With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to make sure my son really understands the historical meaning of this holiday. So, I made this Thanksgiving reading comprehension packet for my 3rd grade son who has Down Syndrome. I hope some of your kids will enjoy it, too.

This packet begins with a short story about the First Thanksgiving, shared between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians in 1621. To make the text accessible to kids with special needs, I used a large, sans serif font and simple words. For example:

For each page of story, there is an illustrated “check or x” question sheet. This is especially helpful for students with short term memory challenges. For example:

I also include map work and matching to build vocabulary:

Multiple choice questions and fill-in-the blanks give additional practice with recalling details from the story. This also allows a teacher in a classroom or home school to give worksheets according to skill level. Students who struggle with handwriting can do the multiple choice worksheet; stronger writers can do the fill-in-the-blanks.

And then there’s the usual copy passage… in two different levels:

The culmination of all these worksheets is for the student to to be able to narrate what he/she has learned. First, students can use the picture sequence to help retell the story of the First Thanksgiving. Then, children who can copy written words can dictate their narration while the teacher writes it down. They can then copy their narration. Independent writers can simply write their own summaries.

Finally, students are invited to reflect on the things that they are grateful for:

As a bonus, I threw in some paper dolls, because acting out a story is a great way to remember it.

Download the packet here for FREE:

A Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving to you and your family!!!

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