It’s Monday morning, and your students are buzzing with energy. You need something that’s quick to prep, fun to use, and actually gets them thinking. That’s where this set of 20 cause-and-effect reading comprehension worksheets comes in.
These print-and-go worksheets have saved me more than once—especially when I needed something for my ELA center that didn’t require laminating, cutting, or last-minute scrambling.
So, what’s included?
Each worksheet features:
- A short fiction passage with a clear cause-and-effect structure
- One multiple-choice question focused on cause and effect
- An open-ended comprehension question for deeper thinking
- A black-and-white illustration that students can color
The stories are short, engaging, and super relatable for elementary students. I love that the tone varies across the set. Some are funny, others are emotional or even a little surprising. That variety keeps the kiddos on their toes and makes it easy to revisit this resource without it feeling repetitive.
Where can you use these?
This set works well for so many classroom situations: Morning work to get students focused and calm, ELA centers with minimal explanation needed, Homework that actually gets completed, Small groups, where you can pause and discuss the cause-and-effect relationships together and Early finishers who need something meaningful
I’ve even had students illustrate their own version of the story after coloring the provided image. It turned into a great little extension activity without any extra work on my part.
What skills are we building here?
Besides reinforcing cause and effect—a key comprehension skill—students also practice:
- Reading fluency
- Understanding narrative structure
- Writing thoughtful answers
- Paying attention to story details
If you’re working with 1st to 3rd graders, this resource fits perfectly. The open-ended question allows for a bit of differentiation too, depending on your students’ writing abilities.
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