The Lighthouse Keeper | Year 3 Reading Comprehension (Age 7

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For Parents and Teachers

This Year 3 comprehension tells the story of Rosie who helps an elderly lighthouse keeper during a storm. Written for age 7–8, it develops vocabulary around weather, coastal life and feelings, with ten questions testing retrieval, inference and vocabulary — the core KS2 reading skills.

The Story: The Lighthouse Keeper

Old Mr Finn had kept the lighthouse at Pebble Point for forty years. Every night he climbed the one hundred and twelve steps to switch on the great lamp. Ships could see it blinking from twenty miles away. It told them: rocks ahead, you are safe.

One autumn evening Mr Finn slipped on the wet steps and twisted his ankle. He could not walk, let alone climb. Outside, the wind had begun to howl and dark clouds piled up over the sea.

His neighbour Rosie had brought his supper as she always did on Thursdays. She found him pale and shaking.

"The lamp must be lit," he kept saying. "There are ships out there."

Rosie looked at the spiral staircase. One hundred and twelve steps. She pressed her lips together, picked up the lamp-lighting stick and began.

The staircase was cold and smelled of salt. The higher she climbed, the louder the wind screamed. Her legs ached at step fifty. At step eighty she had to stop and breathe. At step ninety she looked down — and immediately wished she hadn't.

"Don't look down," she told herself. "Look up."

She kept going.

At the top she found the switch on the right-hand side of the panel, just as Mr Finn had once shown her. She turned it.

With a deep hum she felt in her chest, the great lamp blazed to life and began to rotate, sweeping its beam out across the dark water.

Far out at sea, a fishing boat captain saw the beam sweep past and adjusted her course. The rocks slid safely past in the dark.

When Rosie climbed back down, Mr Finn was crying — not from pain, but from relief.

"You did it, lass," he said. "You did it."

Rosie poured them both a cup of tea. Outside, the storm raged on. But the light at the top of the lighthouse kept turning, kept reaching out across the water, kept saying: you are safe, you are safe, you are safe.

Comprehension Questions

Click each answer to check it. An explanation will appear after each question.

Scroll down to see all the answers.

Question 1 of 10

How long had Mr Finn kept the lighthouse?

Twenty years
Thirty years
Fifty years
Forty years

Question 2 of 10

Why was the lighthouse lamp important?

It warned ships about the rocks and kept them safe
It kept birds away from the cliff
It lit up Mr Finn's cottage
It helped Mr Finn see in the dark

Question 3 of 10

How did Mr Finn hurt himself?

He slipped on the wet steps and twisted his ankle
He fell off the rocks outside
He was knocked over by a wave
He dropped a heavy lamp on his foot

Question 4 of 10

Why did Rosie stop at step eighty?

She needed to stop and catch her breath
She forgot the lamp-lighting stick
She heard Mr Finn calling her back
She was too frightened to continue

Question 5 of 10

What does the word 'spiral' mean in 'spiral staircase'?

Old and broken
Straight and steep
Winding round and round like a coil
Very wide and easy to climb

Question 6 of 10

What did Rosie tell herself when she felt afraid?

Don't look down, look up
Think of Mr Finn and keep going
Count to ten and breathe slowly
Sing a song to stay brave

Question 7 of 10

Why was the fishing boat captain steering carefully?

She had run out of food
She was anxious about the dangerous rocks
Her engine had stopped working
She could not see any other ships

Question 8 of 10

Why was Mr Finn crying at the end?

Because Rosie had spilled his tea
Because his ankle was very painful
Because the storm broke a window
Because he was relieved and grateful Rosie had saved the ships

Question 9 of 10

Which word best describes Rosie in this story?

Reckless
Loud and boastful
Brave and determined
Shy and nervous

Question 10 of 10

What does the repeated phrase 'you are safe' at the end suggest?

The captain is saying it to her crew
The lighthouse beam is like a reassuring voice protecting all sailors
Mr Finn is saying it to Rosie
Rosie is talking to herself

Answers

Q1: Forty years
Q2: It warned ships about the rocks and kept them safe
Q3: He slipped on the wet steps and twisted his ankle
Q4: She needed to stop and catch her breath
Q5: Winding round and round like a coil
Q6: Don't look down, look up
Q7: She was anxious about the dangerous rocks
Q8: Because he was relieved and grateful Rosie had saved the ships
Q9: Brave and determined
Q10: The lighthouse beam is like a reassuring voice protecting all sailors

Vocabulary

Key words from the story, with simple definitions.

swollen

Larger than normal because of an injury. Mr Finn's ankle was swollen after he twisted it.

spiral

Winding round and round in circles. The spiral staircase wound all the way up the lighthouse.

rotate

To spin or turn around. The lighthouse lamp rotated so its beam swept across the sea.

anxious

Worried and nervous. The captain was anxious because she was near dangerous rocks.

relief

The good feeling when something worrying turns out all right. Mr Finn felt relief when Rosie lit the lamp.

adjusted

Changed slightly. The captain adjusted her course when she saw the lighthouse beam.

How to Use This Story

Read the story together first without stopping, then read it again more slowly, pausing to discuss what is happening.
Before answering questions, ask your child to retell the story in their own words — this checks understanding without looking at the text.
For inference questions (where the answer isn't directly stated), ask your child to point to the part of the story that gave them the clue.
The vocabulary section works well as a separate activity — cover the definitions and see if your child can work out meanings from context.
Ask: 'Was Rosie right to climb the stairs? What would you have done?' This develops reasoning skills alongside reading.

Recommended Books

Books your child might enjoy after reading this story.

The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch by Ronda Armitage

A classic picture book about a lighthouse keeper whose lunches keep going missing. Perfect for younger readers in the same household.

Rescue at Sea! by Cornelia Funke

An exciting adventure story about a rescue at sea — perfect for children who enjoyed the bravery theme in this comprehension.

Lighthouses by Sara Green

A non-fiction book that explains how lighthouses work, their history and famous lighthouses around the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What reading level is this comprehension for?

This story is written for Year 3 (age 7–8) at the expected KS2 standard. Confident Year 2 readers or those needing challenge in Year 3 will also find it useful.

How should my child use this resource?

Read the story once for enjoyment, then again before answering the questions. Encourage your child to refer back to the text — this is exactly what is expected in school reading assessments.

How does this link to the KS2 reading curriculum?

The questions cover retrieval, inference, vocabulary and evaluation — the key reading domains tested at KS2, which directly mirror the types of questions in the Year 6 SATs reading paper.

The Lighthouse Keeper — Year 3 Reading Comprehension Story