Grade 3 · Reading · Literature

3rd Grade Problem and Solution worksheets

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Problem and Solution

Grade 3 Reading Worksheet

NameDate

Circle problem, solution, or neither.

Read this first
The Leaky Boat
Rosa and her dad took their small boat onto the lake. The sun was bright on the water. Halfway across, a crack opened and water began to seep in. Soon the boat sat low in the water. Dad pressed a rag into the crack, and Rosa bailed with a cup. They rowed back to shore.
1.
Water began to seep in through a crack.
- problem
- solution
- neither
2.
Dad pressed a rag into the crack.
- problem
- solution
- neither
3.
The sun was bright on the water.
- problem
- solution
- neither
4.
Soon the boat sat low in the water.
- problem
- solution
- neither

3rd Grade Problem and Solution worksheet 1 – printable PDF — Download PDF: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Many stories are built around a problem and the way a character solves it. The problem is what goes wrong or what a character needs, and the solution is what someone does about it. Finding both helps a child follow the plot and summarize a story. On this worksheet your child reads a short story once and then looks at four lines taken from it, circling whether each line tells the problem, tells the solution, or is just a detail that is neither.

Building Confidence uses lines that are clearly a problem or a solution, On Level adds a detail that is neither, and Challenge Me begins with the harder lines. Each of the six versions has its own story. Ask your child to say in one sentence what the problem was and how it was fixed.

What your child will learn

Find the problem in a story
Find the solution in a story
Tell a detail from a problem or a solution

Common Core standard: RL.3.3

Worked example

“The chain on the red swing snapped” is what went wrong, so it is the problem. “Mr. Ruiz brought a new chain” fixes it, so it is the solution.

Common mistake

Calling every sentence about the problem a solution, or the first event a problem when it is only a detail.

Helpful hint

Ask: did something go wrong, did someone fix it, or is it just a detail?

Next skill: Main Idea and Key Details Earlier: Sequence of Events

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with problem and solution?

Calling every sentence about the problem a solution, or the first event a problem when it is only a detail.

How can I help my child with problem and solution?

Ask: did something go wrong, did someone fix it, or is it just a detail?

Are these 3rd grade reading worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

More 3rd grade literature

See all literature

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