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After School Reading Activities focuses on
building word skills, vocabulary, and reading
comprehension through activities that are
enjoyable as well as educational. Intended to
stimulate interest in reading with approachable,
often hands-on exercises, this book is a unique
tool to use as extension, enrichment, take-home
projects, or as part of your classroom curriculum.
The age-appropriate and grade-appropriate
materials support national reading standards.
Each activity focuses on an integral word or
reading skill, or on pertinent vocabulary. The
tasks will stimulate students’ creativity while
providing practice with important reading skills.
This book also features a set of flash cards
that present high-interest vocabulary and
definitions. They are sure to become an
often-used part of your program. Use them
in groups or as an individual drill.
GRADE
LANGUAGE ARTS
About This Book
After School
Reading Activities
Visit our Web site at
www.MHteachers.com.
3
ISBN 0-7424-1773-5
IF
G
99
02
3
• Cross-Curricular
Activities
• High-Interest
Vocabulary
Flash Cards
• Reading
Comprehension
Experiences
2
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0
4
 Published by Frank Schaffer Publications
an imprint of
Grade 3
After School
Reading Activities
Published by Frank Schaffer Publications
An imprint of School Specialty Publishing
Copyright © 2003 School Specialty Publishing
All Rights Reserved • Printed in the United States of America
Limited Reproduction Permission: Permission to duplicate these materials is limited to the person for whom they are
purchased. Reproduction for an entire school or school district is unlawful and strictly prohibited.
Send all inquiries to:
School Specialty Publishing
3195 Wilson Drive NW
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49544
After School Reading Activities—grade 3 
ISBN: 0-7424-1773-5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 PHXBK 08 07 06 05 04 03 
Editor: Mary Rose Hassinger
Table of Contents
© School Specialty Publishing 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activiti 3
General Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4–5
A World of Its Own (ABC Order) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
A Mother’s Love (ABC Order/Vowel Sounds) . . . . . .7
Ouch! (Syllabication) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Be a Friend to Our Planet (Syllabication) . . . . . . . . . .9
Phonics Fun (Vowel Sounds/Following Directions) . .10
Time to Choose (Vowel Sounds) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
The Start and Finish 
(Beginning/Ending Sounds) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Clowning Around (L Blends) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Blend Review (Blends Review) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Fun With Phonics (Consonant Digraphs) . . . . . . . . .15
Beach Weather (Consonant Digraphs) . . . . . . . . . . .16
A Haunting Song (o Words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Choose a Word (o– Sound) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Goose Chase (Vowel Digraphs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Half a Batch (Silent Consonants) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Feeling Better (Double Consonants) . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Nice and Cozy (Hard and Soft C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
On Stage (Hard and Soft G) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Word Categories (R-Controlled Vowels) . . . . . . . . .24
Simply Easy (Hard and Soft S) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
The Root of the Problem (Root Words) . . . . . . . . . . .26
Zoo Loos (Rhyming Words) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Put Them Together (Contractions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Proper Prefixes (Prefixes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Don’t Repeat Yourself (Prefixes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Laughable Fellow (Suffixes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Skip, Skipped, Skipping, (Suffixes –ed/-ing) . . . . . .32
You’re (To, Too, Two) Much (Homophones) . . . . . . .33
So, Sew It (Homophones) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Special Delivery (Plurals) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
A Backyard Football Game (Compound Words) . . .36
Gardening Time (Gardening Terms) . . . . . . . . . . . .37
School Scouts (School Terms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Belonging (Animal Families) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Mystery (Mystery Terms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Those “ER” Words (General Vocabulary) . . . . . . . .41
Parts of Speech (Parts of Speech) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Hang On to These (Frequently Misspelled Words) . .43
Analyzing Analogies (Analogies) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Good-Bye, Jennie (Foreign Terms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Computer Talk (Computer Terms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
The Study of… (Science Terms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Strike Up the Band (Music Classification) . . . . . . . . .48
Little Ones (Animal Babies) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Forward and Backward (Palindromes) . . . . . . . . . . .50
Fun With Run (Idioms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Serpent’s Synonyms (Synonyms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Give Me the Code Word (Synonyms) . . . . . . . . . . .53
Searching for Opposites (Antonyms) . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Opposites Attract (Antonyms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Doing Our Job (Careers) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Hip, Hip, Hooray for Holidays
(Social Studies/Holidays) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
American Trees (Science Vocabulary) . . . . . . . . . . .58
Don’t Horse Around (Science Vocabulary) . . . . . . . .59
Sun-Sational Puzzle (Science/Context Clues) . . . . . .60
Cloud Watch (Fact/Opinion) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
If It Could Talk… (Fact/Opinion) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Two Cats (Alike and Different) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Animals Long Ago (Main Idea) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Gettysburg (Main Idea/Details) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Rhyme Climb (Cause and Effect) . . . . . . . . . . . .66–67
Cause Match (Cause and Effect) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
A Pea Wee Plea (Inferencing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
Turtle Troubles (Inferencing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Picnic Pranks (Inferencing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71–72
Clever Boy, Wise Mom (Summarizing) . . . . . . . . . .73
Frank and Beanie (Summarizing) . . . . . . . . . . .74–75
Best Friends (Compare and Contrast) . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Volcanoes on Earth and Venus
(Compare and Contrast) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Ping and Pong (Compare and Contrast) . . . . . . . . .78
State Search (Following Directions) . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Go Fish (Following Directions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
The Camping Trip (Sequencing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
My, How You’ve Changed (Sequencing) . . . . . . . . .82
What Will Happen Next? (Predicting Outcomes) . . .83
Next… (Predicting Outcomes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
What a Birthday (Recognizing Details) . . . . . . . . . . .85
The Pet Contest (Recognizing Details) . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Baseball (Interpreting a Graph) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
A Year in My Life 
(Reading a Table of Contents) . . . . . . . . . . . .88–89
The Beginning of the Internet (Timelines) . . . . . . . . .90
Snowy Day (Classification) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Crazy Kitchen (Classifying) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Commercials (Author’s Purpose) . . . . . . . . . . . .93–94
The Wizard of Oz (Author’s Purpose) . . . . . . . . . . .95
A Mystery in the Night (Plot) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96–97
What’s the Problem? (Conflict) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
A Perfect Celebration (Setting) . . . . . . . . . . . . .99–100
The Goldilocks Report (Character Analysis) . . . . . .101
Make-Believe (Character Analysis) . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Flash Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103–122
Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .will do?
3. How do you think Dad will react to his daughter’s request?
Inferencing
A Pea Wee Plea
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 69 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Inferencing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Turtle Troubles
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 70 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Oh, lucky me, I’m in the play.
I get to be a turtle today!
Tommy’s a bear, and Jill’s a fox.
Their costumes are cool—mine’s a box!
Marty’s a bobcat, and Mike’s a snake.
My costume makes my body ache!
I’ll show them; they’d best beware!
I’m a snapping turtle who likes to scare!
Answer the following.
1. How does the boy feel about his part in the play? ________________________________
2. Why should his classmates beware? __________________________________________
3. Circle the words that describe the boy’s feelings about his costume. Underline the words
that describe his feelings about his classmates’ costumes.
cool embarrassing envious
resentful uncomfortable idiotic
4. What do you think the play is about? __________________________________________
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Inferencing
My friend Francine has a very
vivid imagination. Her explanations
for the most common events can be
very colorful.
Last month Francine’s family and my
family went on a picnic to the park. We
played games, ran races, and
eventually sat down to eat. First,
we emptied my mom’s picnic
basket. She had packed hot
dogs, buns, strawberry fruit
bars (my favorite), and
pretzels. Then we began
to empty the basket that
Francine’s mom had
packed. Out came some
ham sandwiches, potato salad, soda
pop, and . . . !
“What happened to the potato chips?”
exclaimed Mrs. Farmer. “The bag was full
when I packed this basket!”
“I bet I know what happened,
Mom,” Francine began to
explain. “The ants at this
park are horrendous! They
must have chewed their way
into the bag and carried some of
the chips away! You know how strong those
little creatures are!” she continued, looking
very serious. “I noticed some of them
when Becky and I were climbing the hill.
I’m sorry I didn’t say something.”
“That sounds a little far-
fetched,” replied Mrs.
Farmer, “but maybe that
could have happened. We’ll
discuss this matter further
when we get home.”
When we sat down at the
picnic table, I thought I
heard some little crunching
noises. However, I may have been imagining
it. Anyway, lunch was great—minus some of
the chips.
(continued on page 72)
Picnic Pranks
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 71 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Inferencing
Name ________________ Date ___________
1. Do you think Francine’s explanation for the missing potato chips was accurate? _______
Explain. __________________________________________________________________
2. Did Mrs. Farmer totally accept Francine’s explanation? _______ How do you know?
3. Explain this statement: “Her explanations for the most common events can be 
very colorful.” ______________________________________________________________
4. What could have caused the crunching noises Becky heard when the families sat down
to eat? ____________________________________________________________________
5. Circle all of the correct statements.
Realistically, you can guess that . . .
a. Becky has heard Francine’s wild explanations before.
b. Francine actually saw ants carrying off the potato chips.
c. Becky is Francine’s friend.
d. Mrs. Farmer always believes her daughter.
e. Francine had probably eaten the chips.
6. Circle all the words that best describe Francine’s explanation for the missing 
potato chips.
honest sincere mischievous crafty imaginative creative
7. Circle what might be some of Francine’s creative explanations for dirty footprints on her
kitchen floor?
a. Francine had walked through a mud puddle.
b. Sasquatch was visiting the Farmer family.
c. Martians had landed in the garden and had forgotten to wipe their feet 
before entering the house.
d. Santa got soot on his boots and left the house through the kitchen door.
e. Francine and Becky were digging in the garden and then had a snack.
Picnic Pranks (cont.)
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 72 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Summarizing
Complete the story‘s summary by writing the number of the picture that best fits the meaning
of each sentence. Some numbers may be used more than once.
One day Jimmy raced into the kitchen
and announced, “I am no longer eating
anything green! I just found out that all green
food was developed to turn humans into
aliens. So I won’t be able to eat anything like
peas or broccoli! Besides, I’m sure that Mr.
Johnson would not allow me to stay in class
if I suddenly became an alien.” Jimmy, who
had always been a fussy eater, grinned as
he watched his mom’s stunned expression.
“I’m so sorry to hear that, Jimmy,” 
replied his mom. I guess you won’t be
having any pistachio cupcakes or lime
sherbet for dessert tonight.” This time his
mom’s face beamed as she observed her
son’s stunned expression. 
A little ____________________ did not like
eating ____________________ vegetables, so he
invented a ____________________ about how eating ____________________ food would
turn him into an ____________________. He ____________________ at his own cleverness.
However, his mom ruined his plan by serving ____________________
____________________ for dessert. She ____________________ at how she had fooled him.
Clever Boy, Wise Mom
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 73 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
1 2 3
4 5 6
© School Specialty Publishing
Summarizing
Name ________________ Date ___________
My family was the first to arrive at Uncle
Frank and Aunt Beanie’s annual family
barbeque, so we helped get everything
ready. Uncle Frank asked me to set up the
lawn chairs. As I was putting them around
the lawn and pool, Uncle Frank said, “Set
that bright orange chair on the line directly in
front of the pool. Sit down and push the
green button on the armrest as soon as you
are comfortable.”
I did as I was told. As I sat in the chair, I
pushed the button. The chair began to
vibrate softly. Then I started bouncing up and
down in my seat. All of a sudden, the chair’s
seat popped up and gently flung me into the
pool! When I came out of the water, I was
laughing uncontrollably. It was another of
Uncle Frank’s fantastic inventions.
After I dried off, Aunt Beanie called for
me to help her in the kitchen. I wrapped a
towel around my waist and ran into the
house. “Do you want to see Uncle Frank’s
latest creation?” she asked me. I nodded.
She led me to what appeared to be a tiny
roller coaster sitting on the kitchen table.
“This isn’t a toy if that’s what you’re
thinking,” she said. “It’s Uncle Frank’s Savor
the Flavor—Roller Coaster Condiments
Machine. Let’s try it.”
Aunt Beanie placed a hot dog in a bun
and put it inside a car on the coaster. “Let’s
see,” she said as she began pushing some
buttons. “This hot dog needs the works!”
Slowly the car went down the tracks. After 
it climbed the first hill, bright red ketchup
squirted. Spicy mustard sprayed out of a
nozzle at the first curve. As the hot dog
raced down the hill, onions dropped from a
mini umbrella. At the next curve, relish was
added, and finally, a slice of cheese was
placed on top by small mechanical hands.
“Wow!” I exclaimed. “Everyone will 
love it!”
And love it, they did! Everyone ate extra
hot dogs just so they could try the machine
again. Afterward they took turns on Uncle
Frank’s special lawn chair!
(continued on page 75)
Frank and Beanie
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities74© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Summarizing
Complete the summary by adding phrases that help retell the story in a briefbut 
complete manner.
1. Today the speaker is excited because ________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
2. The speaker is helping ____________________________________________________.
3. Uncle Frank first asks the speaker to __________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
4. The speaker is quite surprised when __________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
5. Next, Aunt Beanie directs the speaker to ______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
6. There Aunt Beanie demonstrates ____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
7. After the demonstration, the speaker __________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
Frank and Beanie (cont.)
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 75 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Compare and Contrast
Name ________________ Date ___________
Read the following description of Jeff and Derek. Then answer the questions below.
Jeff and Derek are best friends. They are in the same class at
school, and they are on the same soccer team. Jeff is eight years old,
and Derek is nine years old. Derek rides a bus to school, but Jeff walks.
Jeff loves to play outside, but Derek would rather play indoor games. 
In school, Jeff is very good at math. Derek is a good writer. They both
love recess time.
1. Both Jeff and Derek play soccer. Yes No
2. Both Jeff and Derek are the same age. Yes No
3. Both Jeff and Derek like to play outside. Yes No
4. Jeff likes math more than Derek does. Yes No
5. Both Jeff and Derek dislike recess. Yes No
6. When the boys are together, who wants to ride bikes? ____________________________
7. Who would rather play a video game? ________________________________________
8. Who would be good at writing a letter to a friend who has moved away?
9. At the candy store, who would be good at figuring out how much they can buy with 
their money? ______________________________________________________________
Turn this paper over. Make a list of four ways you and a friend are the same and four ways
you are different.
Best Friends
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 76 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Compare and Contrast
Earth and Venus are planets that have
volcanoes. Venus has more volcanoes than
any other planet. Scientists have mapped
more than 1,600 volcanoes on Venus. Some
scientists believe that there may be more than
one million volcanoes on the planet.
Why do Venus and Earth have
volcanoes? These planets are alike in many
ways. Some call Earth and Venus sister
planets. Both have clouds and a thick
atmosphere. The two are almost the same
size and have almost the same mass. Venus’s
orbit around the Sun is much like Earth’s.
Though Earth and Venus are alike in
many ways, they are also very different.
Water does not exist on the surface of
Venus. Venus’s clouds are very high and are
not made of the same material as Earth’s.
The temperature on Venus’s surface is about
470° Centigrade, or 878°Fahrenheit, but
Earth’s temperatures are much cooler.
Venus’s clouds hold in the planet’s heat. Its
temperatures could melt lead.
On Earth, volcanoes erupt in a number of
different ways. On Venus, however, almost
all volcanoes erupt with flat lava flows.
Scientists have not found information to show
that many of Venus’s volcanoes erupt and
spew great amounts of ash into the sky.
Using the information above, fill in the Venn diagram to show how Earth and Venus are
alike and different. Include information about volcanoes.
Volcanoes on Earth and Venus
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 77 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Earth Both Venus
© School Specialty Publishing
Compare and Contrast
Name ________________ Date ___________
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 78 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Ping is from the planet Green. He
sleeps all day long, nibbling on
his fingers, which are carrots.
Ping gets up at the crack of
dusk to go to work. He
repairs flying saucers at the
Drag In–Fly Out Repair Shop.
Pong is from the planet Red. 
He must be careful not to 
squish his toes, which are 
grapes. Pong sleeps at night
but gets up early to pilot the
Flying Saucer Emergency
Repair transport.
Ping and Pong are from outer space. Read their stories. Answer the questions.
Ping and Pong
1. What is similar about the names of Ping’s and Pong’s planets? ____________________
2. Which alien would be better at fixing a flying saucer? ____________________________
3. Which alien would be better at flying a flying saucer? ____________________________
4. Which alien uses his fingers for snacks? ________________________________________
5. Which alien would you wake up if you called at 3 A.M.? __________________________
6. Which alien would you wake up if you called at 3 P.M.? __________________________
7. If you had to get Ping a job on Earth, where would you look? ____________________
8. Circle the best Earth job for Pong.
bus driver car mechanic ambulance driver
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Following Directions
• Trace the map outline in red.
• Put a blue X on any words that do not name a state.
• Put a green line under each state that does not end in a vowel.
• Put a yellow box around each state name with four syllables.
• Put a purple check by each state that ends in a vowel other than a.
• Write three states you have not used. Write 1, 2, 3 to put the words in 
alphabetical order.
____________________ ____________________ ____________________
• Write the names of five other states not listed above.
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ____________________
4. ____________________ 5. ____________________
State Search
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 79 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
California Maine
New York
Utah
Oklahoma
England
Florida
Alaska
Paris
Hawaii
Canada
Arizona
Texa
s
Italy
Ohio
Georgia
© School Specialty Publishing
Following Directions
Name ________________ Date ___________
Tommy, Leon, and Ahmed decided to go fishing one day. They each grabbed their pole
and a hat, and off they went to the pond.
When they got to the pond, they started digging for worms. Fish love worms and the
boys wanted to catch lots of fish. Tommy found four worms, Leon found five, and Ahmed
found two. Ahmed’s worms were so long that he knew he could cut them in half and actually
have eight tries at catching fish.
After each fisherman had a worm on his hook, he cast his pole into the water. The boys
sat down to wait. Soon Ahmed felt a tug on his line.
1. Draw glasses on two more worms.
2. Draw two fish in the pond, looking at the worms.
3. Color all of the worms in this picture brown.
4. Draw a yellow sun in the picture.
5. Write two words that rhyme with fish. ________________ ________________
6. Draw a bucket near one of the worms.
7. Write three words next to the bucket that rhyme with hook.
8. Use a blue crayon to color the fish in the picture.
9. Draw a pink fluffy cloud in the sky over the pond.
10. Write a four-line poem about fishing.
11. Write five more sentences to finish this story.
Go Fish
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 80 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Sequencing
Ellie and Haley are going camping in the backyard. To get
ready, they must gather a few important items.
First, Ellie gets the tent out of the attic.
Next, Haley finds a flashlight, some
pillows, and two sleepingbags. Then
the two friends make sandwiches and
put them in a brown bag with some milk,
apples, and cookies. Soon Ellie and
Haley start to set up their campsite. The
sun begins to set as they work, so they
need to hurry. They find a flat spot and put the tent
on the ground. After they pop up the tent and its frame, they put sleeping bags and pillows
inside. It looks cozy. After they eat their food, the two girls begin to tell scary stories. It’s
really dark outside. Ellie and Haley begin to hear strange sounds. They decide to spend the
night inside the house.
1. The first thing Ellie and Haley do to get ready is ________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
2. Use numbers to put the activities below in order.
_____ The friends put sandwiches and milk in a brown bag.
_____ Ellie and Haley begin to set up their campsite.
_____ Haley finds a flashlight and some sleeping bags.
_____ They pop up the tent frame.
_____ Ellie and Haley begin to imagine strange
noises.
_____ Ellie gets the tent from the attic.
3. Underline the thing that happened last.
Haley finds a flashlight.
Ellie and Haley make sandwiches.
The Camping Trip
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 81 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Sequencing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Like people, insects go through changes
as they grow. This is called metamorphosis.
Some insects go through an incomplete or
gradual, little-by-little, metamorphosis.
What happens during incomplete or
gradual metamorphosis? Insects grow
larger, but the way they look does not
change very much. Insects in this group
include the dragonfly, the chinch bug, 
and the grasshopper. You can see how 
little they change.
Some insects go through complete
metamorphosis. These insects change so
much as they grow that you might not even
recognize them as adults. The butterfly is a
good example. It begins as an egg. Then it
becomes a larva. The next stage is pupa,
and the last stage is the adult. Other insects
that go through complete metamorphosis
include the housefly and the moth.
These are the stages of complete metamorphosis. Color and cut out the stages. Paste them in
the correct order on another sheet of paper.
My, How You’ve Changed
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 82 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Predicting Outcomes
Read the paragraphs. Circle the phrase that best predicts what happens next.
1. “Let’s clean up,” said Mrs. Perez. “It’s nearly time to go home.” Andre hurried to the
pet corner to take care of the hamster. Just as he was fastening the door to the hamster
cage, the fire alarm rang. The teacher and children quickly left the building. The
hamster looked at the half-closed door and then
a. closed the door. b. escaped. c. went to sleep.
2. Ashanti passed a pet store on the way home from school. In the window, she saw a
cute puppy. Ashanti put her hand on the window near the puppy. It jumped at her
hand and licked the window, wagging its tail. Ashanti
a. went in to see the puppy. b. ran away in fright. c. drove a car.
3. April took her dog Tasha for a walk on the beach. What a beautiful day! Many
people were out walking their dogs. Suddenly, a black cat stepped out from behind a
rock. Tasha
a. entered a race. b. got on a train. c. chased the cat.
4. Tommy was hungry. He’d been playing basketball for two hours. He ran inside and
saw some cookies his grandmother had just baked sitting on the counter. Tommy
a. grabbed two cookies. b. grabbed an apple. c. put the cookies away 
for his grandmother.
What Will Happen Next?
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 83 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Predicting Outcomes
Name ________________ Date ___________
Read each sentence. Then write two sentences that tell two different things that could happen.
1. The smoke from the oven rose in the air toward the smoke detector.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
2. The crowd cheered wildly as the football player ran toward the 
goal line.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
3. Benny and Kelly were on their way to the movies when Kelly realized
she had left her money at home.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
4. The diver was looking for the old sunken ship when he spotted a huge
gray mass ahead.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
5. When Raoul arrived for the museum tour, he found that the tour had
started ten minutes earlier.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
6. Just as Sam was to go on stage for the class play, he realized he had
forgotten his lines.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
Next…
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 84 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Recognizing Details
Today is Monday and Marvin can hardly wait for
Wednesday. He will turn nine on Wednesday, and he will
have a birthday party. At breakfast, Marvin’s mom asks
him, “What would you like to do for your birthday?”
Marvin has been thinking about this all year. He tells his
mom he would like to take 12 of his friends out for
pizza and then go bowling. After they finish bowling,
Marvin wants to go to the movies and eat popcorn. After
the movie, Marvin wants to bring his friends home for
chocolate cake with cherry-vanilla icing and rocky road ice
cream. He would also like to have a clown at his party doing magic tricks and passing out
presents. Finally, Marvin wants to have his friends sleep over. Do you think Marvin’s mom
will say yes to all of this?
1. Circle the things Marvin wants to do for his birthday,
eat pizza ride horses run a race
eat cake go bowling eat ice cream
go swimming eat popcorn play cards
2. Three of the things Marvin wants to do are missing from question number one. 
Write them on the lines. ______________________________________________________
3. Use a pencil to draw an X on top of each activity in the story.
4. Draw a red line under each activity you think Marvin’s mom won’t let him do at his
party. Explain why you chose those activities. ____________________________________
5. Which of Marvin’s activities is your favorite? Why? ______________________________
What a Birthday
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Recognizing Details
Name ________________ Date ___________
The city of Doodlewinde is having a pet contest
at the park on Saturday afternoon. The pet in the
best costume and its owner will win a trip to
Yippeeland, a new amusement park. Lee’s parrot
Percy is wrapped up like a mummy. Cassie’s pet
snake Georgina is dressed like a bunny. Marta’s
cat Tonie is dressed up like a dancer. Jack brings
the Lake Nest Monster dressed up like a clown. 
The pets and their owners line up for the judges.
The owners look hopeful and proud. The pets look
sad and uncomfortable. Jack wins the contest.
The judges ask him how he will get his monster
on the airplane. Jack will send her ahead by
parcel post in a big box stamped, “Handle
with Care!”
Answer the following.
1. Doodlewinde is having a (pet, dance) contest at the park on 
(Friday, Saturday) afternoon.
2. The owners look (excited and mad, hopeful and proud).
3. The pets look (sad and uncomfortable, happy and proud).Complete the puzzle.
1. Percy is wrapped up like a _____.
2. Georgina is dressed up like 
a _____.
3. Tonie is dressed like a _____.
4. The Lake Nest Monster looks 
like a _____.
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 86 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
The Pet Contest
3. 2.
1.
4.
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Interpreting a Graph
Meg likes to graph the results of the weekly games in her baseball team’s division. She
placed the five teams with the most wins on a graph to share with the school newspaper.
Use her graph to answer the questions.
Baseball
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 87 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Top Five Teams in Stanfield’s Fifth Division
Gizmos
Spuds 
Microchips 
Space Cadets 
Kazoos 
= two wins
1. Which team has won the most games? ________________________________________
2. How many games has this team won? ________________________________________
3. How many more wins do the Spuds have than the Gizmos? ______________________
4. What place are the Microchips in? ____________________________________________
5. How many wins do the Space Cadets have? ____________________________________
6. Which two teams have an equal number of wins? ______________________________
7. The team in last place is the Hurricanes. They have 3 wins. How many more wins do
they need to catch up to the Kazoos? __________________________________________
© School Specialty Publishing
Reading a Table of Contents
Name ________________ Date ___________
This table of contents comes from a book titled A Year in My Life.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1 The House by the Lake 1
Chapter 2 Halloween Party 25
Chapter 3 Turkey Days 43
Chapter 4 Christmas 60
Chapter 5 Snow and More Snow 86
Chapter 6 The Big Sled Hill 101
Chapter 7 Things Become Green 117
Chapter 8 Fishing 133
Chapter 9 School’s Out! 156
Chapter 10 Temperature Rising 177
Chapter 11 Tending the Garden 199
Chapter 12 Swimming Holes and Sprinklers 121
Chapter 13 Harvest 229
Chapter 14 School Bells 246
A Year in My Life
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 88 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Refer to the table of contents for the book A Year in My Life to choose the correct response.
1. On what page does Chapter 9 begin?
a.229
b.101
c. 156
d.Cannot tell from the information given
(continued on page 89)
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Reading a Table of Contents
2. On what page does Chapter 14 end?
a.246
b.259
c. 262
d.Cannot tell from the information given
3. Which chapter starts on page 177?
a.Chapter 7
b.Chapter 9
c. Chapter 10 
d.Chapter 14 
4. What is the title of Chapter 2?
a. “The House by the Lake”
b. “Halloween Party”
c. “Fishing”
d. “Swimming Holes and Sprinklers”
5. In which chapter do you think the children went tobogganing?
a.Chapter 2
b.Chapter 6
c. Chapter 7
d.Chapter 12
6. What time of year do you believe it is in Chapter 10?
a.Spring
b.Summer
c. Autumn
d.Winter
7. How many pages are in Chapter 6?
a.17
b.117
c. 16
d.Cannot tell from the information given
A Year in My Life (cont.)
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 89 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Timelines
Name ________________ Date ___________
Use the timeline to answer the questions about the Internet.
The Beginning of the Internet
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 90 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
19
58
Eisenhower sets up an
agency for technology.
19
72
E-mail is introduced.
19
91
Gopher, a way of finding
documents online, begins.
19
93
A new Internet browser, or
way to locate information
online, is introduced.
19
99
About 50 million people
are using the Internet.
19
88
A computer network 
is planned.
19
92
Tim Berners-Lee begins the
World Wide Web.
19
94
Real Audio begins. This allows
listeners to hear sounds almost
at the moment they are said.
The first all-day and all-night
Internet radio station begins.
1. When did Real Audio begin? Why was it important? 
2. Did the World Wide Web begin before or after e-mail began? When?
3. Which event happened before 1960?
4. Which event happened during the 1980s?
5. Two of the events on the timeline happened three decades apart. What events 
were they?
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Classification
It was a cold, snowy day. The children in Mrs. Malaski’s class were getting ready to go
outside. Jennifer put on gloves, a coat, and a hat. Ruth had mittens, a coat, and boots.
Misha and Kat wore gloves. Misha had a coat, while Kat had a jacket and a sweater to
keep warm. Tasha put on her mittens, a jacket, and a sweater. Mrs. Malaski came last in
boots, mittens, a hat, and a big wool sweater. “Get ready for a snowball fight!” yelled Ruth.
Snowy Day
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 91 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Write the names next to the pieces of clothing each person wore.
1. hat ______________________________________________________________________
2. mittens ____________________________________________________________________
3. gloves ____________________________________________________________________
4. jacket ____________________________________________________________________
5. sweater __________________________________________________________________
6. boots ____________________________________________________________________
7. coat ______________________________________________________________________
On another sheet of paper, rewrite this story, making it a rainy day. Change the activity so it
fits your story.
© School Specialty Publishing
Classifying
Name ________________ Date ___________
Put a green X on the things that do not belong in the kitchen.
Put a yellow line under each thing that can run on electricity.
Put a blue circle around the things that can hold liquids.
Put a purple check on each thing that should be in the refrigerator.
Put a red box around the things you should use to set a dinner table.
Crazy Kitchen
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 92 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Author’s Purpose
Television commercials catch your eye.
They can be entertaining and thought-
provoking. They can make you laugh or 
cry. They can make you happy, excited, or
angry. Some are better than the television
programs they interrupt. Commercials may
stay in your mind for days, months, or 
even years.
Companies pay large amounts of money
to put commercials on television. Why do
they pay? They want to sell you something.
The purpose of a commercial is to make you
believe that you need whatever it is selling—
a toy, a pizza, or maybe a trip. Commercial
makers are very good at convincing you.
Don’t let the commercial convince you of
something that is not true, though. After you
watch a commercial, you should think about
it. Decide what the commercial is trying to
sell. Decide whether this is something you
want. Decide whether you really need it. Ask
yourself if it is worth the money. Finally,
decide whether you will be as happy with it
when you get it home as the commercial
makes you think. You must be careful not to
let the commercial tell you what you want
and need.
The next time you feel a commercial
triggering your “need button,” think about its
purpose. If you cannot say no to
commercials, perhaps the off button is the
one you should push.
Commercials
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 93 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
(continued on page 94)
© School Specialty Publishing
Author’s Purpose
Name ________________ Date ___________
Think about what you read on page 93 and answer the questions.
1. What is the author’s purpose? ________________________________________________
Highlight details that helped you decide this.
2. What are some good things about commercials? ________________________________3. What might be bad about commercials? ______________________________________
4. What is meant by a “need button”? ____________________________________________
5. What is an off button? ______________________________________________________
6. Think of something you bought after seeing a commercial. What was it?
Was it something you wanted before seeing the commercial? ______________________
Did you need it? ____________________________________________________________
Was it worth the money? ____________________________________________________
Was another brand available? ________________________________________________
Was it as good as the commercial made it seem? Explain. ________________________
7. After reading this article, will you look at commercials differently? Explain.
Commercials (cont.)
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 94 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Author’s Purpose
Read each section below. Decide if the author’s purpose is to entertain, inform, or persuade.
Fill in the circle in front of the correct choice.
The Wizard of Oz
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 95 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
1. There was no doubt that Ozzie
Smith, former shortstop for the St.
Louis Cardinals, would be inducted
into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He
was the best player the team ever
had. He could run, hit, and throw. He
stole over 500 bases in more than
2,000 games in his career.
entertain
inform
persuade
2. Ozzie Smith won the Roberto
Clemente Award in 1995. The award is
given to one player each year who best
symbolizes baseball on and off the field.
Smith has worked for many years with
charities such as the March of Dimes
and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. He
visits children in hospitals and signs
autographs for them.
entertain
inform
persuade
3. “Mom, can we go to the opening
day ballgame at Busch Stadium?” asked
Daniel. “I want to see the Wizard of Oz
do his cartwheel.”
“Oh, you mean Ozzie Smith,” 
said his mother. “He’s my favorite 
player on the Cardinals too. You 
know why people call him ‘the 
Wizard,’ don’t you?”
“Sure, Mom,” replied Daniel. 
“It’s because his name is Ozzie and 
he can do amazing things, like the
Wizard of Oz.”
entertain
inform
persuade
© School Specialty Publishing
Plot
Name ________________ Date ___________
Read the story. Then answer the questions on page 97.
On a rainy night in October 1857,
Joshua finally found the answer to the
mystery. So many times he had asked his
mother about doors closing and steps
creaking in the night. She had said, “You
must have been dreaming, son.” So many
times he had asked his father about the
sound of horses in the night. His father had
said, “It must have been closer to morning
than you thought, Josh.” But on this night,
Joshua knew he was not dreaming and was
not wrong about the time.
When he heard the kitchen door close,
he got out of bed. He walked slowly down
the stairs. In the hall, he saw the dim light of
a single candle. Then he was face-to-face
with his father. Behind him stood three
people: a man, a woman, and a child. They
looked tired and scared, and there were
leaves clinging to their clothes. Their skin
was dark and their eyes were wide at the
sight of Joshua.
“Son, go to your room,” said Joshua’s
father in a stern voice. Joshua backed down
the hall, still looking.
Later, Joshua’s mother came into his
room. “We were wrong to lie to you,” she
said softly. “You are old enough to know the
truth. Your father and I are running a station
on the Underground Railroad.”
Joshua caught his breath. He had heard
about this at school. Some people who
believed slavery was wrong were helping
slaves to escape. The slaves made their way
from place to place. At each “station,” they
were given food, water, and help to the next
friendly place. 
“That family is eating supper now,” said
his mother. “Tomorrow night, after they rest,
your father will drive them to Smith’s
Landing. Someone will meet them there.”
Joshua nodded. His mother looked at him
and said, “Do you understand, Joshua? Do
you know that you must never say a word
about this to anyone?”
Joshua understood. He knew his father
could be put in jail for helping slaves to
escape because it was against the law. He
also knew his best friend, James, would
never tell this secret to anyone. They had
talked about the Underground Railroad.
They had wondered whether anyone they
knew was working with the secret
organization. James would be thrilled to 
find out that Joshua’s own parents were a
part of it.
(continued on page 97)
A Mystery in the Night
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 96 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Plot
Write first, second, third, fourth, or fifth to show the order of the events in “A Mystery in the
Night” from page 96.
__________ 1. Joshua decides to tell James about his parents and their work to help
escaped slaves.
__________ 2. Joshua goes down the stairs and into the back hallway.
__________ 3. Joshua sees his father with a family of escaped slaves.
__________ 4. Joshua is told that the noises he hears at night are just his imagination.
__________ 5. Joshua’s mother tells him that their house is a station on the 
Underground Railroad.
“A Mystery in the Night” is only part of a story. Write before or after next to each event to
show when it would take place in relation to the part of the story you have read.
__________ 6. Joshua and James hear about a secret organization called “The
Underground Railroad“ from some of their classmates.
__________ 7. Joshua’s father drives the slave family to Smith’s Landing.
__________ 8. Joshua wonders whether he really dreamed the strange sound of voices
coming from the kitchen one night.
__________ 9. James and Joshua go fishing and wonder whether anyone they know is
helping slaves to escape from the South.
__________10. Joshua tells James that his parents are running a “station” and makes him
swear not to tell anyone else.
__________11. Joshua’s mother mends some old clothes but won’t tell Joshua why she is
fixing the clothing.
__________12. James tells his father about Joshua’s parents and their secret.
__________13. Joshua’s father is arrested.
A Mystery in the Night (cont.)
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 97 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Conflict
Name ________________ Date ___________
A problem drives a story like an engine powers a car. The main character often must to find
a solution to a problem. Match the characters below to the problems in their stories.
Write T for true and F for false.
_____ 11. The Tortoise’s problem was solved when the Hare fell asleep.
_____ 12. The Ugly Duckling’s problem was solved when he found out he was 
really a goose.
_____ 13. Cinderella’s problem was solved when the prince found the pumpkin 
she had left behind.
_____ 14. Dorothy’s problem was solved when she found out that her ruby slippers 
could send her home.
_____ 15. Hansel and Gretel’s problem was solved when Gretel tricked the witch.
_____ 1. Cinderella
_____ 2. Rip Van Winkle
_____ 3. The Little Mermaid
_____ 4. Dorothy
_____ 5. The Fox
_____ 6. The Ugly Duckling
_____ 7. The Three Billy Goats Gruff
_____ 8. Hansel and Gretel
_____ 9. The Tortoise
_____ 10. Humpty Dumpty
a. can’t reach the grapes
b. can’t go to the ball
c. was broken when he fell from a wall
d. falls in love with a human being
e. wants to go home to Kansas
f. are caught by a witch
g. can’t get across the bridge
h. is teased about his looks
i. can’t run as fast as the Hare
j. sleeps for 100 years
What’s the Problem?
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 98 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Setting
It was sunny, hazy, and hot, hot, hot. The
air was still. Even thoughnobody was
supposed to work, Dad said he had to go
into his office to do some paperwork. But as
she sat out on the front steps of her family’s
townhouse, Latisha knew that even the heat
and Dad’s having to work couldn’t spoil the
best day of the year. As it turned out, she
was right.
“OK, everybody. Time to get in the 
cab,” said Latisha’s mother at one o’clock 
in the afternoon. 
“Where are we going?” Latisha asked.
But her mother just smiled. After she and
Sherrie got in the cab with Mom, Latisha
watched as the driver turned right, toward
the pool. “Hooray, we’re going swimming!”
shouted Latisha.
“That‘s right. After all, it’s a special day,”
said Mom, getting out with bags of swimsuits
and towels. They spent the whole afternoon
splashing in the pool and reading in the
shade of a big, striped umbrella.
“Now let’s get cleaned up and dressed,”
said Mom at five o’clock. In the changing
room, she brought out Latisha’s and Sherrie’s
best dresses.
“Where are we going now?” asked
Latisha. But Mom just smiled and said,
“You’ll see.”
This time Mom told the cab driver to go to
the tall building where Dad had his office.
On the first floor was a restaurant. “We’re
going to have dinner right here,’’ said Mom.
As they walked in, Latisha saw Dad waiting
for them in the lobby. He was holding a
square box wrapped in white paper with a
pink ribbon.
Latisha got to order whatever she wanted
from the menu. “But no dessert,” said Dad
sternly. Then he smiled and added, “Because
that’s already planned.” When the waiter
brought out a cake and everyone sang,
Latisha‘s eyes shone just like the candles on
the cake. She laughed happily when she
opened the present and found it was a new
computer game.
“Now it’s time for the really big part of
the evening,” said Dad. They took the
elevator to the top floor. Then they walked up
a flight of stairs to the roof. The stars were
shining brightly. But soon the sky was even
brighter with explosions of red, white, and
blue. Latisha yelled and clapped. She
thought she was the luckiest person in the
world. There were always fireworks at the
end of her special day.
(continued on page 100)
A Perfect Celebration
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 99 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Setting
Name ________________ Date ___________
Answer the questions using page 99.
1. Does this story take place in the city or the country? _______________
Give three details to prove your answer.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________
2. The story takes place at four different settings. Write them in the blanks.
a. It starts at ______________________________________________ .
b. The afternoon is spent at __________________________________ .
c. Then they go to eat at ____________________________________ .
d. They take an elevator and stairs to __________________________ .
3. It is Latisha’s favorite day because it is ________________________ . 
How do you know it is a special day for Latisha? Give three details.
a. What her mother plans: ____________________________________
b. What her father gives her: __________________________________
c. What she has for dessert: __________________________________
4. It is also a special day for other people. It is ____________________ .
How do you know what holiday it is? Give two details.
a. What time of year is it? ____________________________________
b. What event ends the day? __________________________________
5. If this story had been set in winter, on what holiday could the story take place?
Memorial Day Halloween New Year’s Day
6. If the story was still set on the same holiday but was not Latisha’s special day, which
detail would NOT be in the story?
swimming fireworks a wrapped gift
7. What is your idea of a perfect celebration? Give three details that would describe a
perfect day for you.
a. ______________________________________________________________
b. ______________________________________________________________
c. ______________________________________________________________
A Perfect Celebration (cont.)
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 100 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Character Analysis
In every story, some characters are more important than others. They are called main
characters. Other characters with smaller parts are called minor characters. Read the report
and circle the correct answer to each question.
At 5:05 P.M., we were called to the home of a Mr. and Mrs. Bear. They had been out for
the day. Upon returning home, they found the lock on their door had been broken. Officer
Paws and I went into the house. We found that food had been stolen and a chair had been
broken. Paws searched the backyard while I went upstairs. I found a person asleep in a
small bed. The subject was a female human with curly blond hair. She was unknown to the
Bear family. The human claimed her name was Goldilocks. She could not prove that fact.
She will be questioned at the police station. 
Officer Grizzly
1. In the fairy-tale version of this story, who is the main character?
Goldilocks Baby Bear Papa Bear
2. What characters were added to the story “The Goldilocks Report”? 
Mr. Bear and Baby Bear Officer Grizzly and Officer Paws
3. Who tells the story “The Goldilocks Report”?
Goldilocks Officer Grizzly Officer Paws
4. In the fairy tale of Goldilocks, which bear has the biggest part?
Papa Bear Mama Bear Baby Bear
5. In the fairy tale of Goldilocks, which one is a minor character?
Papa Bear Goldilocks Officer Paws
6. In “The Goldilocks Report,” which one is a minor character?
Officer Paws Officer Grizzly Goldilocks
The Goldilocks Report
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 101 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Character Analysis
Name ________________ Date ___________
Lila and her friends have found a chest of old clothes in the
attic. Soon they are playing a make-believe game. Sheena
dresses up as a queen and tells the others they should wait on
her. “Bring me my jewels!” she yells. Jude puts on a top hat
and carries a cane. “I am a rich man,” he giggles, bowing
to Sheena. He then takes off his top hat. “How may I
serve you, Madam?” he asks with a laugh. Lila puts
on a long ball gown. She blushes when Carol tells
her she looks pretty. “She does not! She looks awful,”
says Tomas. Lila hides in a closet. She begins to cry.
Terry turns to Tomas and says, “Leave her alone. You
hurt her feelings.” Terry hugs Lila. Soon Lila’s mom comes
to the door of the attic and says, “What’s going on? It sounds like a group of hungry kids up
here. Would the queen and her friends like to come down for cookies and milk?” The
children giggle and hurry downstairs for their treat.
Circle the word that best tells about each person in the story.
1. Jude is angry. silly. sad. bossy.
2. Lila is foolish. mad. shy. mean.
3. Sheena is sweet. funny. bossy. smart.
4. Lila’s mom is mean. tired. kind. busy.
5. Tomas is mean. thoughtful. happy. joyful.
6. Carol is upset. kind. silly. sad.
7. Terry is kind. happy. angry. sad.
8. Which of the children in the story do you like best? ______________________________
9. Explain why you like that child the best. ________________________________________
Make-Believe
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 102 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 103© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 103 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
birdhouse headband
rawhide sunshine
goldfish cowboy
✁
Compound Words
© School Specialty Publishing
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 104 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
a band worn 
around the head
a man-made nesting
place for birds
light from the 
sunnot blocked 
by clouds
cattle hide 
or skin that is 
not tanned
a person who 
herds and takes care 
of cattle
a small, yellow 
or orange 
freshwater fish
✁
Compound Words
© School Specialty Publishing
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 105© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 105 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
blueberry workbook
barnyard bookmark
groundhog fishbowl
✁
Compound Words
© School Specialty Publishing
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 106 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
a book for 
students that has 
problems and spaces
for answers
a small, round, 
edible berry
an object placed
between pages to show
where reading stopped
a yard or 
fenced area 
next to a barn
a bowl for 
keeping live fish
another name 
for woodchuck
✁
Compound Words
© School Specialty Publishing
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 107© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 107 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Christmas Hanukkah
Valentine’s
Day
New Year’s
Day
St. Patrick’s
Day Memorial Day
✁
Holidays
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eight-day Jewish
festival celebrated 
in December
December 25, 
a day of remembering
the birth of Jesus and
of gift giving
January 1
February 14; 
celebrates love 
and friendship
Last Monday 
in May; remembers 
dead soldiers
March 17; 
Irish holiday that
celebrates the 
patron saint 
of Ireland
✁
Holidays
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Labor Day Independence
Day
Mother’s Day Thanksgiving
Day
Halloween Kwanzaa
✁
Holidays
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July 4; celebrates 
U.S. independence
from Britain
First Monday 
in September; honors
working people
Fourth Thursday in
November; remembers
the Pilgrims’ good 
harvest in 1621 
and celebrates
thankfulness
Second Sunday 
in May, 
celebrating mothers
African American
holiday that celebrates
family, community, 
and culture
October 31; time for
children to dress in
costume and to
trick-or-treat
✁
Holidays
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babies sleeves
maps shelves
coats monkeys
✁
Plural Words
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more than 
one sleeve
more than 
one baby
more than 
one shelf
more than 
one map
more than 
one monkey
more than 
one coat
✁
Plural Words
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pennies baskets
hobbies dollars
geese secrets
✁
Plural Words
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more than 
one basket
more than 
one penny
more than 
one dollar
more than 
one hobby
more than 
one secret
more than 
one goose
✁
Plural Words
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happier happiest
taller tallest
prettier prettiest
✁
–er/-est Words
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most 
happy more happy
most 
tall
more 
tall
most 
pretty
more 
pretty
✁
–er/-est Words
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greater greatest
sleepier sleepiest
finer finest
✁
–er/-est Words
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most 
great
more 
great
most 
sleepy
more 
sleepy
most 
fine
more 
fine
✁
–er/-est Words
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couldn’t wouldn’t
can’t won’t
I’m she’ll
✁
Contractions
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would not could not
will not cannot
she will I am
✁
Contractions
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shouldn’t he’ll
it’s we’ll
they’re I’ve
✁
Contractions
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he will should not
we will it is
I have they are
✁
Contractions
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A World of Its Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Connect dots in this order (left to right):
able after caught choice coin day 
down float follow frown hair happen 
heard hook I in item jaw 
jet job kid knew know laugh 
learn light loud lunch lying machine 
measure motor museum neighbor number 
pavement probably question remember rough 
rush say search submarine telescope
A Mother’s Love . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Yellow Circles:
blond clock cot crop dodge doll
hop hot knock knot lollipop lot
mop nod odd pond rock rod
shock shop sock sod solve spot
stop
Brown Circles:
anyone blood come done dove enough
flood front love mother none once
one other skeleton some someone son
sponge ton tongue touch tough won
wonderful
Ouch! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Shows picture of a crab.
Be a Friend to Our Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Color blue:
gulls birds fish bees sharks deer
frogs bears dogs cows cats crabs
bees toads apes flies seals bulls
moths ants snakes frogs hens bats
wasp hares mice wasps
Color gray:
zebras horses penguins foxes eagles
oxen beetles raccoons baboons lobsters
dolphins tigers leopards monkeys parrots
pandas spiders giraffes turkeys hippos
insects hedgehogs squirrels chipmunks lizards
lions
Color green:
jellyfish elephants butterflies koalas kangaroos
ladybugs porcupines crocodiles
Color yellow:
tarantulas alligators albatrosses anacondas
armadillos octopuses chameleons salamanders
rhinoceros caterpillars
Phonics Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
1. Matthew, Hansel, banner, class, Mancina
2. Richard, wished, fig, kids
3. kettle, smell, Gretel, best
4. Holly, top, stop
5. beast, teacher, piece
6. stage, Drake, plane
7. smile, liar
8. Polk, Noah
Time to Choose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
1. lake 2. wide 3. meet 4. beach 5. road 6. tray
7. clean 8. hole 9. mule10. rose 11. hive 12. pail
13. seal 14. clay 15. neat 16. wait 17. leak 18. tube
The Start and Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
1. circle: s, box: x 2. circle: c, box: n
3. circle: j, box: p 4. circle: r, box: g
5. circle: f, box: t 6. circle: t, box: p
7. circle: v, box: t 8. circle: m, box: k
9. circle: l, box: f 10. circle: s, box: k
11. circle: a, box: x 12. circle: d, box: l
Clowning Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
clown—yellow globe—blue flute—red
blue—green plug—orange flame—red
block—green plow—orange clock—yellow
glider—blue
Blend Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
1. flowers, planted, bloom, spring
2. blue, crayons, broke, dropped, floor
3. story, dragon, breathed, crown, frog
4. students, sledding, skating, snows
3, 1, 2, 4
Fun With Phonics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Across
3. phone 4. alphabet 7. phony 8. trophy
Down
1. gopher 2. dolphin 3. pheasant 5. graph6. photo
Beach Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
ch—beach, children, rich
th—weather, month, thinking
sh—short, should, fishing
wh—where, wheat, while
1. Where 2. weather, month 3. rich
4. short 5. wheat 6. children, thinking
7. should 8. while 9. fishing, beach
Answer Key
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A Haunting Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
1. draw 2. moth 3. fawn
4. sauce 5. thaw 6. because
7. song 8. caught 9. soft
10. haunt 11. cloth 12. lawn
Choose a Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Top row of images, left to right:
6, 5, 8, 3
Bottom row of images, left to right:
1, 4, 7, 2
oo as in moon—broom, pool, spoon, goose
oo as in cook—foot, book, hook, wood
Goose Chase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
leaf, wood, school, foot, faucet, leap, goose, feather, seat,
tooth, lawn, fawn, boot, spoon
Half a Batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Silent L: calf, half, talk, walk
Silent T: catch, patch, watch
Silent B: climb, crumb, thumb, comb
1. walk 2. calf 3. watch
4. thumb 5. talk 6. comb
Across
1. batch 3. climb 5. patch
Down
2. crumb 3. catch 4. half
Feeling Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
1. pretty 2. better 3. bottom
4. hello 5. glasses 6. ribbon
7. dinner 8. pillow 9. sudden
10. suppose 11. hurry 12. tomorrow
Nice and Cozy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Underline: rice, slice, twice, spice, juice, ice, price, nice, cute,
cuddly, cat, curled, cozy, comfortable, cat
1. twice 2. ice 3. curled 4. rice
5. nice 6. slice 7. juice 8. cat
9. spice 10. price
On Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Underline: age, golden, cage, got, stage, page
Across
3. age 5. stage
Down
1. dance 2. cage 4. page
1. garden 2. gym 3. sugar 4. engine
5. giant 6. gentle 7. goose 8. ginger
Word Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Numbers: third, forty, first
Farming: barn, horse, corn
Clothes: shirt, purse, skirt
Animals: horse, bird, turkey
Simply Easy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
1. eyes 2. cans 3. please
4. cheese 5. his
seven, seated, serve, salad, soup, salty
The Root of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
1. plant 2. mend 3. fish 4. gold
5. swim 6. certain 7. sudden 8. arrow
9. fool 10. sound 11. sigh 12. rush
13. safe 14. sleep 15. long 16. arm
17. stone 18. bandit
Zoo Loos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
1. monkey 2. bear 3. lion 4. Zucchini
5. alligator 6. snake 7. gorilla 8. elephant
9. giraffe 10. shark
Put Them Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
1. can’t 2. I’ll 3. doesn’t 4. where’s
5. they’ve 6. didn’t 7. o’clock 8. shouldn’t
9. I’m 10. who’s 11. won’t 12. we’re
13. he’s 14. let’s 15. you’ll 16. weren’t
17. she’d 18. what’s 19. they’re 20. it’ll
Proper Prefixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
1. to treat badly 2. to view before
3. no sense 4. up in the air
5. to make fresh again 6. a passage under the
ground
7. before regular school 8. no stopping
9. an underwater vehicle 10. to read again
11. middle of the day 12. to read wrong
13. refresh 14. reread
15. preschool 16. midday
17. submarine 18. nonsense
19. misread 20. preview
21. subway 22. nonstop
Don’t Repeat Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Base words: appear, arm, assemble, assign, build, charge,
copy, draw, elect, fasten, fuel, heat, hire, live, load, make,
name, read
1. rebuild 2. recopy 3. reread 4. recharge
Laughable Fellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Across
2. lighten 4. widen 5. sinkable
7. harden 8. readable 11. breakable
Down
1. written 3. straighten 4. washable
6. enjoyable 9. darken 10. soften
Answer Key
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Skip, Skipped, Skipping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
1. chop, chopped 2. chase, chased
3. skip, skipped 4. paste, pasted
5. sip, sipped 6. taste, tasted
7. setting 8. serving, slicing
9. getting 10. staring, begging
You’re (To, Too, Two) Much . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
1. rose, rows 2. hanger, hangar
3. prince, prints 4. oversees, overseas
5. earn, urn 6. coward, cowered
7. tax, tacks 8. We’ve, weave
9. past, passed 10. bored, board
So, Sew It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
1. there 2. it’s 3. wood
4. sew 5. rode 6. their
7. road 8. its 9. ant
10. they’re 11. so 12. would
13. aunt 14. they’re 15. wood
16. ant 17. so 18. there
19. it’s 20. their 21. rode
22. aunt 23. its 24. would
25. sew
Special Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Blue: chimney, toy, bell, car, tree, belt, bag, sled, doll, boot,
snowflake, game, suit, toymaker, boy, ornament, truck,
rooftop, house, star, girl, hat, pole
Green: dress, glass, match, sketch, address, boss, compass,
workbench, kiss, watch, ax
Brown: berry, elf, scarf, party, baby, shelf, cherry, candy
Red: deer, man, child, woman
A Backyard Football Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
breakfast, grandfather, football, backyard, sometime,
anything, everybody, maybe, outside
1. birthday 2. playground 3. popcorn
Gardening Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
1. nursery 2. bloom 3. danger 4. fertilizer
5. bulbs 6. anxiously 7. sprout 8. frost
Belonging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Fish: perch, trout, salmon, shark
Amphibians: frog, salamander, newt
Insects: ladybug, grasshopper, dragonfly, beetle
Reptiles: alligator, cobra, rattlesnake, crocodile, lizard
Birds: parrot, robin, flamingo, peacock, penguin
Mammals: horse, whale, dog, raccoon
Mystery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Red: solve, detective, thief, clue, suspect, fingerprints, mystery,
investigate, suspense, weapon, reward, sleuth
Yellow: elbow, clover, window, become, dizzy, proud, velvet,
special, active, cream, sharp, young
Those “ER” Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
1. heavier 2. quieter 3. stronger 4. thicker
5. flatter 6. lighter 7. smoother 8. rougher
Parts of Speech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
1. noun 2. pronoun 3. adjective 4. verb
5. adverb 6. article 7. interjection 8. conjunction
Hang On to These . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
1. again 2. around 3. been 4. brought
5. guess 6. heard 7. hello 8. many
9. people 10. these 11. thought 12. woman
Across
1. woman 4. hello 6. brought
9. heard 11. these
Down
2. around 3. people 5. again 6. been
7. thought 8. many 10. guess
Analyzing Analogies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
1. a 2. b 3. b 4. a 5. a 6. b
7. b 8. a
Good-Bye, Jennie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
1. m 2. q 3. o 4. b 5. p 6. c
7. i 8. g 9. h 10. k 11. f 12. n
13. d 14. e 15. j 16. a 17. l
Computer Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
1. chip 2. hardware 3. data
4. bug 5. debug 6. program
7. mouse 8. modem 9. software
The Study of… . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
1. biology 2. chemistry 3. astronomy
4. archaeology 5. botany 6. paleontology
7. entomology 8. geology 9. pharmacology
3, 6, 1, 9
Little Ones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Across
1. foal 2. colt 4. wobbly 5. whelps
6. tending 7. ewes
Down
1. filly 3. goslings
Answer Key
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Forward and Backward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
bib, eye, dad, rotor, madam, dud
radar, mum, kayak, ewe, noon, bob
1. bib 2. eye 3. noon 4. dad
5. ewe 6. bob 7. rotor 8. kayak
9. madam 10. dud 11. radar 12. mum
Fun With Run . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
1. a run for their money 2. run down
3. run into 4. in the long run
5. run away with6. run up
7. run out
Serpent’s Synonyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Across
1. trip 5. full 6. lush 7. bellow
10. pleasant 11. lunge 12. wither 14. hut
Down
2. ruffian 3. splendid 4. sear 8. look
9. wail 10. precious 13. rich
Give Me the Code Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
1. extend 2. sound 3. accuse 4. verify
5. take 6. courage 7. melody 8. notify
9. common 10. short 11. vigorous 12. relax
Searching for Opposites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
1. strong 2. ancient 3. cooked
4. evil 5. learned 6. present
7. sharp 8. praised 9. unbolt
10. assemble 11. minor 12. purchase
13. increase 14. day 15. disarray
Opposites Attract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Across
5. wealthy 6. certain 7. joy 9. easy
10. private
Down
1. homely 2. dwarf 3. shame 4. frail
6. copy 7. join 8. clean
Doing Our Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
1. singer 2. teacher 3. actor 4. minister
5. fireman 6. tailor 7. governor 8. doctor
9. athlete 10. cook 11. driver 12. inventor
Hip, Hip, Hooray for Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
Across
3. Irish 5. Labor 6. Fourth
7. Hanukkah 9. Memorial 10. Thanksgiving
Down
1. Valentine’s 2. Christmas 4. Halloween
8. King
Sun-Sational Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
Across
3. photosphere 4. sun 5. corona
6. prominences 7. flares
Down
1. chromosphere 2. core 4. sunspots
Cloud Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
1. DK 2. fact 3. DK 4. DK 5. DK 6. DK
7. fact 8. DK 9. Yes, he is putting on his sweater.
10. She thinks it looks like an elephant.
11. They make him feel sad.
Two Cats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
1. different
2. alike
3. different
4. different
5. alike
6. different
7. alike
8. alike
Animals Long Ago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
1. dinosaurs
2. Dinosaurs are animals that lived on Earth long ago.
3. Answers will vary.
4. Answers will vary but should include ideas from the story.
5. We do not know what color they were or how they 
all died.
6. Answers will vary.
Gettysburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
1. Gettysburg was a Civil War battle.
2. The Civil War split the United States into two sides. The
battle was the turning point of the war. 
1. The North won this battle.
2. The North killed or wounded 28,000 Southern soldiers.
The South retreated.
Rhyme Climb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66-67
Cause
1. Simple Simon had no money.
2. The cow jumped over the moon.
Effect
3. It frightened Miss Muffet away.
4. Little Johnny wants the rain to go away.
Cause Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
1. d 2. b 3. f 4. a 5. c 6. g
7. e
Answer Key
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A Pea Wee Plea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
1. Peas make her shrink.
2. Feed her ice cream.
3. Answers will vary.
Turtle Troubles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
1. unhappy, his classmates’ parts are better.
2. The “snapping turtle” may scare them.
3. Circle: embarrassing, uncomfortable, idiotic
Underline: cool, resentful, envious
4. animals
Picnic Pranks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71–72
1. No. She made crunching noises when she sat on the
bench.
2. No. She said they would discuss it later.
3. She may exaggerate and add inaccurate details.
4. Francine may have had potato chips in her pocket.
5. Underline: a, c, e
6. Circle: mischievous, crafty, imaginative, creative
7. Circle: b, c, d
Clever Boy, Wise Mom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
4, 2, 1, 2, 6, 5, 2, 3, 5
Frank and Beanie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74–75
Suggested Answers:
1. it is the day of the annual family barbecue at Uncle Frank
and Aunt Beanie’s.
2. Uncle Frank set up chairs.
3. put chairs around the lawn and pool.
4. a lawn chair he sat in flung him into the pool.
5. help in the kitchen.
6. Uncle Frank’s new invention, a condiment-serving
machine.
7. was very excited and told everyone about the invention.
Best Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
1. yes 2. no 3. no
4. yes 5. no 6. Jeff
7. Derek 8. Derek 9. Jeff
Volcanoes on Earth and Venus . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Answers will vary. Sample answers appear below.
Earth: water on surface, volcanoes erupt in number of ways,
cooler temperatures
Venus: no water on surface, high clouds, very hot
temperatures, eruptions of flat lava flows
Both: clouds, thick atmosphere, almost same size, almost same
mass, similar orbits
Ping and Pong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
1. named after colors 2. Ping
3. Pong 4. Ping
5. Pong 6. Ping
7. Answers will vary. 8. ambulance driver
State Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Blue X—Italy, Canada, England, Paris
Green Line—New York, Utah, Texas
Yellow Box—California, Oklahoma, Arizona
Purple Check—Maine, Ohio, Hawaii
1. Alaska, 2. Florida, 3. Georgia
States will vary.
The Camping Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
1. gather a few important items
2. 3, 4, 2, 5, 6, 1
3. Ellie and Haley make sandwiches.
My, How You’ve Changed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
First—egg Second—larva
Third—pupa Fourth—adult
What Will Happen Next? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
1. escaped. 2. went in to see the puppy.
3. chased the cat. 4. grabbed two cookies.
What a Birthday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
1. eat pizza, eat cake, go bowling, eat ice cream, eat
popcorn
2. go to movies, have a clown, have friends sleep over
3. X on: take 12 friends out for pizza, go bowling, go to the
movies and eat popcorn, bring friends home for
chocolate cake with cherry-vanilla icing and rocky road
ice cream, have a clown at his party, have his friends
sleep over
4–5. Answers will vary.
The Pet Contest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
1. pet, Saturday 2. hopeful and proud
3. sad and uncomfortable
1. mummy 2. bunny 3. dancer 4. clown
Baseball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
1. Spuds 2. 13 games 3. 3 more wins
4. third place 5. 12 wins
6. Gizmos and Kazoos 7. seven wins to catch up
A Year in My Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88–89
1. c 2. d 3. c 4. b 5. b 6. b 7. c
Answer Key
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The Beginning of the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . .90
1. 1994—answer should include why it was important.
2. after; 1992
3. President Eisenhower set up government agency for
technology.
4. A computer network for communities and schools was
planned.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower set up agency for technology.
A computer network was planned.
Snowy Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
1. Jennifer, Mrs. Malaski 2. Ruth, Tasha, Mrs.Malaski
3. Jennifer, Misha, Kat 4. Kat, Tasha
5. Kat, Tasha, Mrs. Smith 6. Ruth, Mrs. Malaski
7. Jennifer, Ruth, Misha
Commercials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93–94
1. The author wants to persuade you to think about what
commercials are selling.
2. They are entertaining, are thought-provoking, and can
trigger your emotions.
3. Commercials may convince you that you need something
that you do not need.
4. feeling inside that you need something
5. The button that turns the television off.
6. Answers will vary.
7. Answers will vary.
The Wizard of Oz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
1. persuade 2. inform 3. entertain
A Mystery in the Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96–97
1. fifth 2. second 3. third 4. first
5. fourth 6. before 7. after 8. before
9. before 10. after 11. before 12. after
13. after
What’s the Problem? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
1. b. 2. j. 3. d. 4. e. 5. a. 6. h.
7. g. 8. f. 9. i. 10. c. 11. T 12. F
13. F 14. T 15. T
A Perfect Celebration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99–100
1. citya. The family lives in a townhouse.
b. They take a cab.
c. The father works in a tall building.
2. a. home
b. the swimming pool
c. the restaurant
d. the roof of office building
3. her birthday
a. afternoon at the swimming pool
b. a gift
c. cake
4. the 4th of July
a. summer
b. fireworks
5. New Year’s Day
6. a wrapped gift
7. Answers will vary.
The Goldilocks Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
1. Goldilocks 2. Officer Grizzly and Officer Paws
3. Officer Grizzly 4. Baby Bear
5. Papa Bear 6. Officer Paws
Make-Believe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
1. silly 2. shy 3. bossy 4. kind
5. mean 6. kind 7. kind
8–9. Answers will vary.
Answer Key
© School Specialty Publishing
A
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r Sc
ho
o
l R
e
a
d
ing
 A
c
tivitie
s, G
r. 3
After School Reading Activities focuses on
building word skills, vocabulary, and reading
comprehension through activities that are
enjoyable as well as educational. Intended to
stimulate interest in reading with approachable,
often hands-on exercises, this book is a unique
tool to use as extension, enrichment, take-home
projects, or as part of your classroom curriculum.
The age-appropriate and grade-appropriate
materials support national reading standards.
Each activity focuses on an integral word or
reading skill, or on pertinent vocabulary. The
tasks will stimulate students’ creativity while
providing practice with important reading skills.
This book also features a set of flash cards
that present high-interest vocabulary and
definitions. They are sure to become an
often-used part of your program. Use them
in groups or as an individual drill.
GRADE
LANGUAGE ARTS
About This Book
After School
Reading Activities
Visit our Web site at
 www.SchoolSpecialtyPublishing.com
3
ISBN 0-7424-1773-5
IF
G
99
02
3
• Cross-Curricular
Activities
• High-Interest
Vocabulary
Flash Cards
• Reading
Comprehension
Experiences
2
0
0
4
®
	Table of Contents
	General Introduction
	A Mother’s Love
	Ouch!
	Be a Friend to Our Planet
	Phonics Fun
	Time to Choose
	The Start and Finish
	Clowning Around
	Blend Review
	Fun With Phonics
	Beach Weather
	A Haunting Song
	Choose a Word
	Goose Chase
	Half a Batch
	Feeling Better
	Nice and Cozy
	On Stage
	Word Categories
	Simply Easy
	The Root of the Problem
	Zoo Loos
	Put Them Together
	Proper Prefixes
	Don’t Repeat Yourself
	Laughable Fellow
	Skip, Skipped, Skipping
	You’re (To, Too, Two) Much
	So, Sew It
	Special Delivery
	A Backyard Football Game
	Gardening Time
	School Scouts
	Belonging
	Mystery
	Those “ER” Words
	Parts of Speech
	Hang On to These
	Analyzing Analogies
	Good-Bye, Jennie
	Computer Talk
	The Study of…
	Strike Up the Band
	Little Ones
	Forward and Backward
	Fun With Run
	Serpent’s Synonyms
	Give Me the Code Word
	Searching for Opposites
	Opposites Attract
	Doing Our Job
	Hip, Hip, Hooray for Holidays
	American Trees
	Don’t Horse Around
	Sun-Sational Puzzle
	Cloud Watch
	If It Could Talk…
	Two Cats
	Animals Long Ago
	Gettysburg
	Rhyme Climb
	Cause Match
	A Pea Wee Plea
	Turtle Troubles
	Picnic Pranks
	Clever Boy, Wise Mom
	Frank and Beanie
	Best Friends
	Volcanoes on Earth and Venus
	Ping and Pong
	State Search
	Go Fish
	The Camping Trip
	My, How You’ve Changed
	What Will Happen Next?
	Next…
	What a Birthday
	The Pet Contest
	Baseball
	A Year in My Life
	The Beginning of the Internet
	Snowy Day
	Crazy Kitchen
	Commercials
	The Wizard of Oz
	A Mystery in the Night
	What’s the Problem?
	A Perfect Celebration
	The Goldilocks Report
	Make-Believe
	Flash Cards
	Answer Key. . . . . . .123–128
© School Specialty Publishing© School Specialty Publishing
General Introduction
The After School Reading Activities series provides a unique collection of reproducible
activities specifically designed for practicing of key reading skills in a less formal format.
Exercises provide a variety of learning experiences that inspire creativity while
encouraging reading comprehension and writing practice. After School Reading Activities
features worksheets as well as hands-on activities that present opportunities for students
with different learning styles to benefit from the contents. The activities are designed to be
used by individuals, pairs of students, and small groups.
Standards Mastery
Although this series is meant to provide practice in a nonthreatening format, activities
support many of the NCTE/IRA standards. Experience with several genres of writing
(including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) is included within each skill area. Activities
demand that a variety of strategies be used in order to complete the work. Examples of
strategies are using prior knowledge, using word identification strategies, and using
graphics. Students will be asked to evaluate and synthesize information and then to
communicate it in a variety of ways, from writing brief sentences, to filling in a story map,
to creating pictures, to participating in group activities.
Organization
The book is arranged in skill areas as follows:
Word Skills
• Arranged in a progressive, sequential format
• Letter/sound recognition, digraphs, blends, and more
Vocabulary Development
• High-interest and high-frequency words, including reproducible pages for
making flash cards
• Cross-curricular (science, social studies, and math)
Reading Comprehension
• One- and two-page articles
• Story elements, inferencing, following directions, and more 
Use 
As you prepare to make this series a part of an activity schedule, have the following items
on hand:
© School Specialty Publishing 0-7424-1773-5 After School 4
Crayons
Markers
Construction paper
Tagboard
Stapler
Brads
Hole punch
Pencils
Scissors
Glue
Library books
Reference materials
© School Specialty Publishing
General Introduction (cont.)
Structure
Plan to use the reproducible pages in centers, for independent practice, or with small
groups of students. Photocopy the pages of flash cards, and devote time to having the
students make the flash cards for future use. Reproduce the selected pages to provide
students with a variety of activities designed to ensure increased achievement while they
are having fun. 
Extension Activities
The format of many of the activities make them ideal for adapting the type of exercise to
other materials. Some ideas are:
The sets of flash cards have many uses such as these:
The flash cards are printed back-to-back and can be removed from the book, colored,
laminated, and reused. They can also be reproduced so each student has his or her own
set. Use the cards to increase meaning vocabulary in the theme they are based upon. 
The words can be used in a self-checking quiz situation, or partners can quiz each other.
Have students reveal the word or the definition and then give the other side. Students
should be able to master the words either way.
The sets of flash cards can be used individually or together. One way to use the 
cards is to have students choose two cards from each theme and use them in an 
oral story. Another way is to sort the words by category or theme, by syllables, or 
by beginning sounds.
The flash cards can also be used as the required vocabulary for shape books in 
certain themes.
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities5
Choose a popular poem or a
familiar passage from a story,
and have students circle a given
letter sound. Take the opportunity
to expose students to various
types of prints such as
newspapers, magazines, and
brochures. Focus on the letter
sounds being taught in class,
and progress into the more
difficult digraphs, blends, and
word endings and word families.
Have students write or
dictate their own word
riddles, using vocabulary
from a lesson they are
currently studying. Students
should progress from using
pictures and drawings in
their riddles to using words
and sentences.
© School Specialty Publishing
ABC Order
Name ________________ Date ___________
Connect the words in alphabetical order.
A World of Its Own
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 6 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
motor
measure
machine
neighbor
remember
question
say
search
number
lying probably
submarine
pavement
caught
after
choice
able lunch
coin
day
down
floatfollow
frown
hair
happen
heard
item
jaw
I
in
jobhook
jet
know
laugh
kid knew
learn
light
loud
telescope
museum rough
rush
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
ABC Order/Vowel Sounds
Color the circle yellow if the word has the same vowel sound as in mom.
Color the circle brown if the word has the same vowel sound as in mother.
Connect the words in each set of colored circles in ABC order. Begin at each star.
A Mother’s Love
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 7 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
anyone
dove
blood
wonderful
won come
done
tough
touch
tongue
sponge
skeleton
son
someone
some
other
one
once
none
mother
love
flood
enough
front
stop
blond
spot
clock solve
crop
cotdodge
hop doll
hot
knock
knot
lollipop
lot
mop
nod
odd
pond
rock
rod
shock
shop
sock
sod ton
© School Specialty Publishing
Syllabication
Name ________________ Date ___________
Color the space orange if the word has one syllable.
Color the space blue if the word has two syllables.
Color the space black if the word has three syllables.
Ouch!
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 8 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
silly
little
feet
dry
myself
children
water
eyeoutside
forget
best
doing potato
use
sit
into
ate
along faster
pet
now
float
land
jump
goodway
far
building
garden
out
down
up
return
quickly in
to
feel
morning
really
day
hello
father
of
fish
catcher
top
open
leg
cook
pass
room
nearbite
lunch
together
something
power farm tadpole
for
paper
off
sorry
fly
summer
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Syllabication
Fight pollution and protect wildlife.
Color the space blue if the word has one syllable.
Color the space gray if the word has two syllables.
Color the space green if the word has three syllables.
Color the space yellow if the word has four syllables.
Be a Friend to Our Planet
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 9 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
lad
ybu
gs
por
cup
ine
s
sha
rks
kangaroos koalas
gulls
horses
birds
albatrosses
do
lp
hi
ns
be
es
giraffescrabs
turkeys
hip
po
sca
ts
co
ws
lions
dogs
bears
crocodiles
lizards
ins
ec
tshed
ge
ho
gssquirr
els
chip
munk
s
pandas
pa
rro
ts
mon
key
s leopards
frogs
alligators
tigers
wasps
spi
de
rs
sal
am
an
de
rs
armadillos octopuses
anacondas
zebras
fish
bees
deer
tar
an
tul
as
penguins
foxes
eagles
hares
wasp
oxen
beetles
fro
gs
ba
ts
he
ns
mice
snakes
bulls
elephants
flies sea
ls
apestoads
butterflies
lobsters
moths
ants jellyfish
ba
bo
on
s
ra
cc
oo
ns
rhin
oce
ros
es
caterpillars
ch
am
ele
on
s
© School Specialty Publishing
Vowel Sounds/
Following Directions
Name ________________ Date ___________
Help Richard with his phonics by following these directions.
1. Circle the short a words in black.
2. Underline the short i words in pink.
3. Put a red box around the short e words.
4. Draw an olive green X over the short o words.
5. Draw a green line over the long e words.
6. Draw a wavy gray line over the long a words.
7. Put a white X over the long i words.8. Draw a gold circle around the long o words.
Phonics Fun
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 10 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
beast
Holly
kettle
Matthew
stage
Richard
smell
Gretel
Polk
Drake
Hansel
teacher
banner
best
wished
smile
fig
class
plane
kids
Noah
Mancina
liar
top
piece
stop
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Vowel Sounds
Write the correct word for each sentence.
1. Randy went fishing in the _______________. (like, leak, lake)
2. This cloth is very _______________. (wade, wide, weed)
3. I will _______________ you at the store. (moat, meet, mute)
4. Let’s ride our bikes to the _______________. (beach, bait, boast)
5. There are many trucks on the _______________. (raid, rude, road)
6. Jordan carried the cups on a _______________. (tray, tree, trade)
7. Meg helped me _______________ the room. (clay, clean, clue)
8. The dog dug a _______________ in the yard. (hole, hail, heel)
9. A _______________ was eating hay. (mail, mile, mule)
10. The _______________ is pretty. (rise, rays, rose)
11. Many bees buzzed near their _______________. (hive, hike, heat)
12. The girl was holding a _______________ of sand. (pay, pane, pail)
13. A _______________ was swimming in the sea. (seal, soak, sail)
14. Kevin made a vase of _______________. (close, clay, clean)
15. I like to keep my room _______________ and tidy. (note, need, neat)
16. We will _______________ for you in the car. (wait, wade, woke)
17. The pipe under the sink has a _______________. (like, leak, late)
18. Kris made a puppet from a paper _______________. (toad, tube, tide)
Time to Choose
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 11 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Beginning/Ending Sounds
Name ________________ Date ___________
Circle the beginning sound. Draw a box around the ending sound.
The Start and Finish
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 12 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
1.
x
s
b
2.
c
n
t
3.
p
m 
j
4.
r
s
g
5.
t
r
f
6.
b
p
t
7.
t
m
v
8.
k
m
b
9.
l
g
f
10.
g
s
k
11.
a
f
x
12.
l
d
v
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
L Blends
Write the correct blend on each line to name the picture. Use bl, cl, fl, gl, and pl.
Clowning Around
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 13 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
_______ own _______ obe _______ ute _______ ue _______ ug
_______ ame _______ ock _______ ow _______ ock _______ ider
Circle the words from above in the puzzle, using the correct color.
bl—green
cl—yellow
fl—red
gl—blue
pl—orange
s g f k g l o b e g
c n l b l o c k j l
l x u p g c y f b i
o t t l p l x p l d
w y e o i o r l u e
n v m w j c s u e r
f l a m e k d g v k
© School Specialty Publishing
Blends Review
Name ________________ Date ___________
1.
2.
3.
4.
Write the correct number in the circle in each box.
sn sl
sk st
pl spr
fl bl
Blend Review
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 14 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
The _____ owers we _____ anted will _____ oom in the _____ ing.
The red, _____ ue, and green _____ ayons _____ oke when Marissa
_____ opped them on the _____ oor.
The _____ ory told about a _____ agon that _____ eathed fire and a
magic _____ own that turned a _____ og into a prince.
The _____ udents like to go _____ edding and ice _____ ating 
when it _____ ows.
br
st cr
fr dr
fl
cr dr
bl br
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Consonant Digraphs
Read the clues. Use the words in the Word Bank to complete the puzzle.
Across
3. This lets you talk to someone far away.
4. This has 26 letters.
7. This is something that is fake.
8. This is a prize.
Down
1. This animal digs holes.
2. This animal lives in the sea.
3. This is a bird.
5. This is a drawing that lets you 
compare things.
6. This is a picture taken with a camera.
Fun With Phonics
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 15 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
phone
phony
photo
trophy
pheasant
graph
gopher
alphabet
dolphin
Word Bank
1
2 3
4
5
6
7
8
© School Specialty Publishing
Consonant Digraphs
Name ________________ Date ___________
Look at the consonant digraphs on each beach umbrella. On the lines, write the words from
the Word Bank with the same letter pattern.
Word Bank
beach
weather
short
where
children
should
month
wheat
rich
while
thinking
fishing
Beach Weather
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 16 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
ch
sh wh
Read each sentence. Circle the misspelled word(s). Then write it correctly on the line.
1. Were can we go for a picnic? ______________________________
2. The whether is coldest in the munth ______________________________
of January. ______________________________
3. He became a very ritch man when ______________________________
he found the lost treasure. 
4. Marvin is too shirt to reach the bookcase. ______________________________
5. Carla likes her sandwich with weet bread. ______________________________
6. The childrun started thincking about ______________________________
which part each wanted in the skit. ______________________________
7. Bart shud arrive home in time for dinner. ______________________________
8. We read a book wile waiting for dinner. ______________________________
9. Our dad sometimes goes fiching ______________________________
when our family goes to the beech. ______________________________
th
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
o Words
haunt
song
draw
cloth
thaw
because
lawn
sauce
moth
caught
fawn
soft
Word Bank
A Haunting Song
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 17 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Read the words. Write a word from the Word Bank that belongs in each group.
1. color, paint, ______________________________________________
2. butterfly, ladybug, _________________________________________
3. puppy, kitten, _____________________________________________
4. gravy, mustard, ___________________________________________
Read each sentence. Write the missing word on the line.
5. The frozen dinner will quickly __________________ in the oven.
6. I must go to the dentist __________________ I have a toothache.
7. Paul and Austin will sing a __________________ in the talent show.
8. He _______________ the puppy as it scampered past him.
9. She covered the baby with a __________________ blanket.
10. Some say that singing ghosts __________________ the old theater.
11. The shepherd spun wool into __________________ for a cloak.
12. Doug will mow the __________________ this afternoon.
© School Specialty Publishing
oo Sound
Name ________________ Date ___________
Look at the words and the numbers below. Write the number of each word in the 
correct box.
1. foot
5. book
2. broom
6. hook
3. pool
7. goose
4. spoon
8. wood
Choose a Word
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 18 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
oo as in moon oo as in cook
Write the words from above in the correct list.
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Vowel Digraphs
Write the correct digraph, oo, ea, au, or aw on each line to complete the word. Find
pictures of some of the words in the picture below and circle them.
Goose Chase
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 19 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
l_____f w_____d sch_____l
f_____t f_____cet l_____p g_____se
f_____ther s_____t t_____th l_____n
f_____n b_____t sp_____n
© School Specialty Publishing
Silent Consonants
Name ________________ Date ___________
Word Bank
calf
climb
catch
crumb
patch
half
talk
watch
thumb
batch
walk
comb
Half a Batch
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 20 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Look at the silent consonant on each cookie. On the lines, write the Word
Bank words with the same silent consonant.silent
L
silent
T
silent
B
Read each group of words. Write a Word Bank word that belongs in that group.
1. jog, run, _____________
2. lamb, colt, _____________
3. see, look, _____________
4. finger, fingernail, _____________
5. speak, say, _____________
6. shampoo, brush, _____________
Use the Word Bank again. 
Complete the puzzle.
Across
1. A quantity prepared at one time
3. To go up
5. To mend
Down
2. A very small piece
3. To grab
4. One of two equal parts
1 2
3
4
5
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Double Consonants
Say the words to yourself. Listen for the middle consonant sound in each word. All the words
are spelled with a double consonant in the middle, but each pair has one sound.
Write the word that means the opposite of the underlined word in each sentence.
1. How ugly that is! ________________________
2. I’m feeling much worse. ________________________
3. The book is on the top shelf. ________________________
4. Don’t forget to say good-bye. ________________________
What letters are missing below? Write the word from above.
5. I broke my ___ss___ yesterday. ________________________
6. Please help me tie the ___bb___. ________________________
7. What did you eat for ___ nn___ ? ________________________
8. I sleep without a ___ ll___. ________________________
Write a word from above to finish the sentence.
9. All of a ____________________ the sky grew dark
and the wind began to blow.
10. “Do you ____________________ it’s going to rain?”
asked Teddy.
11. “Yes,” said Kiku, “and I think we’d better ____________________ home.”
12. “I sure hope it doesn’t rain ____________________,” said Teddy.
pillow
ribbon
glasses
sudden
hello
bottom
pretty
hurry
better
dinner
suppose
tomorrow
Feeling Better
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 21 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Hard and Soft C
Name ________________ Date ___________
Read the poems. Draw a line under the words containing the letter c. Listen to the sound the
letter c makes in each word.
I’d like some rice
And a pizza slice,
With twice the spice, 
And apple juice with ice. 
So, what’s the price? 
That’s nice! The cute, cuddly cat
Curled up on the mat,
All cozy and fat,
A comfortable cat!
Nice and Cozy
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 22 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Read each clue. Find the correct word in the poems and write it on the line.
1. This is how much spice I want on my pizza slice. ____________________
2. I want my juice to have this in it. ____________________
3. The cute, cuddly cat did this on a mat. ____________________
4. I want some of this with my pizza slice and juice. ____________________
5. I thought this about the price. ____________________
6. I want this much pizza with twice the spice. ____________________
7. I want ice in this. ____________________
8. He is cute, cuddly, and curled on a mat. ____________________
9. I want twice as much of this on my pizza slice. ____________________
10. I asked about this so I would know the cost of my food. ____________________
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Hard and Soft G
Read the poem. Draw a line under the words containing the letter g. Listen to the sound 
the g makes.
When that bird was your age,
She left her golden cage,
Got to dance on the stage,
And made the front page!
Read the clues. Find the missing word in the poem, and write it in the puzzle.
Across:
3. The bird in the cage was your _____ 
when she became famous.
5. The bird danced on a _____.
Down:
1. The bird in the cage got to _____ on stage.
2. The bird that danced on stage lived in a _____.
4. The bird danced so well her picture was on the front _____.
Read the sentences below. Find the missing word in the Word Bank 
and write it on the line.
On Stage
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 23 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
engine
gym
garden
gentle
giant
sugar
ginger
goose
Word 
Bank
1. Beth planted cucumbers and beans in her ____________________.
2. We are going to play basketball in the ____________________ after school.
3. We need ____________________ to sweeten the iced tea.
4. The ____________________ roared as the driver sped to the finish line.
5. A very tall person may seem like a ____________________ to a baby.
6. Please be ____________________ when you hold the kitten.
7. A honking ____________________ waddled toward the pond.
8. Mom added some spicy ____________________ to the cookie dough.
1
2
3
4
5
© School Specialty Publishing
R-Controlled Vowels
Name ________________ Date ___________
Write each word in the correct category.
third
forty
barn
first
horse
corn
Numbers Farming
horse
shirt
purse
bird
turkey
skirt
Word Categories
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 24 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Clothes Animals
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Hard and Soft S
Word Bank
salad
please
cans
salty
cheese
seven
serve
his
eyes
soup
seat
Simply Easy
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 25 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Use the Word Bank to complete the following activities. Write the words in the blanks.
1. I knew this was the right puppy when he looked at me with his big brown
____________________ .
2. We need 24 ____________________ of soda for the picnic.
3. May we ____________________ have more potato chips?
4. Gretchen ordered a pizza with extra ____________________ on it.
5. Carl searched but could not find ____________________ homework.
We have ____________________ people in my family, so eating out is a big deal! We
were ____________________ ed around a big table by the window. When the waitress
came to ____________________ our food, she got all mixed up. I got Mom’s shrimp
____________________, and Dad got a bowl of ____________________ instead of a steak. 
The baby got a plate of ____________________ pretzels, and she doesn’t even have teeth.
Now write a tongue twister about a rose.
© School Specialty Publishing
Root Words
Name ________________ Date ___________
Circle the root word of each word below. Then find the root words in the word search
puzzle. The words are found horizontally, vertically, diagonally, forward, and backward.
1. planting
2. mending
3. fishing
4. golden
5. swimming
6. certainly
7. suddenly
8. arrows
9. foolish
10. sounds
11. sighing
12. rushing
13. safely
14. asleep
15. longer
16. arms
17. stones
18. bandits
The Root of the Problem
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 26 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
A P L A N T H S I F
R O C E R T A I N O
M E N D D N U O S O
I A E L P R E K I L
W R D O G N O L G E
S R D G O R U S H F
N O U T S L E E P A
V W S T I D N A B S
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Rhyming Words
Zucchini is a ferret who lives in the zoo. Finish each rhyme to identify the other animals in
the zoo. Draw the animals below.
1. I’m tiny, not chunky,
A little brown _________________.
3. My name is Ryan.
I’m a proud _________________.
5. See you later,
A green _________________.
7. My home is no villa.
I’m a huge, hairy _________________.
9. You’ll love to laugh
At the tall _________________.
2. I’m mostly hair.
I’m a grizzly _________________.
4. So very teeny,
I’m Billy’s _________________.
6. My tail can shake.
I’m a rattle _________________.
8. You won’t have to hunt
For this gray _________________.
10. Sharp-toothed and dark,
A man-eating _________________.
Zoo Loos
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 27 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
lion elephant gorilla giraffe Zucchini
bear monkey alligator shark snake
© School Specialty Publishing
Contractions
Name ________________ Date ___________
Get on the right track with contractions. In the correct car of the train, write the contraction
for each set of words.Put Them Together
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 28 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
1. can + not
2. I + will
3. does + not
4. where + is
5. they + have
6. did + not
7. of + the + clock
8. should + not
9. I + am
10. who + is
11. will + not
12. we + are
13. he + is
14. let + us
15. you + will
16. were + not
17. she + had
18. what + is
19. they + are
20. it + will 
1. 2. 3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.9.10.
11.
12
.
13
.
14
.
15.
16. 17. 18.
19.
20.
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Prefixes
In each word below, circle the prefix and underline the root word. Use the meaning of each
prefix to help write the meaning of the words in numbers 1–12.
sub = under
pre = before
mid = middle
non = no
re = again
mis = wrong
Proper Prefixes
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 29 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
1. mistreat __________________________
3. nonsense __________________________
5. refresh ____________________________
7. preschool__________________________
9. submarine ________________________
11. midday __________________________
2. preview __________________________
4. midair ____________________________
6. subway __________________________
8. nonstop __________________________
10. reread ____________________________
12. misread __________________________
Read each sentence. In each circle, write the correct number from above to show which
word should be used.
13. The athletes took showers to themselves after the big game.
14. The teacher asked the students to the chapter for more details.
15. Sam’s younger brother began when he was four years old.
16. The temperature made it too hot to run or exercise outdoors.
17. The carried scientists who were trained to study ocean life.
18. Some people thought the first airplane was and would never fly.
19. Because the conductor the time, he arrived late for the symphony.
20. The director invited friends to a special of his film.
21. Many commuters ride the to work everyday.
22. The audience laughed during the entire performance.
© School Specialty Publishing
Prefixes
Name ________________ Date ___________
The prefix re means again in each word below. Underline the base word and then circle the
base words in the puzzle.
Don’t Repeat Yourself
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 30 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
reappear
rearm
reassemble
reassign
rebuild
recharge
recopy
redraw
reelect
refasten
refuel
reheat
rehire
relive
reload
remake
rename
reread
Word Bank
C D A S S E M B L E W
H A P S K N E T S A F
C O P Y S D A E R U E
E L E B U I L D E H K
C H A R G E G L V I A
S A R M E M A N I R M
W I H E A T C E L E N
Choose the correct word from the Word Bank to complete the sentences.
1. The townspeople had to ____________________ their homes after the tornado.
2. Shamica will have to ____________________ the list of spelling words from the board.
3. I enjoyed the book so much that I may ____________________ it.
4. Can you ____________________ the batteries?
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Suffixes
Use the Word Bank to complete the puzzle.
Across
2. Opposite of darken
4. To make wider
5. Can be sunk
7. To make hard
8. Can be read
11. Can be broken
Down
1. Put in writing
3. To make something 
not crooked
4. Can be washed
6. A lot of fun
9. To make darker
10. Opposite of harden
Word Bank
breakable
widen
readable
sinkable
harden
lighten
soften
washable
darken
enjoyable
written
straighten
Laughable Fellow
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 31 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
1
2
3
4
5 6
7
8 9 10
11
© School Specialty Publishing
Suffixes –ed/-ing
Name ________________ Date ___________
skipped
serving
getting
tasted
chopped
staring
setting
chased
sipped
begging
slicing
pasted
Skip, Skipped, Skipping
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 32 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Write the base word that names the action in each picture. Then add –ed to make a word
from the Word Bank above. Write that word.
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
What letters are missing below? Write the word from the Word Bank.
7. It’s time for lunch. I just finished ___tt___ the table. ____________________
8. Mom is ___er___ the soup. ____________________
Dad is ___c___ the bread. ____________________
9. My sister is ___tt___ out the butter. ____________________
10. Our dog Wags is ___ar___ at the table, ____________________
___gg___ for scraps already. ____________________
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Homophones
Use a dictionary to help you choose the correct homophones to circle in each sentence.
1. The ten (rose, rows) bushes are planted in two (rose, rows).
2. The pilot left his (hanger, hangar) in the (hanger, hangar).
3. The (prince, prints) left his (prince, prints) all over the paper.
4. Mr. Miller (oversees, overseas) all the (oversees, overseas) shipments.
5. How much do I need to (urn, earn) before I have enough money to buy the (urn, earn)?
6. The (coward, cowered) (coward, cowered) in the corner when the police arrived.
7. How much (tacks, tax) will I pay on this box of (tacks, tax)?
8. (Weave, We’ve) joined a class to learn how to (weave, we’ve).
9. It was (passed, past) seven o’clock by the time Charlie (passed, past) the dessert.
10. I was (board, bored) with painting the (board, bored) fence.
You’re (To, Too, Two) Much
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 33 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Homophones
Name ________________ Date ___________
Read each definition. Write the correct word from the Word Bank.
1. in the place __________
2. means it is __________
3. trees provide this __________
4. to use a needle 
and thread __________
5. did ride __________
6. belonging to them __________
7. a street __________
8. belonging 
to something __________
9. an insect __________
10. means they are __________
11. in that case __________ 
12. is willing to __________
13. woman married 
to your uncle __________
Read each sentence. Write the missing word on the line.
14. The neighbors say ______________________ planning a barbecue.
15. Please put more ______________________ on the fire.
16. A tiny ______________________ scurried across the sidewalk.
17. Sheila does not feel well, ______________________ she will not 
go with us.
18. The city is building a new swimming pool over ______________________.
19. Please tell us when ______________________ time for lunch.
20. They are going to spend the weekend at ______________________ cabin 
in the mountains.
21. We ______________________ the bus on our field trip.
22. Her ______________________ and uncle live in Florida.
23. The cow shook ______________________ head to shoo away the fly.
24. How many of you ______________________ like to run the marathon?
25. Please, ______________________ new buttons on my shirt.
Word Bank
sew
so
their
they’re
there
aunt
ant
its
it’s
road
rode
would
wood
So, Sew It
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 34 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Plurals
Color the space:
Blue if you have to add s to make the word plural.
Green if you have to add es to make the word plural.
Brown if you have to change the last letter and add es to make the word plural.
Red if the word is irregular when forming the plural.
Special Delivery
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 35 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
chimney snowflake house star
toy
bell doll
boot
car
tree
shelf cherry kiss watch
poletruck
roo
fto
p
berry
belt party man
bag
elf
scarf
boy sketch
boss
compass
address
candy
deer
baby
child
w
om
an
or
na
me
nt
suit
toymaker
workbench
match
ax
hat
sled
game
dress
glass
girl
© School Specialty Publishing
Compound Words
Name ________________Date ___________
Use the words in the box to complete the activities below. Write the words on the lines.
A Backyard Football Game
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 36 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
After finishing ____________________ this
morning, my dad and ____________________
played ____________________ with my brother
and me in our ____________________ .
Match the words in List A with the words in List B to make words from the box above.
List A
some
any
every
may
out
List B
be
body
side
thing
time
Read each clue. Write the word from the box.
1. You celebrate this each
year. It begins and
ends with the same
letters as boy.
2. You can have fun when
you’re here. It has the
word round in it.
3. It comes from ears. 
It has the short o
and /ôr/ sound.
football outside backyard maybe breakfast everybody
sometime anything popcorn grandfather birthday playground
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Gardening Terms
Each spring we plant seeds and wait anxiously, eager for them to
sprout from the ground. This year Mom planted round bulbs. We
made sure the soil was warm and there was no chance or danger of
frost that might cause them to get too cold and freeze. We visited the
nursery where they raise and sell plants. We bought some fertilizer
to place on the ground to improve the soil, so we’re sure the plants will
bloom into beautiful flowers.
Look at the boldfaced words above. Use them to complete the activity below.
1. a place where trees and plants are raised for sale ____________________
2. to produce flowers ____________________
3. a chance of harm ____________________
4. substance put on soil to improve its quality ____________________
5. round underground buds from which plants grow ____________________
6. eagerly ____________________
7. to begin to grow ____________________
8. a temperature low enough to cause freezing ____________________
Now write a sentence about why we might use fertilizer.
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 37 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Gardening Time
© School Specialty Publishing
School Terms
Name ________________ Date ___________
Use each of the letters below to start a word that has something to do with school. Start
scouting for objects and then write them on the list. Two have been done to start you on 
your way.
A
B
Crayon
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Secretary
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
School Scouts
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 38 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Animal Families
Place each animal listed below in the correct family by writing its name on a line.
Fish
Insects 
Birds
Amphibians
Reptiles
Mammals
Belonging
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 39 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
alligator perch parrot horse cobra
trout whale robin dog frog
rattlesnake ladybug crocodile salamander grasshopper
flamingo salmon dragonfly lizard peacock
raccoon newt shark penguin beetle
Word Bank
© School Specialty Publishing
Mystery Terms
Name ________________ Date ___________
Trace the footprints: red—mystery words yellow—other words.
Mystery
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 40 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
detective
window
clover thiefelbowsolve
clue
dizzy
proud active
reward
special cream
sharp young sleuth
suspect
suspense
fingerprints
investigate
mystery
become
weapon
velvet
Write five of the mystery words in the footprints below. Use each word in a sentence.
: __________________________________________________________
: __________________________________________________________
: __________________________________________________________
: __________________________________________________________
: __________________________________________________________
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
General Vocabulary
Read each sentence. Circle the correct word to complete each sentence. Color each puzzle
space the correct color.
Those “ER” Words
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 41 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
thicker
rougher flatter
smoother
lighter
quieter
heavier
stronger
red: 1. A suitcase is (heavier, lighter) than a feather.
green: 2. A whisper is (rougher, quieter) than a yell.
yellow: 3. A lion is (flatter, stronger) than a cat.
brown: 4. A sandwich is (lighter, thicker) than a piece of paper.
blue: 5. A pancake is (flatter, rougher) than a cake.
purple: 6. A baby is (lighter, heavier) than a four-year-old boy.
black: 7. A piece of silk is (quieter, smoother) than wool.
orange: 8. A piece of sandpaper is (rougher, thicker) than glass.
© School Specialty Publishing
Parts of Speech
Name ________________ Date ___________
Complete the puzzle using the Word Bank words. Then use the same list to fill in the
blanks below.
Parts of Speech
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 42 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Word Bank
adjective
verb
interjection
pronoun
adverb
article
noun
conjunction
1. A __________________ is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.
2. A __________________ is a word used in place of a noun.
3. An __________________ is a word that describes a noun or pronoun.
4. A __________________ is a word that shows action or that something is.
5. An __________________ is a word that tells how, when, or where about a verb.
6. An __________________ is a kind of adjective that says a noun will follow.
7. An __________________ is an exclamation followed by an exclamation point.
8. A __________________ is a word that connects other words.
2�
6�
4�
1�
7�
8�
5�
3�
s p e e c h
p
a
r
t
s
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Frequently Misspelled Words
Look at the Word Bank. Write the words in alphabetical order.
Word Bank
thought
guess
again
brought
been
around
these
hello
woman
people
many
heard
Hang On to These
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 43 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
1. ____________________
2. ____________________
3. ____________________
4. ____________________
5. ____________________
6. ____________________
7. ____________________
8. ____________________
9. ____________________
10. ____________________
11. ____________________
12. ____________________
Read the clues. Use the Word
Bank to complete the puzzle.
Across
1. A lady
4. Hi
6. Did bring
9. Did hear
11. Not those, but _____.
Down
2. Walk _____ the puddle.
3. Persons
5. One more time
6. Where have you _____?
7. An idea
8. Several
10. Suppose
1 2
3 4
5
6 7 8
9
10
11
© School Specialty Publishing
Analogies
Name ________________ Date ___________
1. Teacher is to school as …
2. Earring is to ear as …
3. Time is to clock as …
4. Sun is to hot as …
5. Hand is to glove as …
6. Dark is to light as …
7. Dog is to bark as …
8. Leopard is to spots as …
a. librarian is to library.
b. student is to child.
a. neck is to head.
b. ring is to finger.
a. minute is to hour.
b. date is to calendar.
a. snow is to cold.
b. summer is to winter.
a. head is to hat.
b. mitten is to hand.
a. shiny is to bright.
b. shiny is to dull.
a. bark is to tree.
b. pig is to oink.
a. tiger is to stripes.
b. giraffe is to zoo.
Analyzing Analogies
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 44 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Foreign Terms
Many foreign words have worked their way into our American language. Match each word
or phrase below with its meaning. You may want to use a dictionary.
Good-Bye, Jennie
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 45 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
1. au revoir (French) _____
2. Gesundheit (German) _____
3. crepe (French) _____
4. tortilla (Spanish) _____
5. pita (Greek) _____
6. chopsticks (Asian) _____7. oui (French) _____
8. sarong (Malaysian) _____
9. amigo (Spanish) _____
10. rendezvous (French) _____
11. babushka (Russian) _____
12. lasagna (Italian) _____
13. madam (French) _____
14. guacamole (Spanish) _____
15. torte (German) _____
16. foyer (French) _____
17. beret (French) _____
a. a lobby or an entryway
b. a flat bread made from corn or flour
c. thin sticks used for eating
d. a married woman
e. a dip made with avocado
f. a scarf worn on the head
g. fabric wrapped to wear as a skirt
h. friend
i. yes
j. a rich layer cake
k. a meeting place
l. a flat hat
m. good-bye
n. a dish made with long, flat noodles
o. a thin cloth or pancake
p. round bread with a pocket
q. “Good health!” to someone 
who sneezed
Au revoir!
Au revoir!
Good-bye!
© School Specialty Publishing
Computer Terms
Name ________________ Date ___________
Find the words from the Word Bank in the puzzle. Then match the words to the definitions
below. Use a dictionary if necessary.
Computer Talk
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 46 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
t p b b u g c h
n r x d a t a a
m o d e m c p r
s g w b f h q d
v r t u l i n w
r a h g y p e a
p m o u s e s r
s o f t w a r e
____________________ 1. Tiny electronic circuit that is the central part of a computer
____________________ 2. The computer and all its electronic attachments
____________________ 3. Information stored in a computer
____________________ 4. Any fault in the computer or its program
____________________ 5. To correct any fault in the computer or its program
____________________ 6. A set of instructions that tells a computer to perform certain tasks
____________________ 7. A small box that controls a marker that can be moved on the
monitor screen
____________________ 8. A device that allows computers to send information to each
other over the telephone
____________________ 9. A computer program
software
modem
debug
chip
hardware
program
mouse
data
bug
Word Bank
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Science Terms
Unscramble the word in each problem. Use the words in the Word Bank to help. Then match
the correct term to the statement below by writing the number of the definition in the circle.
botany
pharmacology
entomology
biology
chemistry
geology
paleontology
astronomy
archaeology
Word Bank
The Study of…
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 47 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
1. ____________________ The study of plant and animal life
2. ____________________ The study of chemical matter—what it is and how it works
3. ____________________ The study of the universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere
4. ____________________ The study of historic or prehistoric cultures
5. ____________________ The study of plant life
6. ____________________ The study of former life through fossils
7. ____________________ The study of insects
8. ____________________ The study of the material (rock) the earth is made of
9. ____________________ The study of drugs and medicine
The satellite discovered three moons around the planet.
The museum has a new display of prehistoric fossils.
The photographs will be used to study plants and animals in the remote forest.
The new medicine will help people who suffer from hay fever.
iogbloy
hmteyrsic
srnyamoot
rhelyooacag
onbyta
aetplolyonog
nolegtmooy
elygoog
hmcpgyaalroo
© School Specialty Publishing
Music Classification
Name ________________ Date ___________
Fill in the puzzle using the names of musical instruments. Build off the word saxophone.
Strike Up the Band
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 48 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
S
A
X
O
P
H
O
N
E
Word
Bank
tuba
drum
flute
cornet
cymbals
trombone
piccolo
trumpet
clarinet
© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Animal Babies
Use the boldfaced words from above to fill in the puzzle.
Across
1. young horse or donkey
2. young male horse
4. shaky, not steady
5. young dogs
6. taking care of
7. female sheep
Little Ones
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 49 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Are you familiar with animal babies and their names?
In the spring, a horse or donkey may have a foal. It may be
a male, a colt, or a female, a filly. The ewes may give birth to
lambs at this time too.
It’s fun to watch the baby animals try to stand while their new
legs are still shaky, or wobbly.
Near the barn, the goose is careful when tending her
goslings, while the family’s dog feeds her whelps.
Can you name other animal babies?
Down
1. young female horse
3. young geese
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
© School Specialty Publishing
Palindromes
Name ________________ Date ___________
Bob, Hannah, and Otto can spell their names the same way forward and backward. Words
that are spelled the same forward and backward are called palindromes.
Unscramble these palindromes.
ibb yee add toror damma udd
__________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________
arrad mmu ykaak wee nono bbo
__________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________
Match the palindrome above with its meaning.
1. a cloth worn under the chin ____________________
2. the organ used to see ____________________
3. midday ____________________
4. father ____________________
5. a female sheep ____________________
6. to move up and down in the water ____________________
7. the blades of a helicopter ____________________
8. an Eskimo canoe ____________________
9. the polite name for a lady ____________________
10. a firecracker that fails to explode ____________________
11. a device used by police to catch speeders ____________________
12. to be silent ____________________
Forward and Backward
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 50 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Name ________________ Date ___________
Idioms
I had a friend who was a great football player. I
went to some of his games. One game he thought he
and his team would win easily, but the other team gave
them a run for their money. It was not an easy
game, but in the long run, my friend was better off
because he worked hard to win and probably learned
skills he could use in future games. His team did not run
away with that game—winning was hard work.
I didn’t run into my friend for a long time after that
game, but I remembered another game when he tried to
run down the quarterback, almost knocking him off his
feet. Later he and his team tried to run out the clock by
controlling the ball near the end of the game. They just
wanted to use up time since it was too late to run up the
score and give their team more points.
Fun With Run
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 51 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Write the boldfaced words next to the meanings below.
1. close competition ________________________________________
2. to knock down ________________________________________
3. to meet by chance ________________________________________
4. in the end ________________________________________
5. to win easily ________________________________________
6. to build up, increase, or raise ________________________________________
7. to use up ________________________________________
8. Write a sentence using at least three of the boldfaced terms.
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Synonyms
Name ________________ Date ___________
Choose a word from the Word Bank that means nearly the same as the clue word. Write the
word in the crossword puzzle.
rich
lush
look
hut
trip
wail
lunge
sear
full
ruffian
bellow
wither
pleasant
splendid
precious
Word Bank
Serpent’s Synonyms
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Across
1. journey
5. brimming
6. thick
7. yell
10. good-natured
11. sudden forward leap
12. shrivel
14. shack
Down
2. thug
3. excellent
4. scorch
8. glance
9. cry
10. priceless
13. wealthy
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
10
11
1213
14
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Name ________________ Date ___________
Synonyms
Solve the code to discover a synonym for each word. Then on a separate paper, use six of
the new words correctly in sentences.
Give Me the Code Word
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
a b c d e f g h i k l m n o
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
p r s t u v x y z
Code
1. stretch
2. noise
3. blame
4. prove
5. receive
6. bravery
7. tune
8. inform
9. ordinary
10. brief
11. brisk
12. rest
5 21 18 5 13 4
17 14 19 13 4
1 3 3 19 17 5
20 5 16 9 6 22
18 1 10 5
3 14 19 16 1 7 5
12 5 11 14 4 22
13 14 18 9 6 22
3 14 12 12 14 13
17 8 14 16 18
20 9 7 14 16 14 19 17
16 5 11 1 21
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Antonyms
Name ________________ Date ___________
From the words in the Word Bank, select an antonym for the underlined words in the
sentences below. Write the word on the line.
unbolt
sharp
minor
disarray
strong
evil
present
increase
purchase
ancient
praised
day
cooked
assemble
learned
Word Bank
Searching for Opposites
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1. The old man was feeble. ____________________
2. The castle was modern inside. ____________________
3. Caroline likes raw carrots. ____________________
4. The character in this book was good. ____________________
5. She taught Spanish everyday. ____________________
6. Doug was absent yesterday. ____________________
7. The knife was dull. ____________________
8. The teacher criticized the students. ____________________
9. Lock the door, please. ____________________
10. The meeting will adjourn soon. ____________________
11. It was a major decision. ____________________
12. I am going to sell shoes. ____________________
13. You should decrease your sugar intake. ____________________
14. We went fishing in the middle of the night. ____________________
15. The room was in great order. ____________________
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Name ________________ Date ___________
Antonyms
Write the word from the Word Bank that is the antonym of the clue word.
joy
copy
join
easy
frail
dwarf
shame
homely
certain
private
wealthy
clean
Word Bank
Opposites Attract
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 55 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Across
5. poor
6. doubtful
7. misery
9. difficult
10. public
Down
1. attractive
2. giant
3. honor
4. strong
6. original
7. separate
8. dirty
1
2
3 4
5 6
7 8
9
10
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Careers
Name ________________ Date ___________
Use the Word Bank to circle the hidden career in each sentence. The first one is done 
for you.
actor
athlete
cook
doctor
driver
fireman
governor
inventor
minister
singer
tailor
teacher
Word Bank
Doing Our Job
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 56 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
1. Erasing errors makes a student’s 
work neater.
2. School pencils are on sale for one 
cent each, Ernie.
3. Is that story fact or fiction?
4. Read clearly and loudly like a mini stereo.
5. In science, we will study heat and fire, Mandy.
6. Our science book asked, “Does every cat have a tail, 
or are some cats missing a tail?”
7. You’d better go, Vern, or else you’ll miss your bus.
8. When does the marking period end—Oct. or Nov.?
9. For math, let every student try using a calculator.
10. When we study Mexico, I will bring a taco—okay?
11. We will learn about every important lake and river 
in our state.
12. Should our custodian show us the main vent, or should he 
make us find it when we study heat?
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Name ________________ Date ___________
Social Studies/Holidays
King
Irish
Labor
Fourth
Halloween
Hanukkah
Memorial
Christmas
Valentine’s
Thanksgiving
Word Bank
Hip, Hip, Hooray for Holidays
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 57 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Across
3. St.Patrick’s Day is an
____________________ holiday.
5. ____________________ Day is the 
first Monday in September.
6. The ____________________ of July 
is Independence Day.
7. ____________________ is 
a Jewish holiday.
9. ____________________ Day is a day 
of remembrance.
10. ____________________ Day began with
Pilgrims and Native Americans.
Down
1. Hearts are all around on
____________________ Day.
2. ____________________ is celebrated 
in December.
4. ____________________ is a time 
to trick-or-treat.
8. Martin Luther ____________________,
Jr. is honored in January.
1 2
3 4
5
6
7 8
9
10
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Science Vocabulary
Name ________________ Date ___________
There are more than 55 kinds of American trees. Circle the names of the trees in the word
search below. Use the Word Bank in the trunk if you need help.
American Trees
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E R O M A C Y S A S H
C M H E M L O C K A M
U B A I N A C E P I U
R E W P C M K S I L L
P W T O L K A F N O B
S A H M L E O I E N E
P L O C U S T R K G R
R N R A H O L L Y A R
J U N I P E R S E M Y
E T M U G T E E W S D
ash
oak
elm
pecan
fir
pine
Word Bank
hawthorn
hemlock
hickory
holly
juniper
locust
walnut
yew
spruce
sweet gum
sycamore
magnolia
maple
mulberry
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Name ________________ Date ___________
Science Vocabulary
Use words from the Word Bank to build a puzzle about horses. Begin building off the 
word thoroughbred.
stallion
appaloosa
mustang
thoroughbred
pony
steed 
pinto 
mare
horse
bronco
Word Bank
Don’t Horse Around
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T H O R O U G H B R E D
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Science/Context Clues
Name ________________ Date ___________
Use the words from the Word Bank to complete the crossword puzzle about the sun.
sun core flares corona
sunspots photosphere chromosphere prominences
Word Bank
Sun-Sational Puzzle
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 60 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Across
3. the part of the sun you can see
4. the huge glowing ball of gases at the
center of our solar system
5. the region of the sun’s atmosphere
above the chromosphere
6. big, bright arches of gas
7. flashes of light on the sun’s surface
Down
1. the middle part of the sun’s atmosphere
2. the center of the sun
4. dark patches that sometimes appear on
the sun
1 2
3
4
5
6
7
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Name ________________ Date ___________
Fact/Opinion
Read the story and look at
the picture. 
“I love this kind of day,”
said Linda. “It makes me feel
like being very quiet.”
“Gray days make me feel
sad,” moaned Maurice, putting on his sweater.
“I like warm, sunny days the best. They make me
feel happy.”
“Look at that cloud over there,” pointed Carlotta. “It has a tail and
feet just like a duck, doesn’t it?”
Linda looked at the cloud carefully. “I think it’s an elephant. It has a long trunk 
hanging down.”
Maurice stared at the cloud a long time. “I have it! It’s not a duck or an elephant.
It’s a platypus!”
Think about the picture and story. If the sentence is a fact, write fact. 
If you cannot tell, write DK.
Cloud Watch
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1. Linda likes the grass. __________
2. The cloud has a tail. __________
3. The children are lost. __________
4. It is November. __________
5. One of the children has 
a toy. __________
6. There is an apple tree. __________
7. Linda is wearing shoes. __________
8. It is early morning. __________Answer these questions.
9. Do you think Maurice is cold? How can you tell?
10. What does Linda think about the cloud?
11. How does Maurice feel about gray days?
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Fact/Opinion
Name ________________ Date ___________
Marcus has just received his cabin picture from summer camp. He is excited to show it to his
friends. Look at the picturecarefully. On the lines below, write 10 facts about Marcus’s
camp and 10 opinions about the camp.
If It Could Talk…
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 62 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Facts
1. ____________________________________
2. ____________________________________
3. ____________________________________
4. ____________________________________
5. ____________________________________
6. ____________________________________
7. ____________________________________
8. ____________________________________
9. ____________________________________
10. ____________________________________
Opinions
1. ____________________________________
2. ____________________________________
3. ____________________________________
4. ____________________________________
5. ____________________________________
6. ____________________________________
7. ____________________________________
8. ____________________________________
9. ____________________________________
10. ____________________________________
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Name ________________ Date ___________
Alike and Different
There are many kinds of cats. Mountain lions are large
cats that live in North and South America. They
usually live on hills or mountains away from
people. House cats are small cats that live all
over the world, sometimes in or near
people’s homes. Mountain lions have soft,
thick fur. They are usually a golden color
and have a dark tip on their tail. House
cats have soft, thick fur that comes in
many colors. Mountain lions often hide
and wait to jump on their prey. They kill
animals with a bite to the neck. House cats hide in bushes or trees to jump on and kill small
animals. They also kill the animals with a bite to the neck. A mountain lion mother has one to
five cubs at a time. She feeds her babies with her milk. A house cat mother has one or more
kittens at a time. They also drink their mother’s milk.
Read each sentence. Put a check mark to show how 
these two kinds of cats are alike and different.
1. The size of mountain lions and house cats
2. The way the two kinds of cats hunt for food
3. The color of the two kinds of cats
4. What we call the babies of each
5. What the two kinds of babies eat
6. Places where the two kinds of cats usually live
7. How soft and thick the fur is
8. The number of babies each has at one time
Two Cats
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Alike Different
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Main Idea
Name ________________ Date ___________
What do you know about dinosaurs?
Dinosaurs are animals that lived on Earth long
ago. There were no people on Earth when
dinosaurs walked here. We know about these
animals because we have some of their bones.
We have learned many things about these
animals from the bones. For instance, there are
big-sized, medium-sized, and small-sized
dinosaurs. Some ate plants and others ate meat.
Some dinosaurs ate meat and plants. Meat-
eating dinosaurs had sharp teeth to tear their
food. Plant-eaters had teeth that could grind
tough plants. We also know that dinosaur babies hatched from eggs because we have found
some remains of the eggs. What we do not know about dinosaurs is what color they were or
how they all died. There is still much to learn about dinosaurs.
Answer the following.
1. Write one word to tell what this paragraph is about.______________________________
2. Draw a purple line under the main idea in the story.
3. Write a new three-word title for the story. ______________________________________
4. List the things we know about dinosaurs. ________________________________________
5. Tell what we do not know about dinosaurs.______________________________________
6. Make a list of things you would like to know about dinosaurs. ______________________
Color the dinosaurs on this page. 
Animals Long Ago
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Name ________________ Date ___________
Main Idea/Details
Read each paragraph below. Answer the questions using complete sentences.
The famous Battle of Gettysburg was one of the battles fought
during the American Civil War. The Civil War had split the United
States into two sides, the North and the South. The South sought
to preserve slavery, and the North wished to abolish it. This battle
was a turning point in the war.
1. What is the main idea? ______________________________________________________
2. What are two details that support the main idea? ________________________________
The South approached Gettysburg with 65,000 troops. The
North set up a defensive line with 85,000 men. The men fought,
killing or wounding nearly 28,000 Southern Confederate soldiers
and 23,000 men from the North. After three days, the South
retreated and the North won the battle.
1. What is the main idea? ______________________________________________________
2. What are two details that support the main idea? ________________________________
Gettysburg
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 65 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities© School Specialty Publishing
Cause and Effect
Name ________________ Date ___________
Read the rhymes below. On page 67, you’ll find either a cause or an effect for each rhyme.
If a cause is filled in, write the effect. If an effect is filled in, write the cause. 
1. Simple Simon met a pieman
Going to the fair;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
Let me taste your ware.
Says the pieman to Simple Simon,
Show me first your penny;
Says Simple Simon to the pieman,
Indeed I have not any.
3. Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
There came a big spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away.
2. Hey, diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
4. Rain, rain, go away.
Come again another day.
Little Johnny wants to play.
(continued on page 67)
Rhyme Climb
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Name ________________ Date ___________
Cause and Effect
Rhyme Climb (cont.)
© McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing 67 0-7424-1773-5 After School Reading Activities
Cause
1. ________________________
2. ________________________
3. A spider sat down beside
Miss Muffet.
4. Johnny wants to play.
Effect
1. Simple Simon did not get
any pie.
2. The little dog laughed.
3. ________________________
4. ________________________
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Cause and Effect
Name ________________ Date ___________
Draw a line from the cause on the left to its effect on the right.
Cause
1. The chain on the bicycle broke.
2. The students worked with 
chemicals in science class.
3. The computer crashed.
4. The water pipe broke.
5. The dog jumped out of the 
soapy washtub.
6. The temperature dropped 
to 30° F (-1° C).
7. The flashbulb on the camera 
didn’t work.
Effect
a. A waterspout shot up out of a manhole.
b. They wore goggles to protect their eyes.
c. Suds splashed all over the porch.
d. The wheels wouldn’t turn.
e. The photographs turned out dark.
f. The screen went blank.
g. We could see our breath in the air.
Now think about things you do everyday. Write five cause-and-effect matches like the ones
above to explain the things you do during the day.
Cause Match
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Name ________________ Date ___________
I cannot tell how long I’ll last. 
I know that I am shrinking fast!
Dad said I had to eat these peas
Despite my constant, fervent pleas.
That vegetable is so very strange!
It makes one’s body start to change.
Dad, save me now while I last.
Feed me ice cream, nice and fast!
1. Why does the girl think peas are a strange vegetable?
2. What is the girl hoping her dad