Growth Mindset Reading Comprehension Passages — Grade 3
Cut from the team, and then? These growth mindset reading comprehension passages give Grade 3 readers ten texts at F&P levels N–P, which include three biographies and the Apollo 13 rescue.
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About this resource
Cut from the team, and then? These growth mindset reading comprehension passages give Grade 3 readers ten texts at F&P levels N–P, which include three biographies and the Apollo 13 rescue. The set builds Self-Awareness, one of the five CASEL competencies, as third graders learn to talk back to “I can’t.”
What students practice
- Seeing that muscles and minds both get stronger with work
- Talking back to “I can’t” thoughts
- Understanding why struggle is the point
- Noticing that giving up too soon can trick you
- Working as a team under pressure
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 growth mindset multiple-choice questions on one page
- 34 pages, with an overview of the passages, levels and SEL focus
A look inside
- The Early Struggles of Michael Jordan: cut from his high school team, he decided to use it differently.
- Inventions That Started as Mistakes: Post-it Notes, the microwave and potato chips.
- Meet Temple Grandin: she learned differently and changed how the world treats animals.
- The Growth Mindset of Jane Goodall: doubted by many, she changed what we know about chimpanzees.
- How NASA Solved the Apollo 13 Problem: ground team and astronauts solve a crisis together.
How to use these growth mindset reading passages
- Guided reading groups at levels N–P, with each group tracking a biography for its turning point
- Partner reading and a swap of open-ended answers
- SEL reading comprehension: read How to Talk Back to “I Can’t” Thoughts and talk about the self-talk phrases
- Independent practice or homework with the one-page answer key
Grade fit
Written for Grade 3 readers, with levels from N to P. They are reading passages with questions about athletes, scientists and inventors, with famous failures that third graders can relate to.
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 Growth Mindset Scenario Cards for decision practice, or act out the ideas with Growth Mindset Role Play Scenarios.
Questions teachers ask
Is there an answer key?
Yes. The multiple-choice answers for the growth mindset passages are on one page at the end of the PDF. The open-ended questions have no fixed answer.
Which biographies appear?
Three: Michael Jordan, Temple Grandin and Jane Goodall. Each has a mindset angle, plus an Apollo 13 historical passage.
Do students need accounts for the digital version?
No. For the growth mindset passages you share one link, and students open it on any device with no login.
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