What is the difference between a glossary and an index?

The glossary defines the book's special words; the index lists where every topic appears. One explains, the other locates. Both live at the back, which is why they get mixed up.

Why do these worksheets matter for tests?

Reading tests include nonfiction pages with headings and ask where information lives. Practicing on real features beats being surprised by them.

3rd grade text features

3rd grade text features worksheets

Third grade adds the book-level features: table of contents, index, glossary, and bold words. Questions become scenarios, such as which feature finds one fact fastest, alongside heading questions on the passage itself.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RI.3.5.

Each click picks one of the 26 passages written for this grade. Every sheet comes with its answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of passages you'll get

Read the passage. Then circle the letter of the best answer for each question.

Riding the School Bus

Waiting at the Stop Get to the bus stop five minutes early. Wait on the sidewalk, at least three giant steps back from the curb. Getting On Wait until the bus stops all the way, the door opens, and the driver says it is okay.…

Which section tells you where to stand while you wait? Waiting at the Stop · Getting On · Riding the Bus · Crossing After You Get Off
Answer: Waiting at the Stop
Why does this passage have headings? to help you find each part of the ride · to tell a story about one bus driver · to list every bus stop in town · to make the rules harder to find

Each print picks one of the 26 passages written for this grade, and its questions come with it. With 26 to pick from, a second print can land on one you've used, so check the title before you hand it out.

What's on a 3rd grade sheet

3rd grade sheets draw from 26 passages, 90 to 143 words long. All 13 of 2nd grade's passages are here too, plus 13 more. On 2nd grade sheets they run 90 to 117 words.

Some of the titles: Making Maple Syrup, How to Care for a Goldfish, The Four Seasons of an Apple Tree, Your Public Library Card, Trail Guide: Cedar Falls Loop, Field Day Guide.

Reading passage. Read the passage. Then circle the letter of the best answer for each question. One passage per sheet, with its own question set.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Run feature races with any nonfiction book in the house. Who can find what page tigers are on? Whether the book explains 'habitat'? What chapter three is about? Each race forces a choice of feature, and the choosing is the skill.

Watch for: Table of contents and index blur together for years. The trick that sticks: contents = big topics, front of the book; index = every little thing, back of the book, A to Z. Kids treat headings as skippable decoration and read straight past them. A heading is a free preview of its section, and readers who use them find answers in half the time.

Common questions about 3rd grade text features

What is the difference between a glossary and an index?: The glossary defines the book's special words; the index lists where every topic appears. One explains, the other locates. Both live at the back, which is why they get mixed up.
Why do these worksheets matter for tests?: Reading tests include nonfiction pages with headings and ask where information lives. Practicing on real features beats being surprised by them.

Related worksheets

Ready to print one?

Want a different passage? Print again. Each print picks one of the 26.

Aligned to Common Core RI.3.5. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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