The Rainy Recess (Fiction Passage)

Start with a minute of talk: What can you do indoors when a plan changes? Then have students read the story on page 1, about 200 words in 5 short paragraphs. Ask them to notice what the characters say, do and feel. Page 2 has five questions, three multiple choice and two written. Remind students to answer in complete sentences and to point to the part of the text that proves their answer. Check the work with the answer key.

The Rainy Recess gives 3rd grade students a fiction passage of about 200 words about a girl who is disappointed that rain cancels outdoor recess, followed by five questions. The questions practice the main idea, vocabulary in context and cause and effect, and the sheet is aligned to Common Core RL.3.2. An answer key is included.

The Rainy Recess is a fiction passage of about 200 words about a girl who is disappointed that rain cancels outdoor recess. It is written for 3rd grade readers (ages 8-9) and has 5 short paragraphs, so students can read it in one sitting.

Its five questions, three multiple choice and two written, practice the main idea, cause and effect and vocabulary in context. Questions include "What is the main idea of this story" and "Why did Tia change her mind about rainy days". The sheet is aligned to Common Core RL.3.2, and the answer key is included so you can check responses quickly.

Try this conversation starter: What can you do indoors when a plan changes? Before reading, ask students to predict what might happen from the title. After reading, have them retell the story in two or three sentences before they answer the questions.

Most students need about 15 to 20 minutes for the passage and the questions together. The sheet works at a kitchen table with a parent talking through the written answers, or at a reading center as independent work on the main idea and vocabulary in context.