Great Banana – Reading Comprehension Worksheet

How to Teach Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension grows when students read real information and then prove what they learned with details from the text. This Great Banana reading comprehension worksheet gives 4th graders a two-page informational passage about one of the most surprising plants on Earth. The banana plant looks like a tree, but it is really a giant herb, and its fruit grows in a way most kids have never thought about.

Students read about how the banana plant’s stem is built from wrapped leaves, how a purple bud opens into rows of tiny flowers, and why the fruit bends up toward the sun. They learn the words finger, hand and bunch, find out why farmers pick bananas while they are still green, and meet the animals that visit wild banana plants. After reading, students answer four multiple choice questions and write a short constructed response that explains a process from the passage. Use it for whole-class reading, small groups, literacy centers, science connections or homework.

What’s Included

• A two-page informational passage written at a 4th grade reading level
• A full-color illustration of a banana plant with its bunch and purple bud
• Four multiple choice questions on vocabulary, cause and effect, details and main idea
• One written response question that asks students to use text evidence
• A complete answer key with a sample written response

Why This Worksheet Helps Kids

First, the passage builds reading stamina with a text that is long enough to match what 4th graders read on state tests. Second, students practice using context to learn new science words, because each hard word, like herb, ripen, suckers and pith, is explained right in the sentence. Third, the written response teaches students to explain a sequence of steps in their own words while backing up their answer with details.

Ideas for Teachers and Parents

Bring in a bunch of bananas and have students find a finger, a hand and the stem end before they read. After reading, students can draw and label the stages of a banana from flower to ripe fruit, or compare green and yellow bananas over a few days. You could also pair the Great Banana reading comprehension worksheet with a lesson on plant parts or on how food travels from farms to stores. This 4th grade banana reading worksheet works well as a science and reading crossover lesson.

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