Reading comprehension for Class 1: 5 short passages with questions
Reading the words is step one. Understanding them is step two — and that is what “unseen passage” or comprehension questions test in Class 1 and 2.
Below are five short, original passages written for 5–7 year olds, each with four questions and answers, followed by simple ways to build comprehension at home.
On this page
1. Passage 1: My cat
I have a cat. Her name is Kitty. She is white and soft. Kitty likes to drink milk. She sleeps on my bed. I love my cat.
- What is the cat’s name?
- What colour is the cat?
- What does Kitty like to drink?
- Where does she sleep?
2. Passage 2: The red ball
Sam has a big red ball. He goes to the park with his dad. Sam kicks the ball. It goes up, up, up! His dad catches it. Sam claps and laughs.
- What colour is the ball?
- Who goes to the park with Sam?
- Who catches the ball?
- How does Sam feel? How do you know?
3. Passage 3: A rainy day
It is raining today. Meena cannot go out to play. She looks out of the window. She sees a frog jump into a puddle. Mum makes hot pakoras. Meena and Mum eat them and watch the rain.
- Why can’t Meena go out?
- What does she see from the window?
- What does Mum make?
- Do you like rainy days? Why?
Our phonics book ends with 4 first stories for children who can just about read on their own. See the Phonics & Sight Words Practice Book →4. Passage 4: Riya’s garden
Riya has a small garden. She grows tomatoes and roses. Every morning she waters the plants. One day she sees a yellow butterfly on a rose. “Hello, butterfly!” she says. The butterfly flies away to the next flower.
- What does Riya grow?
- When does she water the plants?
- What colour is the butterfly?
- Where does the butterfly go?
5. Passage 5: The lost puppy
Arjun finds a small brown puppy near the gate. It is crying. Arjun gives it some water. Then he sees a poster: “Lost puppy. Please call.” Arjun’s mother calls the number. A girl comes running and hugs the puppy. “Thank you!” she says.
- Where does Arjun find the puppy?
- What does he give it?
- How do they find the owner?
- Was Arjun kind? Why do you think so?
6. Answers
| Q | Answer | Q | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitty | 11 | Hot pakoras |
| 2 | White | 12 | Child’s own answer |
| 3 | Milk | 13 | Tomatoes and roses |
| 4 | On the child’s bed | 14 | Every morning |
| 5 | Red | 15 | Yellow |
| 6 | His dad | 16 | To the next flower |
| 7 | His dad | 17 | Near the gate |
| 8 | Happy — he claps and laughs | 18 | Some water |
| 9 | It is raining | 19 | From a poster; his mother calls the number |
| 10 | A frog jumping into a puddle | 20 | Yes — he helped the puppy and found its owner |
Questions 8, 12 and 20 are thinking questions: the answer is not written in the passage. These matter most, so always ask one.
7. How to build comprehension
- Read aloud to them every day, even after they can read. Listening comprehension runs ahead of reading.
- Ask the 5 W questions: who, what, where, when, why. “Why” is the hardest and the most useful.
- Predict: stop halfway and ask “What will happen next?”
- Retell in three sentences: beginning, middle, end.
- Picture it: ask the child to draw the story. The drawing shows you what they understood.
- Fix decoding first: if a child stops at every word, they have no attention left for meaning. Work on CVC words and sight words first.
Questions parents ask
What is reading comprehension for Class 1?
Reading a short passage of 4–8 simple sentences and answering questions about it: who, what, where, and one thinking question.
How can I improve my child's reading comprehension?
Read aloud together daily, ask who/what/where/why questions, ask them to predict and retell the story, and make sure they can decode words easily.
What is an unseen passage?
A passage the child has not read before, given in a test to check whether they can read and understand new text on their own.
My child reads well but can't answer questions. Why?
They may be focusing all their effort on reading the words. Read the passage aloud to them first, then ask questions, and slowly let them read it themselves.
Phonics & Sight Words Practice Book
74 printable pages · LKG to Class 2
- Letter sounds a–z with pictures
- CVC words, blends, digraphs and magic e
- All 92 Dolch sight words, flashcards and 4 first stories
Print as many times as you like · Buy any 2 packs together and get 10% off