What are characters and setting for a kindergartner?

The characters are who the story is about, people or animals. The setting is where and when it happens, like the park, the kitchen or a snowy morning. The kindergarten standard (RL.K.3) asks children to name them with prompting and support.

My child can't read the questions yet. Is that OK?

Yes. Read the story and each question aloud, and let your child point to the answer or tell you the letter. The sentences are short, so after a second listen many kindergartners can read some of the story back to you.

Kindergarten characters and setting

Kindergarten characters and setting worksheets

Kindergarten characters and setting worksheets use stories of 40 to 75 words, made for reading aloud together. Four questions ask who the story is about, where and when it happens, and one big thing that happens. Every answer is said in the story, and the choices are short enough to read with your child.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RL.K.3.

Each click picks one of the 13 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.

Here Comes the Band

It is a hot summer day. Rosa and her papa stand on Main Street. They wait for the parade. Boom, boom! First comes a band. Then a fire truck rolls by. A man on stilts waves at Rosa. Papa lifts Rosa up high. She waves…

Who is this story about? Rosa and her papa · Rosa and her friend · Papa and the band
Answer: Rosa and her papa
Where does the story happen? on Main Street · at the park · in a classroom

Each print picks one of the 13 passages written for this grade, and its questions come with it. With 13 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 kindergarten sheet

Kindergarten sheets draw from 13 passages, 52 to 65 words long. None of these passages are on 1st grade sheets. On 1st grade sheets they run 70 to 92 words.

Some of the titles: Rufus at the Park, Up Goes the Kite, Lunch at the Zoo, One More Page, Fish With Grandpa, The Car Wash.

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

Use your fingers. One is who, one is where and one is when. After you read the story aloud, hold up each finger and ask. If your child names a place from their own day instead of the story's, read the sentence that tells where again and ask where the story says it is.

Watch for: Kids often name every person mentioned as a character. The main characters are the ones the story follows; a baker who hands over one cookie is scenery. Setting is not just a place name. Time of day, season, and weather are setting too, and questions ask about them.

Common questions about kindergarten characters and setting

What are characters and setting for a kindergartner?: The characters are who the story is about, people or animals. The setting is where and when it happens, like the park, the kitchen or a snowy morning. The kindergarten standard (RL.K.3) asks children to name them with prompting and support.
My child can't read the questions yet. Is that OK?: Yes. Read the story and each question aloud, and let your child point to the answer or tell you the letter. The sentences are short, so after a second listen many kindergartners can read some of the story back to you.

Related worksheets

Ready to print one?

Want a different passage? Print again. Each print picks one of the 13.

Aligned to Common Core RL.K.3. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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