Year 3 English: Reading Comprehension — The Lighthouse
A Year 3 reading comprehension worksheet with an original short story about a lighthouse keeper. Includes retrieval, inference, vocabulary, and personal response questions.
Learning objectives
- Retrieve information directly from a text
- Make simple inferences using evidence from the text
- Explain the meaning of vocabulary in context
Instructions
Read the passage carefully, then answer the questions. For questions worth more than one mark, give as much detail as you can.
Read this passage carefully, then answer the questions below.
The Lighthouse Keeper
Old Thomas had kept the lighthouse for thirty years. Every evening, as the sun dipped below the sea, he would climb the spiral staircase — step by creaking step — to light the great lamp. He did not mind the climb. It gave him time to think.
The sea could be cruel in winter. Thomas had seen ships caught in sudden storms, their lights flickering before disappearing into the dark. The lighthouse, he knew, was a promise. A promise that there was land nearby, and safety, if only the sailors could follow its beam.
One December night, a fierce storm blew in from the north. The wind howled around the lighthouse walls and the waves crashed so hard that Thomas could feel the tower tremble. He climbed to the lamp room and, with careful hands, lit the flame. Then he sat in his wooden chair and waited.
At dawn, when the storm had passed, Thomas went to the window. On the rocks below, a small fishing boat had anchored safely. On the deck stood a young fisherman, looking up at the lighthouse. When he saw Thomas in the window, he raised his hand in thanks.
Thomas smiled and raised his hand in return.
Questions
How long had Thomas kept the lighthouse?
What did Thomas do every evening?
What did Thomas enjoy about climbing the stairs?
Why does Thomas think of the lighthouse as "a promise"? Use evidence from the text.
Find a word in the third paragraph that means "violent" or "very strong".
How did Thomas know the storm was very bad? Give two details from the text.
How do you think the young fisherman felt when he saw Thomas in the window? Explain your answer.
What does the word "anchored" tell us about the fishing boat?
Answer Key
Teacher / Parent copyTeacher note
Questions 1–3 assess retrieval (1 mark each). Questions 4 and 6 require evidence from the text (2 marks). Questions 7–8 require inference and vocabulary work. This passage is suitable for independent reading in Year 3. For Year 2 extension, read the passage aloud before children answer questions independently.
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