________________________________ Date________________________
• I can read and comprehend third grade level texts RL 3.10
Informational Text
Question_______________________________________________________________________________
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Answer_________________________________________________________________________________
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Question_______________________________________________________________________________
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Answer_________________________________________________________________________________
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Question_______________________________________________________________________________
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Answer_________________________________________________________________________________
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Key Detail 1_____________________________________________________________________________
Key Detail 2_____________________________________________________________________________
Key Detail 3_____________________________________________________________________________
Main Idea
Be sure to explain how the three key details support the main idea.
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Name____________________________________________ Date________________________
• The student can retell a story and determine the theme. RL 3.2
Read each story and identify the theme. Explain what happens in the story that leads you to believe this.
Remember the theme of a story is a life lesson.
The Crow and the Pitcher
A crow perishing with thirst saw a pitcher, and hoping to find water, flew to it with
delight. When he reached it, he discovered to his grief that it contained so little water that
he could not possibly get at it. He tried everything he could think of to reach the water, but
all his efforts were in vain. At last he collected as many stones as he could carry and
dropped them one by one with his beak into the pitcher, until he brought the water within his
reach and thus saved his life.
What is the theme of the story?___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?_____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Michael Jordan
In his sophomore year of high school, Michael Jordan tried out for the varsity
basketball team at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. But at five feet and
eleven inches tall, the coach believed that Jordan was too short to play at that level, so
Jordan was cut from the team. Jordan didn’t let this obstacle defeat him. In fact, it pushed
him to work even harder. He trained vigorously and grew another four inches the following
summer. When he finally made the varsity squad, Jordan averaged 25 points a game and
went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in history.
What is the theme of the story?___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Name____________________________________________ Date________________________
• The student can retell a story and determine the theme. RL 3.2
Attach reading passage here
What is the theme of the story?___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
What happens in the story that leads you to believe this?_____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name____________________________________________ Date________________________
• The student can compare and contrast theme, setting, and plot in stories written by the same author. RL 3.9
Read each story and identify the theme. Explain what happens in the story that leads you to believe this.
Remember the theme of a story is a life lesson.
Passage from Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
On sultry summer days at my grandma’s farm in Michigan, the air gets damp and
heavy. Stormclouds drift low over the fields. Birds fly close to the ground. The clouds glow
for an instant with a sharp, crackling light, and then a roaring, low, tumbling sound of
thunder makes the windows shudder in their panes. The sound used to scare me when I
was little. I loved to go to Grandma’s house (Babushka, as I used to call my grandma, had
come from Russia years before), but I feared Michigan’s summer storms. I feared the
sound of thunder more than anything. I always hid under the bed when the storm moved
near the farmhouse. This is the story of how my grandma-­my Babushka-­ helped me
overcome my fear of thunderstorms.
Passage from Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
Trisha, the littlest girl in the family, grew up loving books. Her school teacher mother
read to her every night. Her redheaded brother brought his books home from school and
shared them. And whenever she visited the family farm, her grandfather or grandmother
read to her by the stone fireplace.
When she turned five and went to kindergarten, most of all she hoped to read. Each
day she saw the kids in the first grade across the hall reading, and before the year was
over, some of the kids in her own class began to read. Not Trisha.
Still, she loved being at school because she could draw. The other kids would
crowd around her and watch her do her magic with the crayons.
“In first grade, you’ll learn to read,” her brother said.
In first grade, Trisha sat in a circle with the other kids. They were all holding Our
Neighborhood, their first reader, sounding out letters and words. They said, “Beh, beh…
oy, boy, and luh, luh…ook, look.” The teacher smiled at them when they put all the sounds
together and got a word right.
But when Trisha looked at a page, all she saw were wiggling shapes, and when she
tried to sound out words, the other kids laughed at her. Trisha began to feel “different.”
She began to feel dumb.
Trisha never felt happy at school. She often would hide from the other kids because
they made fun of her. But then Mr. Falker helped Trisha to learn to read with patience and
care. And Trisha grew up to be an author.
continued
Read each story and identify the theme. Explain what happens in the story that leads you to believe this. Remember the theme
of a story is a life lesson.
1. Contrast the settings from the Thunder Cake and Thank You Mr. Falker.
a. They both take place on at school.
b. They are both in Utah
c. One mostly takes place at school and the other on Grandma’s farm.
2. Compare the plot.
a. Both girls get help from someone who cares.
b. Both girls learn to read.
c. Both girls make cakes.
3. What is the theme of Thunder Cake?
a. In this story the girl learns to hate Old Kick Cow.
b. In this story Grandma uses magic to make cake from thunder.
c. In this story the girl learns to have courage and overcome fears.
4. Which sentence from the story Thunder Cake is a clue or evidence of the theme?
a. This is the story of how my grandma-­my Babushka-­ helped me overcome my fear of
thunderstorms.
b. Birds fly close to the ground.
c. Stormclouds drift low over the fields.
5. The setting of Mr. Falker is a school. Which sentence from the story, Thank You Mr.
Falker, is a clue or evidence of this setting?
a. And whenever she visited the family farm, her grandfather or grandmother read to her by
the stone fireplace.
b. Trisha grew up to be an author.
c. “In first grade, Trisha sat in a circle with the other kids.”
Name____________________________________________ Date________________________
• The student can compare and contrast theme, setting, and plot in stories written by the same author. RL 3.9
Read the following two passages and then answer the questions. Remember to go back and highlight and
number where you find the correct answer. Great test takers go back and reread to find textual evidences.
Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg (excerpt)
As usual, Walter stopped at the bakery on his way home from school. He bought one large
jelly-­filled doughnut. He took the pastry from its bag, eating quickly as he walked along. He licked the red
jelly from his fingers. Then he crumpled up the empty bag and threw it at a fire hydrant.
At home Walter saw Rose, the little girl next door, watering a tree that had just been planted. “It’s
my birthday present,” she said proudly. Walter couldn’t understand why anyone would want a tree for a
present. His own birthday was just a few days away. “And I’m not getting some dumb plant,” he told Rose.
After dinner Walter took out the trash. Three cans stood next to the garage. One was for bottles,
one for cans, and one for everything else. As usual, Walter dumped everything into one can. He was too
busy to sort through garbage, especially when there was something good on the television. The show…was
about a boy who lived in the future.
Later, Walter went to bed wishing he lived in the future…Walter woke up in the middle of a huge
dump. A few feet from the bed was a rusty old street sign that read FLORAL AVENUE. “Oh no,” gasped
Walter. He lived on Floral Avenue…
Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg (parts only)
The news traveled swiftly through the tunnels of the ant world. A scout had returned with a
remarkable discovery—a beautiful sparkling crystal called sugar. When the scout presented the crystal to
the ant queen she took a small bite, then quickly ate the entire thing. She deemed it the most delicious
food she had ever tasted. Nothing could make her happier than to have more, much more. The ants
understood.
It was late in the day when they departed…they marched into the woods that surrounded their
underground home. Dusk turned to twilight, twilight to night. At last they reached a ledge and crawled
through a narrow tunnel. When the ants came out of the tunnel they found themselves in a strange world.
Smells they had known all their lives, smells of dirt and grass and rotting plants, had vanished. From the
top of the wall they looked below to a sea of crystals. One by one the ants climbed down into the sparkling
treasure. Quickly they each chose a crystal, then turned to start the journey home.
In fact they left in such a hurry that none of them noticed the two small ants who stayed behind. “Why go
back?” one asked the other. This place may not feel like home, but look at all these crystals. “You’re
right,” said the other, “we can stay here and eat forever. So the two ants ate crystal after crystal until they
were too full to move, and fell asleep.
Daylight came. The sleeping ants were unaware of changes taking places in their new found home.
A giant silver scoop hovered above them, then plunged deep into the crystals. It shoveled up both ants and
crystals and carried them high into the air. The ants were wide awake when the scoop turned, dropping
them from a frightening height. They tumbled through space in a shower of crystals and fell into a boiling
brown lake of coffee…
continued
• The student can compare and contrast theme, setting, and plot in stories written by the same author. RL 3.9
Read the following two passages and then answer the questions. Remember to go back and highlight and
number where you find the correct answer. Great test takers go back and reread to find textual evidences.
Questions:
1. The settings in both stories are the same in which of the following ways?
a)
Both take place only indoors, one in Walter’s bedroom and the other in the kitchen.
b)
One happens outside and the other inside only.
c)
Both settings started outside, one in the Rose’s yard and the other in an ant world
d)
They both like coffee and doughnuts.
2. Walter was a litter bug and didn’t care about the planet. The two ants were greedy and ate all the
sugar they could. Both stories’ main characters were…
a)
smart because they got to eat sweet things
b)
selfish and only concerned with themselves
c)
dreamers and wanted to be famous movie stars
d)
great travelers
3. Two Bad Ants and Just a Dream have different “main” characters. They are
a)
tree and a bed
b)
Walter and the two bad ants
c)
flying and eating
d) Rose and the queen bee
4. The theme in both stories is
e)
Be happy with your life.
f)
Flying in a bed or giant scoop is terrific.
g)
Dreams and sugar crystals are fun to have.
h)
Adventures are so exciting and wonderful.
5. The plot in Just a Dream was the same as Two Bad Ants in that
a)
both main characters weren’t satisfied with their lives
b)
one wanted to live in the future and one wanted to live in the kitchen sugar bowl
c)
one liked coffee with sugar and one liked only doughnuts
d)
both are real life events
6. Chris Van Allsburg, the author and illustrator, wrote both these stories to…
a)
entertain
b)
inform
Name____________________________________________ Date________________________
• The student can identify key details in a text and explain how they support the main idea. RI 3.2
Cheetahs
Cheetahs are one of the fastest animals in the world. Cheetahs can run up to speeds of 72 miles per hour.
They must be able to run fast to catch their prey. Cheetahs can run for short periods of time at this speed.
1. The main idea of this passage is Cheetahs are one of the fastest animals in the world. Which of the
following is a supporting detail?
A. Running is a great exercise for your body.
B. Cheetahs must be able to run fast to catch their prey.
C. Cheetahs are long and lean with spotted fur.
D. It keeps your heart healthy by increasing your heart rate during a run.
-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­
Bald Eagle
Eagle Bald eagles were on the brink of extinction because of hunting and pollution. Laws created to protect
our national bird have helped the bald eagles make a comeback. Today, bald eagles can be found in most
parts of the United States.
2. What is the Main Idea of this paragraph?
A. Bald Eagles were on the brink of extinction because of hunting and pollution.
B. Today bald eagles can be found in most parts of the U.S.
C. Laws created to protect our national bird have helped the bald eagles make a comeback.
D. Bald Eagles are big with brown bodies and white heads.
-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­
The main idea of a passage is: The affects life on Earth in many different ways.
3. What is a supporting detail?
A. I like to lay out in the sun to get a tan.
B. The Sun is orbited by nine major planets.
C. The Sun is by far the largest object in the Solar System.
D. The Sun gives light and warmth to the living things on Earth.
-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­-­
Mt. Rushmore
Mt. Rushmore is a famous national memorial located in South Dakota. It has 4 Presidents’ faces carved in
the granite. Each year thousands of tourists visit this famous memorial.
4. What is the Main Idea of this paragraph?
A. Each year thousands of tourists visit this famous memorial.
B. Mt. Rushmore is a famous national memorial located in South Dakota.
C. It has 4 Presidents’ faces carved in the granite.
D. Mt. Rushmore is really big!
Name____________________________________________ Date________________________
• The student can use text features (e.g. captions, headings and glossary) to identify key information in a text. RI 3.5
Choose the feature that matches the given description.
1. This text feature provides a list of chapter titles and tells on which page each chapter begins.
a. table of contents
c. index
b. bold words
d. captions
2. This text feature provides additional information about a picture, illustration, or diagram.
a. table of contents
c. captions
b. index
d. glossary
3. You would use this text feature (found at the back of the book) to look up a topic and find the page
numbers that tell about that topic.
a. index
c. headings
b. bold words
d. captions
4. This text feature tells what each section of a passage is mostly about.
a. headings
c. index
b. captions
d. bold words
5. This text feature provides definitions for bold words in a text.
a. table of contents
c. captions
b. glossary
d. index
Name____________________________________________ Date________________________
• The student can compare and contrast the most important key details from two texts on the same informational topic RI 3.9
The Lives of Turtles
There are about 250 kinds of turtles. Most turtles live near fresh water. They
spend part of their time swimming in the water and part of it on land. Not all turtles live
this way, though. Land turtles, also known as tortoises, do not swim at all. Sea turtles
live nearly their whole lives in salt water.
Tortoises
Tortoises are slow and steady. They have short, thick back legs. Their flat front
legs are built like shovels and are very good for digging. Tortoises have high, rounded
shells, too. Many tortoises can pull their heads, legs, and tails inside their shells. They
quickly do so at any sign of danger. Their strong shells protect them from animals
that might want to eat them.
Turtles
Turtles have no teeth. Instead they have strong beaks that can cut food like a pair
of scissors. Unlike most other turtles, tortoises eat only plants.
Tortoises hatch from eggs. The female tortoise digs a hole, lays some eggs, and
covers them with dirt. When the baby tortoises hatch, they must dig their way out of
the hole. They never know their mother. The largest tortoises can grow to four feet
long. They may weigh up to 600 pounds.
Sea Turtles
Like tortoises, sea turtles lay their eggs on land. The female turtle comes out of
the ocean onto the beach. She digs a hole, lays her eggs, and returns to the sea.
When the baby turtles hatch, they head straight for the water. The trip across the
beach can be dangerous! Many animals come to the beach to eat the little turtles as
they crawl toward the water. After they reach the water, male sea turtles never
return to land. Females return only to lay their eggs.
Sea turtles can swim very fast. Their front legs are built like paddles. They use
them like wings to ‘fly’ through the water. Although most turtles can pull their heads
and legs inside their shells, sea turtles cannot.
The green sea turtle eats only plants. Other sea turtles eat both plants and
animals. The largest of all sea turtles is the leatherback. It can weigh over 1,000
pounds. Its favorite food is jellyfish.
Continued
• The student can compare and contrast the most important key details from two texts on the same informational topic RI 3.9
Use what you learned about turtles and tortoises to label each picture.
3. How are tortoises and sea turtles alike?
A. Both eat animals.
B. Both dig holes for their eggs.
C. Both move slowly.
D. Both have front legs that are good for digging.
4. How is the tortoise different from the sea turtle?
A. The tortoise has a shell.
B. It has no teeth.
C. The tortoise hatches from an egg.
D. It does not swim.
5. Which statement is true?
A. Most turtles live near fresh water.
B. Tortoises are the largest turtles.
C. Most turtles live in the ocean.
D. All turtles can pull their heads inside their shells.
Name____________________________________________ Date________________________
• The student can determine the meaning of unknown words, multiple meaning words, figurative language, and content area vocabulary. RL 3.4
Penguin Chick
A) Fill in the bubble next to the best answer for each question below.
1. The wind whips snow across the ice.
1. In this sentence whips means _________.
○ A. beats eggs
○ B. moves suddenly
○ C. straps
○ D. cries loudly
2. The penguin father shuffles his feet.
When he shuffles, he moves by __________.
○ A. keeping his feet on the ground
○ B. kicking his feet in the air
○ C. walking on tiptoe
○ D. running very quickly
3. Penguins in Antarctica do not build nests because __________.
○ A. they are only there for a short time
○ B. there is nothing to build a nest with
○ C. their eggs never hatch
○ D. they are too lazy
4. The mother penguin leaves to __________.
○ A. find another mate
○ B. go someplace warmer
○ C. get some exercise
○ D. find food
5. Which of these events happens last when the chick is hatching?
○ A. The chick moves inside the egg.
○ B. The egg cracks open.
○ C. The chick’s feathers get fluffy.
○ D. The chick pecks and pecks.
6. After the mother returns, __________.
○ A. she stays for only a short time
○ B. she feeds and cares for the chick
○ C. the father stays by her side
○ D. the chick travels to open water
Grade 3, Unit 1, Week 4, Selection Test
7. A junior penguin does all of the following EXCEPT _____
○ A. catch his own food
○ B. travel to the ocean
○ C. take care of himself
○ D. stay on his parents’ feet
Extra Resources
http://www.masteryconnect.com
This is a great website that allows access free formative assessments for all subjects. You will need to create a free account.
The website allows you to search by standard and you can often find related assessments that go along with our Treasures
curriculum.
www.teacherspayteachers.com/
You will need to create an account, which is free. However, not all documents on this website are free.
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Grade-­3-­Daily-­Common-­Core-­Reading-­Practice-­Weeks-­1-­5-­LMI-­527616
This booklet looks great to use for ELA formative Assessments. Linking each State Standard. There are 3 booklets altogther
pricing: $5, and $15 each ( click on the Preview)
http://www.readworks.org/user/alignment
Site that allows you to find lessons by State Standard and Grade Level. These can be used as formative assessment.
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=337937
This is a blog created by a 3rd grade teacher who also uses Treasures. Click on Third Grade Trifolds. There is a trifold for each
week that focuses on the skills and strategy that can be used for formative assessment.