11 Fun 8th Grade Reading Comprehension Activities & Games

Middle school is challenging for kids because they get introduced to new learning aspects every day. However, as a parent or a teacher, you can make their learning experience more fun with a few activities.

Reading comprehension is among the essential skills for students to learn, and luckily, practicing it through games and activities is enjoyable.

To help you, we’ve made a list of 11 fun eighth-grade reading comprehension activities & games. So, without further ado, let’s jump in!

1. Body Biographies

We all know how traditional ways of practicing reading can bore kids, but this group activity will get them more engaged and excited about learning.

The main idea of the activity is to analyze a novel’s characters and write their defining traits, thoughts, and what they symbolize.

You can check the group activity on Study All Knight.

2. Roll and Chat Dice Game

This dice game is ideal for students after they read an interesting story. First, they’ll throw the dice and see which question it falls onto; then, they can answer it in groups after discussing their thoughts.

You can also add a twist and help your students practice their writing skills by encouraging them to write their answers down instead of saying them.

You can take a look at the dice game on Teachers Pay Teachers.

3. Brian’s Winter Novel Study

Your eighth-grade students will love this activity for how fun it is. It consists of reading the ever-interesting novel Brian’s Winter and discussing thoughts and questions during reading.

And for the best part, the activity comes with printable reading worksheets.

You can learn more about the novel study on Mrs. Beers.

4. Middle School Reading Comprehension Passages Activities

If you want an entire package of activities for your eighth-grade students, you’ll love this one. It comes with activities for 33 poems and stories that your kids will get to read and enjoy.

Then, after they finish reading, they’ll analyze the stories’ events and characters and try to comprehend context clues.

The package includes an answer key, comprehension worksheets, a generic rubric, and more.

You can check the eighth-grade reading activities on Teachers Pay Teachers.

5. Summary Sentences

Encouraging kids to write summary sentences about the story they’ve recently read will help you know how they think and perceive different events. In addition, it’ll help you learn more about how much they comprehend stories and novels. Not to mention, it’s one of the most fun reading comprehension activities for 8th-graders.

You can take a look at the activity on Upper Elementary Snap Shots.

6. Plot Diagram

Using a plot diagram in class will help you introduce students to different comprehension strategies in an easy and fun way. Ideally, the chart should include exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution of the story.

You can also give them a reading comprehension worksheet afterward to ensure they understand the story’s main points.

You can check the plot diagram activity on Caffeine Queen Teacher.

7. Context Clues Mystery Picture

Nothing excites eighth-grade kids more than a mysterious activity with a grand unveiling at the end. This activity comes with four reading passages and eight multiple-choice questions that students will answer. It’s also suitable for reading levels ranging from 5th to 9th grade.

All in all, it’s one of the best reading activities for 8th-grade on our list because of its fun and intriguing content and will help each student improve their reading skill.

You can learn more about the mystery picture activity on Teachers Pay Teachers.

8. Anticipation Guide

Unlike most comprehension worksheets that kids solve after reading, they’ll need to solve this one before opening their book. So it’ll help build their curiosity and get them more anticipated for reading.The activity will encourage kids to predict how the characters feel from their front cover picture and how the story will go.

This way, each student will be excited to learn whether their predictions are accurate and will focus more on comprehension.

You can check the anticipation guide on Reading Rockets.

9. Question Ball Game

All you have to do for this game is bring a large ball and section it using your marker. Then, write an interesting question in each section.

The game consists of throwing the ball to students, and each student is required to ask you the question that their finger touches.

It’s an engaging activity that’ll get your students more excited about reading, and you’ll get to tell them any correct answer they need about the story.

You can check the question ball game on Coffee Cups and Crayons.

10. Halloween Figurative Language and Comprehension Activity

You can celebrate Halloween in your class with this enjoyable and beneficial activity. The students will practice their figurative language and comprehension without feeling bored. And for the best part, this activity is suitable for more than one grade level.

Finally, the Halloween activity will help your students master their language arts lessons. The package includes a lesson plan, instructions, a nonfiction passage, and some questions.

You can look at this 8th-grade reading activity on Teachers Pay Teachers.

11. Rainbow Retelling Activity

Retelling stories is one of the pillars of comprehension. It helps kids recall the main idea of a story and analyze the characters more deeply. This activity requires some effort on your side and might not be ideal for large classrooms, but it’s enjoyable as a home activity.

You’ll need a long thread and some colorful beads, and you’re good to go.

You can check the rainbow retelling activity on Growing  Book by Book.

Jump In: Your 8th-grade students will find poem reading uplifting by providing them with poetry written specifically for them! See my blog and read about my top 20 Must-Read 8th Grade Poems Your Students Will Love!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the reading objectives for 8th-grade students?

The reading standards differ from one school to another. Still, the most important points are that they should be able to comprehend stories’ main ideas, understand biographies and speeches, analyze characters, and evaluate poems and short stories.

Is learning vocabulary essential for improving comprehension?

Yes, it is. Without vocabulary skills, students won’t understand what they’re reading. Therefore, their comprehension abilities won’t improve. However, most 8th-grade students learn vocabulary well in their first years of education, so it’s nothing to overthink.

When should students start practicing vocabulary and comprehension?

Ideally, students should start practicing vocabulary and comprehension from third grade. They should begin with simple passages and activities and level up every school year. Some parents also start home practices earlier than this.

Conclusion

Do you want to improve your 8th-grade students’ language arts skills? If so, there isn’t a better way than exciting them with a few reading activities and games. Not only will they practice reading and writing and improve their skills by a mile, but they’ll also have fun.

Luckily, you have many 8th-grade reading comprehension games and activities to choose from, and they’re all equally beneficial.

Last Updated on July 24, 2022 by Emily