Short Stories For First Graders 1st Grade Reading Worksheets

Leo Migdal

-Dec 11, 2025, 4:05 PM

short stories for first graders 1st grade reading worksheets

Each passage or poem is followed by questions. Questions for grade 1 students are focused on recalling information directly from the text. These worksheets are pdf files and can be printed. If you’re a regular visitor, you’ve probably noticed by now: At Smart Stoats, we combine everything educational with animals to keep kids engaged! That includes our printable short stories for first graders — fun, free, and ready to use. Each worksheet features animals and about 100 easy-to-read words, perfect for kids just starting their reading journey.

The best part? You don’t even have to sign up for our newsletter (though you totally should — we’re awesome!). Just click the story you want, download the PDF, and print it at home or in school. If you’re looking for short stories for first graders, you’ve come to the right place!At Smart Stoats, we believe early reading should be exciting, natural, and connected to the world around us. That’s why all of our short stories are inspired by animals and nature — two things kids naturally love. Each story is carefully written for 1st grade reading level, using simple vocabulary, short sentences, and clear structure.Most stories are around 100 words long, making them perfect for daily reading practice — at school...

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or homeschooler, you’ll find these worksheets easy to use and instantly accessible. They’re free to download and print — no login or email required Helping young learners become confident readers starts with the right resources. Our 1st grade reading comprehension worksheets are designed to support early reading development through simple stories and engaging questions. These worksheets make learning fun and effective. Each worksheet includes a short, age-appropriate passage followed by a few easy questions.

The questions focus on key skills like recalling facts, understanding the main idea, and making simple inferences. Because the content is created for first graders, it matches their reading level and attention span. Teachers and parents can use these worksheets in many ways. Use them during reading lessons, homework time, or even as a quiet-time activity. The printable format makes it easy to grab and go—no prep needed. Plus, kids enjoy the stories, so they stay engaged.

Transitioning from learning to read to reading to learn is a big step. These worksheets help bridge that gap. They guide children to slow down, think about what they read, and answer questions with confidence. Over time, this builds both comprehension and vocabulary. Related Worksheets: Phonics Worksheets, Vocabulary Worksheets, Homonyms Worksheets Free 1st Grade Reading Worksheets to help your students learn to read.

Our free worksheets hit several important first-grade reading standards including; spelling, sight words, compound words, CVCe words, comparing and contrasting non-fiction information passages, and reading comprehension. Use these free grade-one reading worksheets to build a fun, hands-on year for your first-graders. Looking for more? Try our First Grade Reading Curriculum or our First Grade Morning Work Binder for first-grade homework. Help your first-grade students learn to read with our free printable first-grade sight word worksheets, posters, games, activity pages, flashcards, and more! Based on Dolch 220 First grade sight word list, you’ll have what you need to cover important reading milestones during the first-grade year.

Pair these activities with our free spelling printables for extra practice. There is a lot of overlap between kindergarten and first-grade phonics, so be sure to check out our beginning sounds worksheets, rhyming worksheets, and vowel sounds worksheets for review. First graders can expand learning blends, digraphs, and more. First-grade students can expand on the short vowel CVC words they learned during the kindergarten year by adding “Magic E” to the end! Download and print our free CVE worksheets, flashcards, games, activity pages, and more! Everything you need to help your first graders make the transition from short to long medial vowel sounds.

First-grade students read simple passages filled with compound words. First, review compound words with our free printable worksheets, charts, games, and activities. Then provide your students with our Compound words reading passages to begin bridging the gap between learning to read and reading to learn. Helping first graders build strong reading skills can be simple and fun with Printable Reading Worksheets for Grade 1. Designed especially for young learners, these worksheets make it easy for parents and teachers to guide children through early reading practice in an engaging way. Each worksheet includes age-appropriate stories, vocabulary exercises, and comprehension questions to strengthen understanding and confidence.

Whether used at home or in the classroom, these printables offer structured reading support that keeps kids motivated to learn. Plus, they’re free to download and ready to print anytime, making literacy lessons more accessible than ever. So, start using our Free Printable Reading Worksheets for Grade 1 today and help your kids or students become confident, happy readers! Printable reading worksheets are invaluable tools for grade 1 students. They provide a structured way for children to practice reading and develop critical thinking skills. By engaging with a variety of texts, students can improve their phonics, fluency, and comprehension abilities.

When using printable reading worksheets for grade 1, students can expect to encounter a range of activities designed to enhance their reading skills. These include phonics exercises, comprehension passages, vocabulary building activities, and more. These PDF worksheets are designed for readers at a grade 1 level and include fun, leveled stories with colorful images that 1st-grade students will enjoy. This first worksheet is a fun short story suitable for grade 1 students. Students should read the passage and then answer the four reading comprehension questions about the story. This next worksheet is another short story for 1st-grade students.

This time, students will read a short description of a big, colorful tree in the yard and then must answer 4 reading comprehension questions about the passage. This next worksheet includes a passage about a girl’s daily routine as she prepares for school. It is designed to help students comprehend the order of events in the story and to understand the concept of beginning, middle, and end. To help first-grade students with detail retention and critical thinking, this next worksheet asked students to read the passage and answer four true or false questions. The Grade 1 Reading Comprehension collection offers a series of engaging, age-appropriate passages designed to help young learners strengthen their understanding of text through fun, relatable stories. Each worksheet provides a clear, structured reading task followed by comprehension questions, sequencing activities, or creative prompts that encourage both analytical and expressive thinking.

Topics range from everyday adventures to acts of kindness, giving first graders meaningful opportunities to practice literacy skills in familiar contexts. Through this collection, students develop essential early reading strategies such as identifying key details, making predictions, comparing ideas, and understanding story structure. Every worksheet reinforces comprehension while fostering social-emotional awareness, creativity, and vocabulary growth. With visual and written response options, these activities appeal to diverse learning styles and help children connect reading to their own lives, setting a strong foundation for lifelong literacy. Kind Actions Students read about a boy named Liam who shows kindness by sharing his toy cars. After answering comprehension questions, they draw a picture that represents the story's events.

This worksheet builds reading comprehension, empathy, and the ability to identify character traits and details. Caring for Pets Learners read a nonfiction passage about pet care and select the sentence that best represents the main idea. The activity teaches how to distinguish between supporting details and central concepts, developing comprehension of informational text and critical analysis. Puppy Clues In this story, students follow a lost puppy's journey home. They underline key details explaining how it happens and circle the final event to show sequencing understanding. The exercise promotes attentive reading, inference-making, and awareness of cause and effect.

Short Stories For First Graders 1st Grade Reading Worksheets

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