Thermometers Reading Comprehension Worksheet

A thermometer is one of the first real measuring tools a child ever meets, at home and in the classroom. The Thermometers Reading Comprehension Worksheet turns that everyday tool into strong reading practice. Students read an original non-fiction passage about what a thermometer does, how a glass one works, why there are two temperature scales, how a body thermometer is used, and what a fever really is. The passage is written at a 4th grade reading level, so the reading demand matches what a state assessment will ask of the same student.

About This Worksheet

This 4th grade temperature worksheet is a four page printable. The passage runs across the first two pages, a question page follows, and the answer key finishes the set. Students read about the colored liquid that climbs a narrow tube, degrees Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius, the slim digital stick that beeps under the tongue, forehead and ear readings, normal body temperature, and the careful habits that keep a reading honest. Then they answer four multiple choice questions and write a full response of their own. Use it for a whole class reading lesson, a science or health tie in, or independent practice at home.

What’s Included

• A two page non-fiction passage of 782 words on thermometers, temperature and fever
• A full color illustration of a sunny windowsill with a glass thermometer in its stand
• Four multiple choice questions covering detail, vocabulary in context, cause and effect, and main idea
• One written response with ruled writing space
• A complete answer key with a sample written response

Three Reasons This Helps Kids

First, the reading level is measured rather than guessed, so students practice on text pitched exactly at their grade. Second, the questions ask four different kinds of thinking, which is how comprehension is actually tested. Third, the subject is useful on its own: a child who understands what a thermometer measures can read the weather, help in the kitchen, and explain a fever to a grown up instead of guessing at it.

Ideas for Teachers and Parents

Read the passage aloud once, then let students reread it quietly before they answer. Bring a real thermometer to the lesson and let students watch the line move when the bulb is warmed in a hand. Ask them to find the sentence that supports each answer they bubble in. For a science extension, have students record the room temperature every morning for a week and talk about what the numbers show. The written response at the end of the Thermometers Reading Comprehension Worksheet makes a quick exit ticket.

Related Resources

• What’s the Temperature Worksheet
• Temperature Celsius Worksheet
• Mother’s Secret Reading Comprehension Worksheet
• Weather Song (Animated Music Video)