Three Little Pigs Comprehension Quiz
Reading Assessment Grade 3–5 Comprehension
The Three Little Pigs Comprehension Quiz
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Reading Passage: The Three Little Pigs
Adapted from Danie Dee
Once upon a time there were three little pigs who lived with their kind and caring mother. Like all children, they grew, and the time came for them to leave home and live in the world alone. Before they left, their mother reminded them, "Whatever you do, do everything the best you can, because that is how you will do well in this world."
The first little pig found an acceptable spot to settle and built his house out of straw, because it was the easiest thing to do. The second little pig decided to build his house out of sticks, since it was easy to look through the forest to find what he needed. The third little pig built his house out of bricks. It was very hard work moving the bricks to where he needed them. It took a lot of time to lay the bricks to make his house.
One night the big, bad wolf came along and saw the first little pig in his house of straw. The wolf cried, "Let me in, Let me in, or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!" The little pig yelled back, "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin." The wolf took a giant breath, and then blew the house in. The little pig escaped, running to the stick house of his brother.
Next, the wolf came upon the house of sticks. The wolf could smell the delicious piggy inside! The wolf called, "Let me in, Let me in, or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!" The little pig shouted back, "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin." With one massive breath, the big bad wolf blew that house in too. Both pigs ran to the safety of their brother's brick home.
The wolf then saw the house of bricks. "Let me in, Let me in, or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!" cried the wolf again. "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin," said the third pig. Well, the wolf huffed and puffed, and then huffed and puffed again. He could not blow down that brick house!
The wolf did not give up. He climbed up on the roof to look for a way into the brick house. The little pig saw the wolf climb up on the roof and lit a huge fire in the fireplace. The wolf found the hole in the chimney and crawled down. OUCH! The wolf fell into the pot of water. He quickly leaped from the fire and ran as fast as he could from the three little pigs. The next day, the little pig saw his mother and told her the story. She said, "You see it is just as I told you. The way to do well in the world is to do things the best you can." The little pigs learned a valuable lesson from their mother.
Part 1
Multiple Choice (Questions 1–5)
Bubble in the best answer
1
[Characters] Why did the first little pig build his house out of straw?
A He wanted to match the yellow sunshine.
B It was the easiest and quickest thing to do.
C His mother recommended straw for warm weather.
D He could not find any trees in the forest.
2
[Context Clues] The story says the first pig found an acceptable spot to settle. What does the word acceptable mean?
A Dangerous and very loud
B Satisfactory or good enough
C Completely ruined and flooded
D Extremely rare and expensive
3
[Characters] How did the second little pig choose his building material?
A He used sticks because they were easy to find in the woods.
B He asked his brother for extra leftover straw.
C He followed blueprint instructions from a book.
D He traded his warm clothes to buy heavy wooden planks.
4
[Characters] How was the third little pig's attitude different from his brothers?
A He worked hard and took his time to build securely.
B He was lazy and wanted to finish before lunchtime.
C He decided not to build a roof to watch the birds.
D He hired other animals to do his heavy lifting.
5
[Context Clues] "With one massive breath, the wolf blew that house in too." What is the best synonym for massive?
A Gentle and calm
B Giant and powerful
C Cold and freezing
D Sneaky and silent
The Three Little Pigs Comprehension Assessment Page 1 of 2
Part 1 Cont.
Multiple Choice (Questions 6–10)
Theme • Context Clues • Characters
6
[Theme] Which statement best expresses the main theme or lesson of the story?
A Living near a forest is always dangerous for small animals.
B Doing things the best you can leads to true safety and success.
C Taking the easiest path gives you more time to enjoy life.
D Young children should never leave home to live on their own.
7
[Characters] What character quality does the wolf show when the brick house does not collapse?
A He is easily discouraged and returns immediately to the woods.
B He is persistent and determined to find another way inside.
C He feels guilty and apologizes to all three brothers.
D He is terrified and asks the third pig for shelter.
8
[Characters] How does the third little pig protect his home once the wolf climbs onto the roof?
A He lights a huge fire and boils a pot of water in the fireplace.
B He runs outside and pushes the wolf off the roof with a pole.
C He locks all the bedroom doors and hides under a bed.
D He calls out to his mother to come rescue them.
9
[Context Clues] "The little pigs learned a valuable lesson from their mother." What does valuable mean in this sentence?
A Costing a large amount of gold money
B Important and worth remembering for life
C Extremely confusing and difficult to explain
D Fragile and easy to break by accident
10
[Theme] How does the mother's advice at the beginning connect to the story's ending?
A It shows that hard work and doing your best protects you in tough times.
B It proves that older brothers should always do the cooking for everyone.
C It proves that the wolf was simply misunderstood and wanted a friend.
D It reveals that straw and sticks make stronger roofs than chimney bricks.
Part 2
Written Responses
Answer in complete sentences using evidence from the story.
11
Theme & Effort Analysis
Mother told the pigs, "Whatever you do, do everything the best you can, because that is how you will do well in this world." How do the building choices of the first two pigs contrast with the third pig's choice, and how did their choices affect their outcomes?
12
Character Traits & Problem Solving
When the wolf could not blow down the brick house, the author notes that he "did not give up." Compare the traits of the wolf with the third pig during the chimney scene. How did the third pig show quick thinking to protect his family?
The Three Little Pigs Comprehension Assessment Page 2 of 2
Pig Tales Answer Key
Teacher Answer Key Grade 3–5 Comprehension Guide
The Three Little Pigs Answer Key
Total Possible Points
14 Points
10 MC (1 pt) + 2 Written (2 pts)
Quick Scoring Matrix: Questions 1–10
1 point each (10 points total)
Q1
B
Char.
Q2
B
Vocab
Q3
A
Char.
Q4
A
Char.
Q5
B
Vocab
Q6
B
Theme
Q7
B
Char.
Q8
A
Plot
Q9
B
Vocab
Q10
A
Theme
Part 1
Multiple Choice Rationales (Questions 1–5)
1 Why the first pig chose straw [Characters / Motivation]
Correct: B
Passage Evidence: Paragraph 2 directly states, "The first little pig found an acceptable spot to settle and built his house out of straw, because it was the easiest thing to do." Options A, C, and D are fabricated details not supported by the text.
2 Meaning of "acceptable" [Context Clues / Vocabulary]
Correct: B
Passage Evidence: In context, the pig looked for a location that was satisfactory or good enough to settle without spending much effort. "Satisfactory or good enough" fits seamlessly in place of acceptable.
3 Second pig's material choice [Characters / Key Details]
Correct: A
Passage Evidence: Paragraph 2 states, "The second little pig decided to build his house out of sticks, since it was easy to look through the forest to find what he needed." Options B, C, and D mention actions never taken in the text.
4 Third pig's contrasting attitude [Characters / Comparison]
Correct: A
Passage Evidence: Unlike the first two pigs who prioritized ease, the third pig recognized that "It was very hard work moving the bricks... It took a lot of time to lay the bricks," demonstrating diligence, patience, and effort.
5 Synonym for "massive" [Context Clues / Vocabulary]
Correct: B
Passage Evidence: The wolf had to blow down an entire wooden house, requiring immense physical force. "Giant and powerful" conveys the magnitude of "massive," while "gentle," "cold," and "sneaky" mischaracterize the breath described.
Instructional Tip for Questions 1–5: Have students locate and underline the exact textual evidence in the passage before selecting answers. Questions 1, 3, and 4 highlight the contrast between taking shortcuts and investing deliberate effort—a foundational concept for the central theme.
