Bullying Prevention Reading Comprehension Passages — Grade 3
Not every unkind moment is bullying, and that matters.
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About this resource
Not every unkind moment is bullying, and that matters. These bullying prevention reading comprehension passages give Grade 3 readers ten texts at F&P levels N–P that include a group-chat tease, a recess freeze-out and the story of Jackie Robinson. Developing Relationship Skills, one of the five CASEL competencies, the set asks third graders what a safe upstander actually does.
What students practice
- Telling bullying from conflict
- Choosing between repeating a rumor and refusing it
- Intervening safely: speak up, offer help, tell an adult or include
- Reflecting honestly on a laugh that hurt
- Seeing how classroom trust grows when bullying is addressed
What’s inside
- 10 passages at F&P levels N–P, from how-to guides to science pieces and real-world features
- 5 multiple-choice questions per passage
- 2 open-ended questions per passage for written answers or discussion
- Answer key for the bullying prevention multiple-choice questions on one page
- 35 pages, with an overview of the passages, levels and SEL focus
A look inside
- The Group Chat Tease: a joke at someone’s expense, and the student who speaks up to stop the thread.
- Meet Lucas: The Quiet Upstander: he doesn’t shout or lecture, he simply invites the left-out student to play.
- Why Elephants Protect the Weakest: protective circles around the most vulnerable herd members.
- The Recess Freeze-Out: a new student is shut out of a game, and a peer helps others reflect.
- The Story of Jackie Robinson: quiet strength in the face of bullying in baseball.
How to use these bullying prevention reading passages
- Guided reading groups at levels N–P, using the compare-and-contrast passage as a focus text
- Partner reading, with the open-ended questions as a talk prompt about what each choice creates
- SEL reading comprehension: read What Counts as Bullying? and talk about how bullying differs from conflict
- Independent practice or homework, checked with the one-page answer key
Grade fit
Written for Grade 3 readers, with levels from N to P. These reading passages with questions bring group chats and recess politics into the texts, which is when many third graders first meet exclusion.
Digital version
With the interactive digital version, you share one link and students read each passage and answer the questions on any device, with no student logins. At the end they download an answer sheet to hand in.
Pairs well with
After reading, move to Bullying Prevention Scenario Cards for decision practice, or act out the ideas with Bullying Prevention Role Play Scenarios.
Questions teachers ask
Is there an answer key?
Yes. The multiple-choice answers for the bullying prevention passages are on one page at the end of the PDF. The open-ended questions have no fixed answer.
Which real person is featured?
The Story of Jackie Robinson is a biographical sketch that looks at how he faced bullying in baseball with quiet strength.
Do students need accounts for the digital version?
No. For the bullying prevention passages you share one link, and students open it on any device with no login.
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