First graders take the Florida FAST reading test three times a year, on a computer, with headphones on. In the fall and winter it listens for sounds, letters, rhymes and sight words. In the spring, children read short sentences and stories on their own. If you want your FAST 1st grade reading test prep in one place, with pages made for six-year-olds, this workbook was made for you.
The Florida FAST 1st Grade Reading Practice Test Workbook is aligned to Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards for English Language Arts and built from the published FAST K–2 test design. Every question, story and picture is original, and the book was reviewed by a certified teacher.
It’s a Printable PDF, so you print just the pages you need for whole-class lessons, small groups, centers or homework. Below you’ll find what’s inside, a look-inside video, a sample question to try and a simple plan for the rest of the school year.
- A 17-question pretest, a Learn It lesson + test-style practice for 25 skills, mixed review, test-taking strategies, 2 full-length practice tests and a 263-answer key.
- Practice Test 1 has 27 questions that the teacher reads, like the fall and winter test. Practice Test 2 has 34 questions that students read, like the spring test.
- Every question has three answer choices, A, B and C, just like the real test.
- Printable PDF, 172 full-color pages, $9.99. Free with a Have Fun Teaching membership.
What’s inside the FAST 1st grade reading test prep workbook
The workbook follows the order you’d teach it. Find out what students already know, teach the gaps one skill at a time, mix everything together, then practice the test routine twice.
Pretest + scoring guide
17 questions and a guide that shows which skills to teach first.
Learn It + practice
A worked example, then test-style practice, for all 25 skills.
Every big 1st grade reading skill
Rhymes and sounds, phonics, sight words, word meaning, stories, poems and nonfiction.
Mixed review + strategies
25 mixed questions and five pages of kid-friendly test-taking tips.
2 full-length practice tests
27 and 34 questions, each split into two short parts. Kids mark answers right in the book.
Answer key + trackers
263 answers tied to the skills, plus progress trackers, class data sheets and a certificate.
On the pages for listening skills, a gray “Teacher reads” line tells you exactly what to say, and the answer choices are pictures. On the reading pages, students read the words, sentences and short texts themselves. That is the same split first graders see on the real test.
Inside · PretestPretestFind each student’s starting point in one sitting.
Inside · Learn ItLearn It pagesA worked example before the practice, for every skill.
Inside · ReviewMixed ReviewSounds, phonics and word skills, all mixed together.
Inside · Practice testFull practice tests27 and 34 questions, each in two short parts.
Take a look inside (video)
Want to flip through it before you buy? This short look-inside video walks through the whole workbook, from the pretest to the certificate at the back.
What’s on the FAST 1st grade reading test?
In kindergarten through 2nd grade, the FAST reading test is given online with Renaissance Star tests, and it is computer-adaptive, so the questions get harder or easier as each child answers. First grade has two shapes in one year:
- Fall and winter (PM1 and PM2): Star Early Literacy. 27 questions, and the computer reads every question aloud through headphones. Children listen for rhymes and sounds, match letters and sounds, find sight words and answer a few early number questions. Most finish in about 10 to 20 minutes.
- Spring (PM3): Star Reading. 34 questions that children read on their own, starting with fill-in-the-blank sentences and moving to short stories, poems and nonfiction. Most finish in about 15 to 20 minutes.
Every question is multiple choice with three answer choices. The workbook’s two practice tests follow the same two shapes, and every skill page is labeled with its B.E.S.T. benchmark code (ELA.1.F.1.3, ELA.1.R.1.1 and so on), so you can match it to your own scope and sequence.
How to use the printable workbook in class
Because it’s a PDF, you print only what you need, when you need it. Here’s how teachers tend to use each part.
Print the pretest
Read the gray lines to small groups to see which skills each child needs most.
Small groups + centers
Pull the Learn It and practice pages for the skills your groups need.
Test day practice
Give a practice test one short part at a time, so sitting and focusing feel normal.
Track the growth
Score with the answer key, then fill in the progress trackers and class data sheets.
Printable PDF: $9.99, or free with a membership
The workbook comes as one Printable PDF with all 172 full-color pages. Print as many copies as your students need, year after year.
Already a member? The Printable PDF is included with your Have Fun Teaching membership, so you can download it today at no extra cost.
When do 1st graders take the FAST reading test?
First graders take the FAST reading test three times a year. For 2026–27 the windows are August 3 to September 25 (PM1), November 30 to January 22 (PM2) and April 12 to May 28, 2027 (PM3). Each district picks its testing days inside each window. Here’s an easy way to spread your FAST 1st grade reading test prep across the year.
Now: give the pretest
Read it to small groups, score it with the guide and circle the skills each child needs most.
Before PM2: Test 1, Part 1
Try one short part of Practice Test 1 so the listening routine feels normal before the winter check.
Winter: teach the gaps
Use one Learn It + practice set a few times a week, in the order your pretest points to.
February: mix it up
Mixed review brings sounds, phonics and sight words back around so nothing fades.
March: read on their own
Practice the story and nonfiction pages, then give Practice Test 2, Part 1.
Early April: Practice Test 2
One more full run before the spring window opens April 12. Then hand out the certificate!
Check your school calendar for your district’s dates. For the test design and this year’s windows, see the Florida Department of Education’s FAST assessments page. Our Florida test prep page keeps every testing window and every Florida workbook in one place.
Members: it’s already yours
With a Have Fun Teaching membership, the Printable PDF of this workbook is included, along with every other state test prep workbook PDF and the whole resource library. See membership plans.
1st grade reading worksheets to pair with it
When the pretest flags a skill, a short worksheet is an easy way to add one more round of practice. These three line up with big 1st grade reading skills on the test.
1st · WorksheetBeginning DigraphsFill in sh, ch, th and wh to finish each word.
1st · WorksheetBen and the EggsA short vowel e story with questions to answer.
K–1 · WorkbookSight Words Reading ComprehensionShort sight word stories with simple questions.
Keep exploring
Try a sample question: FAST 1st grade reading
These are new practice questions written by Have Fun Teaching in the style of the FAST — not real test items. Read the short story for question 1, answer each question, then tap to check.
Pip the pup dug a hole in the sand. He found a blue ball. Pip ran to show it to Mom.
1. What did Pip find? (A) a red cup (B) a blue ball (C) a big stick
B, a blue ball — the story says, “He found a blue ball.”
2. Which word rhymes with cake? (A) cat (B) lake (C) kick
B, lake — cake and lake both end with the same sound, -ake.
3. Which word finishes the sentence? “I can ___ a book.” (A) read (B) red (C) rid
A, read — you read a book. Red is a color, and rid does not make sense here.
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FAST 1st grade reading test prep: questions teachers ask
Is this workbook made by the Florida Department of Education?
No. Have Fun Teaching wrote every question, story and picture from scratch, and a certified teacher reviewed the book. It is aligned to Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards for English Language Arts and built from the published FAST K–2 test design, but it is an independent practice resource and does not use real test items.
How long is the FAST 1st grade reading test?
In the fall and winter, first graders take Star Early Literacy: 27 questions that the computer reads aloud, usually about 10 to 20 minutes. In the spring they take Star Reading: 34 questions they read on their own, usually about 15 to 20 minutes. The workbook has one practice test of each shape, each split into two short parts.
How much does the workbook cost?
The Printable PDF is $9.99 for all 172 full-color pages, and you can print as many copies as your students need. With a Have Fun Teaching membership, the PDF is included at no extra cost, along with the Printable PDF of every other state test prep workbook and the rest of the library.
Do 1st graders need to read well to take the FAST reading test?
Not in the fall and winter. Star Early Literacy reads every question to them through headphones, and many answer choices are pictures. In the spring test, students read the questions themselves. The workbook practices both: you read the gray Teacher reads lines on the listening pages, and children read the reading pages on their own.
When should I start FAST 1st grade reading test prep?
Start with the pretest now, then teach the skills it flags a few times a week through winter. For 2026–27, the windows are August 3 to September 25, November 30 to January 22, and April 12 to May 28, 2027. Give Practice Test 1 before the winter window and Practice Test 2 in early April.
Walk into test day ready.
Start with the pretest this week, and have every skill covered by spring.
FAST and B.E.S.T. are trademarks of the Florida Department of Education. Have Fun Teaching, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Florida Department of Education. Not an official test.
