In this Sean's New Friend Reading Comprehension Worksheet, 3rd grade students read a short story about a friend's Passover seder and answer six text-based questions. An answer key is included.
A story told around the table
Passover, or Pesach, is a Jewish holiday that lasts seven or eight days in the spring. It remembers the story of the Exodus, when the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Kids learn about the Seder, a special meal where families retell the story, ask the Four Questions and eat symbolic foods from the Seder plate. They learn why people eat matzah, a flat bread, instead of bread that rises. Younger kids focus on the story and the foods, and older kids explore the meaning of freedom and how traditions pass from one generation to the next.
These moves help kids understand the holiday clearly and respectfully, whether they celebrate it or are learning about it for the first time.
Show a picture of a Seder plate and talk through each food and what it stands for, like bitter herbs for the hard times of slavery. Kids label their own paper plate. Connecting each food to part of the story makes the meaning memorable.
Why it works: children learn more from words and pictures together than from words alone (Mayer, 2009).
Try it withSean's New Friend Reading Comprehension WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Share a kid-friendly version of the Exodus story, then give students picture cards to put in order. They retell it to a partner using first, next and last. Retelling is exactly what families do at the Seder, which kids love to learn.
Why it works: kids understand an idea best when they touch it, then draw it, then write it, the order the U.S. Department of Education recommends for elementary math.
After learning about Passover, ask a few quick questions: "What is matzah? Why is it flat? What is a Seder?" Short quizzes help kids remember the key words and separate fact from guesses.
Why it works: a big review of study methods ranked quick self-quizzing among the most powerful ways to remember (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).
Teacher favorites right now: Sean's New Friend Reading Comprehension Worksheet.
Passover is a Jewish holiday that remembers the Exodus, when the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. It lasts seven or eight days in the spring and begins with a special meal called a Seder.
The story says the Israelites left Egypt so quickly that their bread didn't have time to rise. Eating flat matzah helps people remember that hurried escape.
They're questions traditionally asked at the Seder, often by the youngest child, starting with "Why is this night different from all other nights?" The answers tell the Passover story.
Focus on the real story, foods and traditions, and use books and voices from Jewish families. If students in your class celebrate, invite them to share only if they want to.
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