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3rd Grade Sports Resources

18 3rd grade sports resources: 12 worksheets, 7 assessments, 3 activities and more. How teachers use these

3rd Grade Sports Resources

18 3rd grade sports resources: 12 worksheets, 7 assessments, 3 activities and more. How teachers use these

Flash Cards
Flash Cards3rd GradeSports Flash Cards

These sports flash cards help PreK to 3rd Grade students name 18 sports from pictures of their gear, with an answer key included, to grow everyday vocabulary.

Assessment
Assessment3rd GradeSoccer Time Reading Comprehension Worksheet

The Soccer Time Reading Comprehension Worksheet gives 3rd graders a fun, sports-themed passage with multiple-choice and written questions. Answer key included—perfect for no-prep reading practice at home or in the classroom.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeSports Crossword Puzzle

This sports crossword puzzle worksheet asks 3rd grade students to read eight clues, spell each sport into the grid, and explain how equipment helps a player. An answer key is included.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeBowling Time Reading Comprehension Worksheet

This Bowling Time reading comprehension worksheet gives 3rd graders a short non-fiction story about two friends at the bowling alley, plus four questions and a written response. Answer key included.

Assessment
Assessment3rd GradeSports Time Reading Comprehension Test Collection

This Sports Time Reading Comprehension Test Collection will help your students build their reading comprehension skills while reading about different sports.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeGolf Time Reading Comprehension Worksheet

This Golf Time reading comprehension worksheet gives 3rd graders a short non-fiction story about two children playing a round of golf, plus four questions and a written response. Answer key included.

Assessment
Assessment3rd GradeSimply Sports Reading Comprehension Worksheet

This Simply Sports Reading Comprehension Worksheet gives 3rd grade students an original story about a field day, four questions, a written response and a complete answer key.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeReasons and Evidence Activity

In this reasons and evidence activity, 3rd to 5th grade students sort sports cards to match each point with its reasons and evidence. Answer key included.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeTennis Time Reading Comprehension Worksheet

This Tennis Time reading comprehension worksheet gives 3rd graders a short non-fiction story about two friends rallying at the park, plus four questions and a written response. Answer key included.

Activity
Activity3rd GradeEvidence Olympics Authors Purpose Activity

Using this Evidence Olympics Authors Purpose Activity, students try to earn a gold medal during Evidence Olympics by reading a passage and finding evidence to support an author's point.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeSports Alphabetical Order Worksheet

This sports alphabetical order worksheet has 3rd graders sort ten sports words that share first letters, then name the letter that decides each pair. An answer key is included for quick checking.

Assessment
Assessment3rd GradeSo Sweaty Reading Comprehension Worksheet

The So Sweaty Reading Comprehension Worksheet gives 3rd Grade readers a short sports story, four multiple-choice questions, a written response and a full answer key, so every answer comes straight from the text.

Assessment
Assessment3rd GradeFigure Skating - Reading Comprehension Worksheet

This Figure Skating Reading Comprehension Worksheet gives 3rd graders an original story about a young skater and her coach, plus four questions and a written response. An answer key is included.

Assessment
Assessment3rd GradeCasey's Super Bowl Party - Reading Comprehension Worksheet

This Casey's Super Bowl Party - Reading Comprehension Worksheet will help your students build their reading comprehension skills while reading about Casey's Super Bowl Party.

Assessment
Assessment3rd GradeThe Baseball Tryouts Reading Comprehension Worksheet

The Baseball Tryouts Reading Comprehension Worksheet gives 3rd grade students a short story about baseball tryouts, four multiple-choice questions, one written response, and an answer key that makes checking work fast.

3rd GradeBasketball Desk Name Tags

These Basketball Desk Name Tags are a perfect way for your students to identify their desks and practice spelling their name with a basketball theme.

3rd GradeFootball Desk Name Tags

These Football Desk Name Tags are a perfect way for your students to identify their desks and practice spelling their name with a football theme.

3rd GradeSoccer Desk Name Tags

These Desk Name Tags - Soccer are a perfect way for your students to identify their desks and practice spelling their name with a soccer theme.

From our teachers' playbook

Ready, set, read about sports!

What do 3rd graders learn about sports?

Sports are a great way into social studies and reading for 3rd graders. Kids learn how different sports began, where in the world they are popular, and why rules and teamwork matter in any group. Reading passages about soccer, tennis, bowling and figure skating build vocabulary and comprehension, and kids practice finding the author's purpose and the evidence that backs it up. The click moment is when a sports fan who "doesn't like reading" asks for the next passage.

Our favorite ways to use sports in 3rd grade

Sports grab the interest of so many kids. These moves turn that interest into real learning.

Sports word warm-up

Before a sports reading passage, flash sports vocabulary cards like referee, tournament and opponent. Kids call out the meaning or use it in a sentence. A quick review like this means they hit fewer unknown words while reading and understand more.

Why it works: pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than rereading it, one of the strongest findings in learning research (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

Sports Flash CardsTry it withSports Flash CardsFlash CardsOpen it →

Find the evidence like a coach

Read a sports passage aloud and stop to model your thinking: "The author says practice matters. Where is the proof?" Underline it together. Then students try the next paragraph with a partner. It is the same move they will need for every reading test.

Why it works: handing over the work step by step, from teacher to student, is one of the most widely used teaching frameworks (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).

Reasons and Evidence ActivityTry it withReasons and Evidence ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

One sport a week

Read about a different sport each week, one passage at a time, with a few questions. Short, regular practice builds comprehension stamina better than one long reading day.

Why it works: spreading practice out over days is one of the two most effective study methods in a major research review (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

Soccer Time Reading Comprehension WorksheetTry it withSoccer Time Reading Comprehension WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Sports learning questions we hear all the time

How can I use sports to teach reading in 3rd grade?

Use short sports passages for comprehension practice, and have kids find the main idea, author's purpose and evidence. Sports topics keep reluctant readers engaged.

How do sports connect to social studies?

Sports show how rules help groups work together, how people from different places share traditions, and how games have changed over time. Kids can map where each sport is most popular.

What sports vocabulary should 3rd graders know?

Words like team, opponent, referee, score, tournament and athlete come up a lot. Flash cards and crosswords help kids remember them before they read.

What is a good sports project for 3rd grade?

Have students research one sport and make a poster with its history, rules, where it is popular and one famous athlete. Then hold a sports fair where they teach the class.