In these worksheets, the story is often organized by having a beginning that introduces the characters and the problem or situation. The middle part builds up the story with actions and developments, and the end resolves the problem or leaves you with something to think about.
One common element is vocabulary questions. Since 3rd - graders are still building their vocabulary, the worksheets often ask about the meaning of words in the story context.
They can help by exposing students to different fictional stories. When students read these stories in the worksheets, they get to practice understanding characters, plots, and settings, which are important elements in reading comprehension.
They can improve comprehension by having targeted questions. For instance, questions that ask about the cause and effect in the story make students think deeper. If the story is about a boy who didn't study and failed a test, the worksheet question 'Why did the boy fail the test?' makes them analyze the text.
They can help by exposing students to different types of stories and texts. This makes students more familiar with various writing styles, which in turn improves their ability to understand what they read.
Reading such stories helps with reading comprehension skills. They learn how to understand what they read, which is important for all future academic work. For example, they learn to follow a plot, understand characters' motives, etc. Since these are specifically designed for 3rd graders, they are at an appropriate level of difficulty to gradually build these skills. Third - graders are still developing their reading abilities, and these stories provide a good practice ground. They can practice reading at a pace that suits them and ask for help if needed, as the language and concepts are not overly complicated.
One popular 3rd grade reading comprehension story is 'Charlotte's Web'. It's about a pig named Wilbur and a spider named Charlotte. The story teaches kids about friendship and loyalty. Another is 'The Magic Tree House' series. These stories take the main characters on adventures through different time periods and places, which helps kids learn about history and different cultures. And 'Amelia Bedelia' is also great. Amelia Bedelia takes things very literally, which often leads to funny situations and helps kids with understanding language in different ways.
One way is to use them for vocabulary building. Have the students circle or write out new words they find in the short story on the worksheet. Another way is for comprehension. There could be simple questions like 'Who was the main character?' or 'What did the character do first?' to help students understand the story better. Also, worksheets can be used for sequencing events. Students can cut out pictures or sentences related to the story and put them in the correct order on the worksheet.
Family is also a common theme. The stories may depict pig families, showing the relationships between parents and piglets, like how they protect and teach each other within the family unit.