Grade 3 FAST Reading practice

Read the complete passage before selecting an answer. Ask which words support the choice, and compare them with the explanation.

These original questions target selected grade-level skills. They are independent practice and do not predict an official FAST score.

The Empty Patch [1] On Monday, Maya carried a packet of bean seeds to the school garden. She wanted her row to be the tallest when families visited in six weeks. Her partner, Luis, brought a notebook. He drew the garden before they planted anything. [2] Maya pushed a seed into each hole. Then she reached for the watering can. Luis pointed to the packet. “It says to leave space between the seeds.” Maya sighed. The other groups had already finished. Still, she moved three seeds and helped Luis measure the gaps. [3] Each morning, the partners checked their row. Soon green shoots curled out of the soil. One patch stayed empty. Maya wanted to add more seeds right away. Luis suggested looking carefully first. They found a tiny plant hidden under a clump of dry soil. Maya gently broke the clump apart. [4] A week later, wind bent the tallest plant. “Our best one is ruined,” Maya said. Luis held its stem while Maya tied it loosely to a short stick. The plant leaned like a tired traveler, but its leaves were still green. For the next few days, Maya checked the tie to make sure it was not too tight. [5] On visiting day, another group's plants were taller. Maya looked at the photograph Luis had taken of the empty patch. Beside it, he had placed a new photograph of their healthy row. She smiled and pinned both pictures to their sign. “Let's show people how much it changed,” she said. [6] A visitor asked who had grown the beans. Maya began to answer, then moved aside so Luis could stand beside her. She explained the spaces, the hidden shoot, and the stick. Luis opened his notebook to show the drawings. Their row was not the tallest, but neither partner wanted to trade it.

How do Luis's drawings and photographs help Maya see the garden differently?

1. It shows visitors how to choose a different garden partner.
2. It helps the partners notice and show changes in their plants.
3. It tells the partners which group has the tallest plants.
4. It gives Maya directions for planting every kind of seed.

Intended benchmark: ELA.3.R.1.1. A single example does not establish mastery or complete benchmark coverage.

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