Free printable STAAR practice test for Grade 3

Reading Language Arts

Circle the letter of the best answer, or two letters where a question asks for two, and one letter in each row of a table and for each numbered blank. No time limit.

1. Playing for Leo

   Mei had practiced her piano piece every day for a month. She could play it with her eyes closed. But on the morning of the spring recital, her hands felt like two cold fish.

   "What if I forget the notes?" she asked Grandpa as they drove to the music school. "What if everyone stares at me?"

   Grandpa smiled at her in the mirror. "When I was a boy, I sang in a choir," he said. "Before every concert, my knees shook like jelly. Then my teacher told me a secret. Don't sing for the whole room. Pick one person, and sing just for them."

   Mei thought about that. She looked at her little brother, Leo, who was kicking his feet in his car seat. Leo loved her piece. He called it "the butterfly song," because the notes went up and down like wings.

   At the music school, the hall was full of folding chairs and grown-ups holding programs. Mei's stomach did a flip. Six students played before her. Each time the clapping started, her heart beat faster.

   Then Mrs. Alvarez called her name.

   Mei walked to the piano and sat down. She did not look at the rows of faces. Instead, she found Leo in the third row, sitting on Grandpa's lap. He waved at her with both hands.

   Mei smiled. She put her fingers on the keys and played the butterfly song for Leo. She played it the way she did at home, when he danced around the living room. The notes went up and down, up and down.

   When she finished, the room filled with clapping. Mei had almost forgotten anyone else was there.

   Afterward, Leo ran to her and wrapped his arms around her legs. "You played my song!" he shouted.

   "I did," said Mei. She looked up at Grandpa, and he winked.

   1.

   What is the central message of this story?

   1. AThinking about someone you care about can help you be brave.
   2. BOnly grown-ups can play music well.
   3. CPracticing every day is not important.
   4. DIt is best to keep your eyes closed when you perform.
2. 2.

   Which TWO details show that Mei was nervous before she played? Choose two answers.

   1. AShe played the song the way she did at home.
   2. BEach time the clapping started, her heart beat faster.
   3. CShe found Leo in the third row.
   4. DHer hands felt like two cold fish.
   5. EShe could play her piece with her eyes closed.
3. 3.

   Why does Grandpa wink at Mei at the end of the story?

   1. AHe is telling her to be quiet.
   2. BHe can tell she used his secret and it worked.
   3. CHe has something in his eye.
   4. DHe wants her to play the song again.
4. 4.

   In the story, what does the word "programs" mean in "grown-ups holding programs"?

   1. Apapers that list what will happen at an event
   2. Bclasses after school
   3. Cgames played on a computer
   4. Dshows on television

5. A Gift from France

   The Statue of Liberty stands on an island in New York Harbor. She holds a torch high in her right hand. For more than a hundred years, she has welcomed ships into the harbor. But the statue was not made in the United States. It was a gift from the people of France.

   In 1865, a group of people in France wanted to honor the friendship between the two countries. Both nations believed in freedom. A French artist named Auguste Bartholdi designed the statue. A French builder named Gustave Eiffel designed the iron frame inside it. Eiffel later built the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris.

   The statue's skin is made of thin sheets of copper. Workers hammered the sheets into shape by hand. They built the whole statue in France. Then they took it apart and packed it into more than two hundred crates. In 1885, a ship carried the crates across the Atlantic Ocean.

   The statue needed a tall stone base to stand on. Americans were supposed to pay for the base. At first, people did not give enough money. Then a New York newspaper asked its readers to help. More than 120,000 people sent money. Many of them were children who gave just a few pennies.

   On October 28, 1886, the statue was finally ready. Crowds filled the harbor for a big celebration.

   When it was new, the statue was a shiny brown, like a new penny. Over many years, the copper slowly turned green. This green coat actually protects the metal underneath.

   Today, millions of people visit the statue each year. In her left hand, she holds a tablet. It shows the date July 4, 1776, in Roman numerals. That is the day the United States declared its independence.

   5.

   What happened right before a ship carried the crates across the ocean?

   1. AA newspaper asked its readers to help.
   2. BCrowds filled the harbor for a celebration.
   3. CWorkers took the statue apart and packed it.
   4. DThe statue was set on its stone base.
6. 6.

   In the passage, what does the word "honor" mean in "wanted to honor the friendship"?

   1. Ato show respect for
   2. Bto argue about
   3. Cto bring to an end
   4. Dto forget about
7. 7.

   The old dog stretched (1) ______ in the warm sun.

   Which word or words best complete the sentence?

   (1)	Alazily	Blazy	Clazier	Dlaziness

8. 8.

   Which sentence uses capital letters correctly?

   1. ABen and Zoe play soccer every sunday.
   2. BBen and Zoe play soccer every Sunday.
   3. Cben and Zoe play soccer every Sunday.
   4. DBen and Zoe play Soccer every Sunday.
9. 9.

   Mateo is writing a story about a day at the train station.

   Which sentence adds a detail about what Mateo felt at the train station?

   1. AThe station smelled like hot pretzels and coffee.
   2. BA long silver train stood beside the platform.
   3. CA whistle blew, and a voice on the speaker called out the next stop.
   4. DThe metal bench felt cold through Mateo's jeans.
10. 10.

    Next week, our class ______ a song about the planets.

    Which word or words best complete the sentence?

    1. Alearning
    2. Blearned
    3. Cwill learn
    4. Dwill learned