Samples of Activities For Reading Comprehension Skills

Making Inferences/Drawing Conclusion

Turner almost wished that he hadn’t listened to the radio. He went to the closet and grabbed his umbrella. He would feel silly carrying it to the bus stop on such a sunny morning.

1. Which probably happened?

a. Turner realized that he had an unnatural fear of falling radio parts.b. Turner had promised himself to do something silly that morning.c. Turner had heard a weather forecast that predicted rain.d. Turner planned to trade his umbrella for a bus ride.

“Larry, as your boss, I must say that it’s been very interesting working with you,” Miss Valdez said. “However, it seems that our company’s needs and your performance style are not well matched. Therefore, it makes me very sad to have to ask you to resign your position effective today.”

2. What was Miss Valdez telling Larry?

a. She would feel really bad if he decided to quit.b. He was being fired.c. He was getting a raise in pay.d. She really enjoyed having him in the office.

Bill and Jessica were almost done taking turns choosing players for their teams. It was Jessica’s turn to choose, and only Kurt was left. Jessica said, “Kurt.”

3. We can infer that a. Kurt is not a very good player.b. Jessica was pleased to have Kurt on her team.c. Kurt was the best player on either team.d. Jessica was inconsiderate of Kurt’s feelings.

MendingA giant hand inside my chestStretches out and takesMy heart within its mighty graspAnd squeezes till it breaks.A gentle hand inside my chest,With mending tape and glue,

Patches up my heart untilIt’s almost good as new.I ought to know by now thatBroken hearts will heal again.But while I wait for glue and tape,The pain!The pain!The pain!

by Judith Viorst

4. The poem is probably abouta. a woman.b. a man.c. a broken heart.d. heart surgery.

5. It can be inferred that the subject of the poema. is in a lot of physical pain.b. enjoys arts and crafts.c. is a good friend.d. has had a broken heart before.

Making Predictions

1. Nikki and Pablo found a good spot in the park. They spread a blanket on the grass. Then they took lots of food out of their basket. What do the kids probably do next?a. play softballb. go swimmingc. eat a picnic lunchd. take naps

2. Jeff looked out the window. It was snowing outside! He asked his mom if he could play outside. When she said he could, Jeff started to put on his snow clothes. Which did Jeff probably put on?a. shortsb. mittensc. sandalsd. sunglasses

3. The soccer field was at the top of a hill. On each side, there was a steep slope down. The view was great. If the ball got kicked out of bounds, though, there would be a big problem. What might next happen to the ball?

a. It rolls down the hill.b. It goes flat.c. It goes up a tree.d. It bounces too high.

4. Mya had just mopped the floor. It was very slippery. Just then, her little brother ran through with his socks on. Mya tried to warn him, but it was too late. What probably happened next?a. Mya's brother ate breakfast.b. Mya's brother slipped and fell.c. Mya took a shower.d. Mya mopped the floor.

5. It was the best play Bobby had ever seen! The story was exciting. All of the actors were very good. When the play was over, Bobby jumped to his feet excitedly. What will Bobby do next?a. clap and cheerb. boo and hissc. race to the exitd. go on stage himself

6. The puppy ran around the yard looking for his lost bone. He sniffed all over the lawn. When he found the right spot, he started digging. What happens next?a. The puppy finds his bone.b. The puppy looks some more.c. The puppy has dinner.d. The puppy buries his bone.

7. Terra put on her swimsuit. Next, she packed her towel and sand toys in a bag. Finally, she put on a hat and some sunscreen. Then she walked out the door. Where does Terra probably go?

a. the moviesb. her grandma's housec. the beachd. on a nature hike

Cause and Effect

Write the cause and effect for each sentence.1.  The girl played in the mud and got dirty.

Cause:

Effect:

2.  I left my clothes on the floor, so I had to do extra chores.

Cause:

Effect:

3.  The air became cold, so the girl put on a coat.

Cause:

Effect:

4.  Jim is scared because it is dark.

Cause:

Effect:

5.  The boy ate so much candy, he felt sick.

Cause:

Effect:

Reading Activities to Boost Comprehension

Activity 1: Open Portraits

This activity helps students understand a character’s thoughts and motivations

and allows them to develop deeper meaning.

Procedure:

1.    Students choose a character in a book they’re reading and then draw and

color a portrait of the character’s head and neck.

2.    Students will then cut out the portrait and staple it to another piece of white

paper.

3.    Have students trace around the outline of the head on the second piece of

paper.

4.    On the second piece of paper students will write what they think the

character is thinking and feeling. Students will then be able to lift the portrait and

see what’s going on “inside the character’s head.”

5.    Students can share the portraits with the class and discuss what they think is

going on within the mind of the character.

Activity 2: Phrase Generation

When we speak we don’t emphasize or pay attention to each single word that

comes out of our mouth. We tend to string words along into phrases. As a matter

of fact, we often conduct entire conversations using phrases and if we want to

emphasize a certain point we generally accent a phrase.

Learning to understand phrases can help with reading fluency and

comprehension. If there is a complicated part of the text it’s helpful to reread a

section one phrase at a time to figure it out.

One way students can get experience with phrases is through phrase generation

activities.

Here’s how it works.

The teacher writes an incomplete sentence on the white board drawing a line to

indicate where the final phrase of the sentence would go. Have the students copy

the incomplete sentence at the top of the sheet of lined paper. Then instruct the

students to complete the sentence using different phrases they generate on their

own.

For example…

I saw Julie___________________________________. (where)

at the mall

in the swimming pool

at the soccer game

on the playground

behind the tree

in line at the lunch counter

I finished my snack_______________________________________. (when)

right after I got home

before I left to go outside

on the way home from school

after I put away my toys

When it comes to learning to read, decoding words is only half the battle. 

Actually understanding what the decoded words mean is crucial.  By engaging

students in meaningful, entertaining stories students are motivated to learn new

strategies to further understanding. The more opportunity they have to practice

these strategies, the more fluent and proficient they’ll become.