The Secret Clubhouse (Fiction Passage)

Start with a minute of talk: What makes a club feel fair for everyone? Then have students read the story on page 1, about 190 words in 5 short paragraphs. Ask them to notice what the characters say, do and feel. The questions on page 2 mix three multiple choice items with two short written answers, so give students room to explain their thinking in sentences. Check the work with the answer key.

The Secret Clubhouse gives 3rd grade students a fiction passage of about 190 words about a group of friends with a secret clubhouse and a question about who may join, followed by five questions. The questions practice the theme or lesson of the story, vocabulary in context and making inferences, and the sheet is aligned to Common Core RL.3.2. An answer key is included.

The Secret Clubhouse is a fiction passage of about 190 words about a group of friends with a secret clubhouse and a question about who may join. 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 theme or lesson of the story, cause and effect, vocabulary in context and making inferences. Questions include "What is the theme of this story" and "Why did Sana change her mind about letting Sam join". 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 makes a club feel fair for everyone? Ask students to read the first paragraph and guess what the problem will be, then finish the story to check their guess.

Plan about 15 to 20 minutes in all: the reading first, then the five questions. At home, a parent can read the questions aloud and talk through the written answers. In class, it works well for independent practice or a quick check of the theme or lesson of the story and vocabulary in context.