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Free 1st grade reading worksheets

Written by Dr. Evan J. Hasson, DC — a dad of three who built this curriculum for his own kids.

50 questions with the answers, free to print and free to photocopy for your own students. Each question sits with the short passage it is about, so every sheet works on its own. Comprehension, detail, inference and vocabulary.

Enjoy them. If you want more, or something we do not have yet, write to support@uponlylearning.com and ask — we read it.

Reading — Grade 1

50 questions · answers marked

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Penguins in the Cold

Penguins live where the wind is icy. A thick layer of fat keeps them warm. Penguins cannot fly, but they swim fast. They eat fish and small squid. Penguins huddle in a group to stay warm.

  1. 1. Where do penguins live?
    1. A. Penguins build nests in tall trees.
    2. B. Penguins cannot fly, but they swim fast.
    3. C. Penguins live where the wind is icy. ← Answer
    4. D. They eat fish and small squid.
  2. 2. What keeps a penguin warm?
    1. A. Penguins live where the wind is icy.
    2. B. Penguins build nests in tall trees.
    3. C. Penguins huddle in a group to stay warm.
    4. D. A thick layer of fat keeps them warm. ← Answer
  3. 3. Why can penguins not fly?
    1. A. Penguins huddle in a group to stay warm.
    2. B. Penguins build nests in tall trees.
    3. C. Penguins cannot fly, but they swim fast. ← Answer
    4. D. They eat fish and small squid.
  4. 4. What do penguins eat?
    1. A. Penguins cannot fly, but they swim fast.
    2. B. Penguins live where the wind is icy.
    3. C. Penguins build nests in tall trees.
    4. D. They eat fish and small squid. ← Answer
  5. 5. How do penguins warm up together?
    1. A. A thick layer of fat keeps them warm.
    2. B. Penguins huddle in a group to stay warm. ← Answer
    3. C. Penguins live where the wind is icy.
    4. D. Penguins build nests in tall trees.
  6. 6. Which sentence is NOT in this text?
    1. A. They eat fish and small squid.
    2. B. Penguins fly south for the winter. ← Answer
    3. C. Penguins cannot fly, but they swim fast.
    4. D. Penguins live where the wind is icy.
  7. 7. Which sentence is NOT in this text?
    1. A. Penguins huddle in a group to stay warm.
    2. B. Penguins eat grass along the shore. ← Answer
    3. C. Penguins cannot fly, but they swim fast.
    4. D. They eat fish and small squid.
  8. 8. Which sentence from the text answers this question: What keeps a penguin warm?
    1. A. Penguins huddle in a group to stay warm.
    2. B. Penguins cannot fly, but they swim fast.
    3. C. Penguins build nests in tall trees.
    4. D. A thick layer of fat keeps them warm. ← Answer
  9. 9. Which sentence from the text answers this question: Why can penguins not fly?
    1. A. Penguins cannot fly, but they swim fast. ← Answer
    2. B. They eat fish and small squid.
    3. C. Penguins live where the wind is icy.
    4. D. A thick layer of fat keeps them warm.

How Butterflies Change

A butterfly starts out as a tiny egg. The egg hatches into a hungry caterpillar. The caterpillar eats leaves all day. It then makes a hard case called a chrysalis. A butterfly comes out with new wings.

  1. 10. How does a butterfly's life start?
    1. A. The egg hatches into a hungry caterpillar.
    2. B. The caterpillar eats leaves all day.
    3. C. A caterpillar turns into a small bird.
    4. D. A butterfly starts out as a tiny egg. ← Answer
  2. 11. What hatches from the egg?
    1. A. A caterpillar turns into a small bird.
    2. B. The caterpillar eats leaves all day.
    3. C. The egg hatches into a hungry caterpillar. ← Answer
    4. D. A butterfly comes out with new wings.
  3. 12. What does the caterpillar eat?
    1. A. The caterpillar eats leaves all day. ← Answer
    2. B. A caterpillar turns into a small bird.
    3. C. It then makes a hard case called a chrysalis.
    4. D. A butterfly comes out with new wings.
  4. 13. What is a chrysalis?
    1. A. The egg hatches into a hungry caterpillar.
    2. B. A caterpillar turns into a small bird.
    3. C. A butterfly starts out as a tiny egg.
    4. D. It then makes a hard case called a chrysalis. ← Answer
  5. 14. What comes out at the end?
    1. A. The caterpillar eats leaves all day.
    2. B. A butterfly starts out as a tiny egg.
    3. C. A caterpillar turns into a small bird.
    4. D. A butterfly comes out with new wings. ← Answer
  6. 15. Which sentence is NOT in this text?
    1. A. It then makes a hard case called a chrysalis.
    2. B. The caterpillar eats leaves all day.
    3. C. Caterpillars eat fish from the pond. ← Answer
    4. D. The egg hatches into a hungry caterpillar.
  7. 16. Which sentence is NOT in this text?
    1. A. Butterflies hatch from nests in trees. ← Answer
    2. B. The egg hatches into a hungry caterpillar.
    3. C. A butterfly starts out as a tiny egg.
    4. D. It then makes a hard case called a chrysalis.
  8. 17. Which sentence from the text answers this question: What hatches from the egg?
    1. A. A butterfly starts out as a tiny egg.
    2. B. The egg hatches into a hungry caterpillar. ← Answer
    3. C. A butterfly comes out with new wings.
    4. D. The caterpillar eats leaves all day.
  9. 18. Which sentence from the text answers this question: What does the caterpillar eat?
    1. A. A caterpillar turns into a small bird.
    2. B. The caterpillar eats leaves all day. ← Answer
    3. C. A butterfly comes out with new wings.
    4. D. A butterfly starts out as a tiny egg.

Camels in the Desert

Camels live in hot, dry deserts. A camel's hump stores fat, not water. Camels can go days without a drink. Wide feet keep them from sinking in sand. Long lashes keep sand out of their eyes.

  1. 19. What kind of place do camels live in?
    1. A. Camels can go days without a drink.
    2. B. A camel drinks from a river each hour.
    3. C. A camel's hump stores fat, not water.
    4. D. Camels live in hot, dry deserts. ← Answer
  2. 20. What is inside a camel's hump?
    1. A. A camel drinks from a river each hour.
    2. B. A camel's hump stores fat, not water. ← Answer
    3. C. Wide feet keep them from sinking in sand.
    4. D. Camels can go days without a drink.
  3. 21. How long can a camel go without water?
    1. A. Wide feet keep them from sinking in sand.
    2. B. Long lashes keep sand out of their eyes.
    3. C. A camel drinks from a river each hour.
    4. D. Camels can go days without a drink. ← Answer
  4. 22. Why are a camel's feet wide?
    1. A. Wide feet keep them from sinking in sand. ← Answer
    2. B. Camels live in hot, dry deserts.
    3. C. Camels can go days without a drink.
    4. D. A camel's hump stores fat, not water.
  5. 23. What do long lashes do?
    1. A. A camel's hump stores fat, not water.
    2. B. Camels can go days without a drink.
    3. C. Long lashes keep sand out of their eyes. ← Answer
    4. D. A camel drinks from a river each hour.
  6. 24. Which sentence is NOT in this text?
    1. A. Long lashes keep sand out of their eyes.
    2. B. Camels live on wide fields of ice. ← Answer
    3. C. A camel's hump stores fat, not water.
    4. D. Wide feet keep them from sinking in sand.
  7. 25. Which sentence is NOT in this text?
    1. A. A camel's hump stores fat, not water.
    2. B. A camel's hump stores water, not fat. ← Answer
    3. C. Wide feet keep them from sinking in sand.
    4. D. Long lashes keep sand out of their eyes.
  8. 26. Which sentence from the text answers this question: What is inside a camel's hump?
    1. A. A camel drinks from a river each hour.
    2. B. Camels can go days without a drink.
    3. C. A camel's hump stores fat, not water. ← Answer
    4. D. Camels live in hot, dry deserts.
  9. 27. Which sentence from the text answers this question: How long can a camel go without water?
    1. A. Wide feet keep them from sinking in sand.
    2. B. A camel drinks from a river each hour.
    3. C. Camels live in hot, dry deserts.
    4. D. Camels can go days without a drink. ← Answer

Ants Work Together

Ants live in a nest under the ground. One queen ant lays all the eggs. Worker ants look for food. Ants leave a scent trail to the food. Many ants can carry one big crumb.

  1. 28. Where is an ant nest?
    1. A. Ants live in a nest under the ground. ← Answer
    2. B. Worker ants never leave the nest.
    3. C. Many ants can carry one big crumb.
    4. D. One queen ant lays all the eggs.
  2. 29. What does the queen ant do?
    1. A. Ants leave a scent trail to the food.
    2. B. Worker ants never leave the nest.
    3. C. One queen ant lays all the eggs. ← Answer
    4. D. Ants live in a nest under the ground.
  3. 30. What do worker ants look for?
    1. A. Ants live in a nest under the ground.
    2. B. Worker ants never leave the nest.
    3. C. Worker ants look for food. ← Answer
    4. D. Ants leave a scent trail to the food.
  4. 31. How do ants mark the way to food?
    1. A. Worker ants look for food.
    2. B. Many ants can carry one big crumb.
    3. C. Ants leave a scent trail to the food. ← Answer
    4. D. Worker ants never leave the nest.
  5. 32. How do ants move something big?
    1. A. Worker ants never leave the nest.
    2. B. Worker ants look for food.
    3. C. Many ants can carry one big crumb. ← Answer
    4. D. Ants live in a nest under the ground.
  6. 33. Which sentence is NOT in this text?
    1. A. Many ants can carry one big crumb.
    2. B. Ants live in a nest under the ground.
    3. C. Ants leave a scent trail to the food.
    4. D. Each ant lives alone in the soil. ← Answer
  7. 34. Which sentence is NOT in this text?
    1. A. Worker ants look for food.
    2. B. Ants live in a nest under the ground.
    3. C. One queen ant lays all the eggs.
    4. D. Every ant in the nest lays eggs. ← Answer
  8. 35. Which sentence from the text answers this question: What does the queen ant do?
    1. A. One queen ant lays all the eggs. ← Answer
    2. B. Ants live in a nest under the ground.
    3. C. Worker ants look for food.
    4. D. Worker ants never leave the nest.
  9. 36. Which sentence from the text answers this question: What do worker ants look for?
    1. A. Worker ants look for food. ← Answer
    2. B. Ants leave a scent trail to the food.
    3. C. Worker ants never leave the nest.
    4. D. Ants live in a nest under the ground.

Rain and Clouds

The sun warms water in lakes and seas. The warm water rises as tiny drops. The drops gather and make a cloud. Drops in the cloud grow heavy. The heavy drops fall as rain.

  1. 37. What warms the water?
    1. A. The moon pulls water out of lakes.
    2. B. The sun warms water in lakes and seas. ← Answer
    3. C. The warm water rises as tiny drops.
    4. D. The drops gather and make a cloud.
  2. 38. What happens to the warm water?
    1. A. The drops gather and make a cloud.
    2. B. Drops in the cloud grow heavy.
    3. C. The warm water rises as tiny drops. ← Answer
    4. D. The heavy drops fall as rain.
  3. 39. How does a cloud form?
    1. A. The moon pulls water out of lakes.
    2. B. The drops gather and make a cloud. ← Answer
    3. C. Drops in the cloud grow heavy.
    4. D. The heavy drops fall as rain.
  4. 40. What happens to drops in the cloud?
    1. A. The sun warms water in lakes and seas.
    2. B. Drops in the cloud grow heavy. ← Answer
    3. C. The moon pulls water out of lakes.
    4. D. The heavy drops fall as rain.
  5. 41. What makes rain fall?
    1. A. The heavy drops fall as rain. ← Answer
    2. B. The warm water rises as tiny drops.
    3. C. The sun warms water in lakes and seas.
    4. D. The moon pulls water out of lakes.
  6. 42. Which sentence is NOT in this text?
    1. A. The sun warms water in lakes and seas.
    2. B. The heavy drops fall as rain.
    3. C. Drops in the cloud grow heavy.
    4. D. Rain falls up from lakes to clouds. ← Answer
  7. 43. Which sentence is NOT in this text?
    1. A. The sun warms water in lakes and seas.
    2. B. The warm water rises as tiny drops.
    3. C. A cloud is made of bits of cotton. ← Answer
    4. D. The heavy drops fall as rain.
  8. 44. Which sentence from the text answers this question: What happens to the warm water?
    1. A. The sun warms water in lakes and seas.
    2. B. The moon pulls water out of lakes.
    3. C. The warm water rises as tiny drops. ← Answer
    4. D. The drops gather and make a cloud.
  9. 45. Which sentence from the text answers this question: How does a cloud form?
    1. A. The moon pulls water out of lakes.
    2. B. The drops gather and make a cloud. ← Answer
    3. C. Drops in the cloud grow heavy.
    4. D. The warm water rises as tiny drops.

The Mail Carrier's Day

A mail carrier starts work early. She sorts letters into one bag for each street. She walks the same route every day. Stamps show that the mail was paid for. Packages ride in the truck.

  1. 46. When does a mail carrier start?
    1. A. A mail carrier starts work early. ← Answer
    2. B. She sorts letters into one bag for each street.
    3. C. Packages ride in the truck.
    4. D. A mail carrier writes every letter.
  2. 47. How are the letters sorted?
    1. A. She sorts letters into one bag for each street. ← Answer
    2. B. Stamps show that the mail was paid for.
    3. C. Packages ride in the truck.
    4. D. A mail carrier writes every letter.
  3. 48. How often is the route walked?
    1. A. She sorts letters into one bag for each street.
    2. B. Packages ride in the truck.
    3. C. A mail carrier writes every letter.
    4. D. She walks the same route every day. ← Answer
  4. 49. What does a stamp show?
    1. A. A mail carrier starts work early.
    2. B. She sorts letters into one bag for each street.
    3. C. A mail carrier writes every letter.
    4. D. Stamps show that the mail was paid for. ← Answer
  5. 50. Where do packages ride?
    1. A. A mail carrier writes every letter.
    2. B. She walks the same route every day.
    3. C. Stamps show that the mail was paid for.
    4. D. Packages ride in the truck. ← Answer
UpOnly Learning · uponlylearning.com · free to print and photocopy for your own studentsReading — Grade 1
UpOnly Learning · uponlylearning.com · Reading Grade 1
From the workbook

A real page of Reading · Grade 1

Stretch It, Squish It: Sound Power

The child will tell short from long vowel sounds in spoken one-syllable words, blend spoken sounds (including blends like st and fl) into words, and break one-syllable words into each of their sounds. · 40 min

Warm-up — say this

“Let's warm up our ears. I say a word, you say it back like a slow snail.”

Worked example

Is the vowel in 'kite' long or short? What about 'kit'?

Answer: Kite has a long i, because the i says its name. Kit has a short i, the quick /i/ sound.

A mistake students make

Counting a blend like st or fl as one sound.

How the book fixes it

Say the word very slowly and push an object for every sound you hear: /f/ (push) /l/ (push). Ask the child to feel how the mouth changes between them.

Note to the parent

Keep letters out of this lesson on purpose. Strong ears make phonics much easier later.

That is one topic of many. The free questions above check a skill; this is the part that teaches it.

Practice is not teaching. Reading · Grade 1 is the part that teaches.

These questions check a skill your student has already met. They do not explain anything, and they are not meant to — that is what the workbook is for, and it is the whole difference between the two.

  1. It teaches.Each topic is a forty-minute lesson that tells you what to say, in order: a five-minute warm-up, twelve minutes of teaching, ten minutes guided, ten minutes on their own, three minutes to close. Written for a parent who has never taught.
  2. It explains.Two worked examples per topic, and the two mistakes students actually make on that exact skill — named, with how to correct each one. When a student is stuck, the book already knows why.
  3. It reviews.Every answer comes with a short explanation, not just a key. And every topic has its own question bank, so a student who needs another go gets different questions rather than the same page again.
  4. It is a plan, not a pile.Every topic names the standard it addresses, in teaching order, so you can see the whole year before you start.
$9.99 Buy Reading · Grade 1 — $9.99 Read a free sample first Everything else we give away

Not sure which grade to start in? Write to support@uponlylearning.com and tell us about your student. We will tell you honestly, including if the answer is a grade below the one they are in.

Why this exists

I was spending thousands a month on tutors, and when I asked about enrolling a second or third child the answer was the same everywhere: that will be double. So I built the thing I could not find — nine subjects, kindergarten through grade 5, every topic in the order a student should actually meet it.

Dr. Evan J. Hasson, DC — Founder · Read the whole story

Other grades

KindergartenFree kindergarten reading questionsGrade 2Free 2nd grade reading questionsGrade 3Free 3rd grade reading questionsGrade 4Free 4th grade reading questionsGrade 5Free 5th grade reading questions

Grade 1, other subjects

MathFree 1st grade math questionsScienceFree 1st grade science questionsWritingFree 1st grade writing and grammar questions

Further reading

Reads the Words but Not the MeaningYour student can read but doesn't comprehend. Why decoding and comprehension are different skills, how to tell which one is missing, and what to do weekly.

Questions parents ask

Are these reading worksheets really free?

Yes. All 50 questions and their answers are on this page, free to print and free to photocopy for your own students. There is no account, no email address and no card.

Can a teacher or a tutor use these with a class?

Yes. Print and photocopy them for the students you teach. The only thing we ask is that you do not republish them as your own or sell them.

Where are the answers?

Marked beside each question on this page, so it prints as its own answer key. If you want a clean copy for a student, print it and cover the answer column, or use the sample workbook instead.

What grade are these for?

Grade 1. Every other grade from kindergarten to grade 5 has its own page, linked at the foot of this one. If your student finds these hard, try the grade below — that is normal and it is not a problem.

What do the paid workbooks add?

These questions check a skill. The workbook teaches it: a forty-minute lesson that tells you what to say, two worked examples, the two mistakes students actually make on that skill and how to correct each one, and an explanation beside every answer rather than a bare key.