Grade 3 Reading practice

Step 1: Prefixes dis-, mis-, pre- and re-

dis- means not or opposite, mis- means wrongly, pre- means before, re- means again.

Example: What does "preview" mean?

Tip: Cover the prefix, read the base word, then add the meaning.

Step 2: Suffixes

A suffix goes at the end of a word: -ful means full of, -less means without, -er can mean a person who, -ly means in a way.

Example: What does "fearless" mean?

Tip: Find the base word, then add the meaning of the ending.

Step 3: Kinds of texts

Genres are kinds of writing: fairy tales, fables, poems, biographies and nonfiction.

Example: What kind of text is this? A slow tortoise and a fast hare had a race. The hare took a nap, and the tortoise won. Slow and steady wins the race.

Tip: Ask: is it true or made up? Does it teach a lesson? Is it written in lines?

Step 4: Text features

Nonfiction books have tools that help you find information: headings, captions, a glossary and an index.

Example: Why do authors use bold words?

Tip: Think about where in a book each feature appears.

Step 5: Main idea and details

Details are small facts that support the main idea.

Example: What is the main idea? Octopuses are clever animals. They can open jars, solve puzzles and squeeze through tiny holes. Some even use coconut shells as shelters.

Tip: The main idea is bigger than any one detail.

Step 6: Cause and effect

A cause is why something happens. The effect is what happens.

Example: What woke up the baby? The dog barked loudly, which woke up the baby.

Tip: Clue words: because, so, since, as a result.

Step 7: Make an inference

An inference is a smart guess using clues from the text plus what you know.

Example: What can you infer? The students packed their backpacks, and the bell rang. Everyone walked to the buses.

Tip: Clues + what I know = inference.

Step 8: Characters and details

What characters do and say tells us what kind of people they are.

Tip: Use clues from the story to describe a character, not just your guess.