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Third Grade: Reading Mazes
Third Grade: Reading Mazes
Reading
Comprehension
Mazes
For the Whole Year
Created By:
Amber Harris
~TripletMom ~
Background By: mycutegraphics.com
© Amber Harris 2014
2
~ Teacher’s Guide ~
A reading maze is a task that measures how well
students understand what they read while reading
silently. After the first sentence in the maze passage,
every seventh word is replaced with the correct word
and two distracters. Students choose the word among
the choices that best fits in with the rest of the passage.
This type of reading comprehension is different from
traditional reading comprehension passages that
require the student to recall information after reading a
passage. In a reading maze, the student must have an
understanding of the passage while reading. Reading
mazes are a great way to encourage meaningful
reading and help students develop basic
comprehension skills.
3
~ Teacher’s Guide ~
Once you’ve administered the Maze Pre-Test, choose the
way in which you would like to incorporate the reading
mazes in your classroom. Here are some ideas:
•Think about which students you will use the mazes with.
You can use these with all of the students in your class, a
small group, or just individual students.
•Decide how often and when you will use the mazes.
There are enough mazes included to use one each week.
However, you may use them bi-weekly, monthly, or even
just occasionally. Let the needs of your students guide
your decision.
5
Scoring Guide
•Use the provided answer key for each maze to check for
correct answers.
•If you have students that do not meet the target score
(and you will at first especially) continue to monitor them
for a few weeks. Some of them will make gains as they
get the hang of it. Others will continue to struggle and
may even regress as the target scores increase and
passages get more difficult. Hopefully there will only be a
handful of students like this. Provide opportunities for
them to improve their comprehension and continue to
© Amber Harris 2014
Pre-Test
1 2.8 8
Antarctica (Non-Fiction)
Field Trip
3 2.9 9
(Fiction)
Sharks
4 3.0 9
(Non-Fiction)
Honeybees
5 3.0 9
(Non-Fiction)
Julia’s Journal
7 3.1 10
(Fiction)
Thomas Edison
8 3.1 10
(Non-Fiction)
Manatees
10 3.2 10
(Non-Fiction)
Iron
12 3.2 11
(Non-Fiction)
Carlie’s Camera
14 3.3 11
(Fiction)
Colors
19 3.5 12
(Non-Fiction)
Bubble Gum
21 3.5 13
(Non-Fiction)
Dogs
23 3.6 13
(Non-Fiction)
Grandma’s Garden
24 3.6 14
(Fiction)
Igloos
25 3.7 14
(Non-Fiction)
Chameleons
27 3.7 14
(Non-Fiction)
© Amber Harris 2014
Shooting Stars
29 3.8 15
(Non-Fiction)
Piano Recital
30 3.8 15
(Fiction)
Fox Squirrels
31 3.9 15
(Non-Fiction)
Magnets
33 3.9 16
(Non-Fiction)
Painted Turtles
35 4.0 16
(Non-Fiction)
Declaration of
36 Independence 4.0 16
(Non-Fiction)
© Amber Harris 2014
Passage
Target Score
Student Name
11
Student Name
Passage
Target Score
Pre-Test-
8
Antarctica
Week 2
8
Sammy
Week 3
9
Field Trip
Data Recording Sheet-First Nine Weeks
Week 4
9
Sharks
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Mazes
Week 5
9
Honeybees
Week 6
9
The Heart
Week 7
10
Julia’s
Journal
Week 8
10
Edison
Week 9
10
Anansi
12
© Amber Harris 2014
Student Name
Passage
Target Score
Week 10
10
Manatees
Week 11
11
Escape
Week 12
11
Iron
Week 13
11
Data Recording Sheet-Second Nine Weeks
Oldest Tree
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Mazes
Week 14
11
Camera
Week 15
12
Saguaro
Week 16
12
Town Mouse
Week 17
12
Trip to Fair
Week 18
12
Lion and
Wolf
13
© Amber Harris 2014
Student Name
Passage
Target Score
Week 19
12
Colors
Week 20
13
Last Day
Week 21
13
BubbleGum
Data Recording Sheet-Third Nine Weeks
Week 22
13
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Mazes
Princess
Week 23
13
Dogs
Week 24
14
Garden
Week 25
14
Igloos
Week 26
14
Fossils
Week 27
14
Chameleon
14
© Amber Harris 2014
Student Name
Target Score
Week 28
14
Neptune
Week 29
15
Stars
Week 30
15
Piano Recital
Data Recording Sheet-Fourth Nine Weeks
Week 31
15
Fox Squirrels
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Mazes
Week 32
15
Lost in Zoo
Week 33
16
Magnets
Week 34
16
Tadpoles
Week 35
16
PaintedTurtle
s
Week 36
16
Independenc
e
15
© Amber Harris 2014
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Mazes
Data Recording Sheet-First Nine Weeks
Honeybees
Antarctica
The Heart
Field Trip
Pre-Test-
Week 5
Sammy
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 8
Week 9
Week 7
Week 6
Anansi
Edison
Journal
Sharks
Julia’s
Sample
Passage
Target Score 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 10
Student Name
Valerie 7 10 11
Target Score
George 12 12 13
Kenyatta 11 14 16
16
Practice Maze Instructions
Allowing students the time to get familiar with the format
of reading mazes is very important. Most of them, if not
all, have never completed a passage in this way before.
If you do not allow the time to teach students how to do
a reading maze, they will not understand what they are
doing and it will not improve their comprehension.
•Provide each student with a copy of the Practice Maze.
•Explain that they will be reading a short passage with
some of the important words missing. Instruct them to
read the passage carefully and think about the words
that should go in the spaces as they read. Let them know
that you will be helping them on this practice passage.
•Go through the maze with students, guiding them
through the thinking process to use when figuring out the
missing words. Your dialogue may go something like this:
Practice Maze
Turtles are reptiles. They live in water. Turtles are (clever, milk,
found) mostly in Africa and America. The (body, famous, wild) of a turtle
is inside a (really, shell, brought). If a turtle is frightened, it (may, guilty,
beach) pull its head, arms, and legs (choose, into, band) the shell. Turtle
shells are light-weight. (They, Sadly, Ashamed) are also flat and smooth.
The (shell, cow, fuzzy) helps the turtle swim and dive (bright, more, long)
easily in the water. Turtles have (bed, webbed, frightened) feet and
claws. Their long claws (butter, help, cart) them grip logs floating in the
(water, forgiven, tired). Webbed feet help the turtle swim. (War, Some,
Old) turtles have flippers to help them (swim, burn, fresh). Turtles are
omnivores. This means they (strange, eat, scissors) plants and meat.
Turtles lay eggs (after, wrestle, on) land in a nest. The baby (say, turtles,
company) stay in the nest on their (thick, language, own). They hatch in
3-4 months. When they (tray, anyone, hatch), they find their own way
out (of, yesterday, shallow) the nest. They begin taking care (drew, of,
joyously) themselves right away. Turtles can live (direction, sock, from)
20-40 years. © Amber Harris 2014
Student Copy: Week 1/Pre-Test - Antarctica
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Maze
Student Name ______________________________ Score _______________________
Pre-Test
small giant (coming, riddle, measure) for him. Then, before he knew (helpful, what,
present) happened, he tumbled down into a (relax, huge, hole). When he looked
around, he saw (agree, slowly, that) he was home! Whew! He was (behind, safe,
without). Sammy learned that his parents were (slope, motion, right). The beach was
not a safe (place, respect, punch) for a small fiddler crab during (the, dog, news) day.
Student Copy: Week 3 – Field Trip
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Maze
Student Name ______________________________ Score _______________________
to school. At (protect, school, food), their teachers gave them paper to (write, root,
very) about their favorite part of the (touch, tomorrow, field) trip. They all had a
great (time, snow, came).
Answer Key: Practice -Turtles
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Maze
Student Name ______________________________ Score _______________________
Practice Maze
Turtles are reptiles. They live in water. Turtles are (clever, milk,
found) mostly in Africa and America. The (body, famous, wild) of a turtle
is inside a (really, shell, brought). If a turtle is frightened, it (may, guilty,
beach) pull its head, arms, and legs (choose, into, band) the shell. Turtle
shells are light-weight. (They, Sadly, Ashamed) are also flat and smooth.
The (shell, cow, fuzzy) helps the turtle swim and dive (bright, more, long)
easily in the water. Turtles have (bed, webbed, frightened) feet and
claws. Their long claws (butter, help, cart) them grip logs floating in the
(water, forgiven, tired). Webbed feet help the turtle swim. (War, Some,
Old) turtles have flippers to help them (swim, burn, fresh). Turtles are
omnivores. This means they (strange, eat, scissors) plants and meat.
Turtles lay eggs (after, wrestle, on) land in a nest. The baby (say, turtles,
company) stay in the nest on their (thick, language, own). They hatch in
3-4 months. When they (tray, anyone, hatch), they find their own way
out (of, yesterday, shallow) the nest. They begin taking care (drew, of,
joyously) themselves right away. Turtles can live (direction, sock, from)
20-40 years. © Amber Harris 2014
Answer Key: Week 1/Pre-Test - Antarctica
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Maze
Student Name ______________________________ Score _______________________
Pre-Test
small giant (coming, riddle, measure) for him. Then, before he knew (helpful, what,
present) happened, he tumbled down into a (relax, huge, hole). When he looked
around, he saw (agree, slowly, that) he was home! Whew! He was (behind, safe,
without). Sammy learned that his parents were (slope, motion, right). The beach was
not a safe (place, respect, punch) for a small fiddler crab during (the, dog, news) day.
Answer Key: Week 3 – Field Trip
Third Grade Reading Comprehension Maze
Student Name ______________________________ Score _______________________
to school. At (protect, school, food), their teachers gave them paper to (write, root,
very) about their favorite part of the (touch, tomorrow, field) trip. They all had a
great (time, snow, came).
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~TripletMom ~
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