Priya's Diwali night: reading passage for Grades 1–3, page 1 preview

Reading passage · History, Civics & Social Studies

Priya's Diwali night · Grades 1–3

An original passage about holidays around the world with 7 questions that check details, inference and vocabulary.

Grades 1–3 · ages 6 to 9
Medium
25 to 35 minutes
2 pages
Free

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The passage and its 7 questions

Directions: Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions in full sentences.

On the night of Diwali, Priya helped her grandmother set out small clay lamps called diyas. They lined them up along the windowsill and the front steps. When Dadi lit the tiny cotton wicks, the whole house glowed with warm, golden light.
Earlier that day, Priya and her brother Arjun had made a rangoli by the front door. A rangoli is a bright pattern made with colored powder, rice or flower petals. Theirs had a pink lotus flower in the middle.
"Why do we light so many lamps?" Arjun asked.
"Diwali is the festival of lights," said Dadi. "The lamps remind us that light wins over darkness and good wins over evil."
After dinner, the family carried boxes of sweets to their neighbors. Mrs. Okafor next door gave them a plate of her famous ginger cookies in return. Priya smiled. Sharing light and food made the whole street feel like one big family.
1. What are diyas?
2. What can a rangoli be made from?
3. What does the word 'glowed' mean in paragraph 1?
4. According to Dadi, what do the lamps stand for?
5. Why do you think Priya smiled at the end?
6. Copy the sentence that shows the family shared with others.
7. What would you tell a friend about this text?

What your child practices

Your child practices history and social studies for Grades 1–3 with this reading passage.

Grades and ages: Grades 1–3, ages 6 to 9
Time: About 25 to 35 minutes
Subject: History, Civics & Social Studies
Level: Medium for Grades 1–3
Answer key: Yes, for grown-ups who sign in
Printing: 2 pages, US Letter or A4, low-ink option
Updated: October 15, 2026

How to use it

Read the passage once just for the story or the facts, then again with the questions in mind. Encourage underlining the words in the text that back up each answer. It is pitched at the expected level for Grades 1–3, for practice after the topic has been taught. Its 2 pages split well across two sittings.

An answer key comes with it as a separate page that grown-ups download after signing in.

Tip for grown-ups: Ask your child to point to the sentence that answers each question before writing it.

Done on paper? A grown-up can record it on the child's page in PlayOwl; downloading alone doesn't count as finished.