Activities for Respondin g to Reading in Year Four

Written and compiled by the Lancashire Literacy Consultants

Year 4 Teachers Notes

The activities are not intended to be issued without prior discussion and preparation. The activities require a range of reading strategies to complete. Wherever possible, each

activity has a reference to the Assessment Focus being developed. This will support teachers in covering a range of comprehension strategies and provide part of the ongoing evidence for assessing a childs reading.

Many can be used as part of a Guided Reading session and completed with teacher support. Some may be used more than once with different texts. You may decide not to use all of the sheets, and some children may have a different selection to others. You may choose sheets that support work done in the shared and guided session, or sheets appropriate to individual childrens personal reading. Some of the activities are designed to be completed over time such as collecting aspects of language to use in the childrens own writing. These could be enlarged and displayed so that all the children could contribute.

Some activities may need to be differentiated they are on the Literacy web site and you
may download them and alter them or use a sheet from a younger age group (www.lancsngfl.ac.uk/nationalstrategy/literacy).

If you do not want to use photocopied sheets, these ideas are easily transferred to paper or exercise books. Or why not download the activity and work on screen. Most of the activities provide opportunities for Speaking and Listening about books and reading. Year 4 Reading Objectives: Strand Objectives Identify and summarise evidence from a text to support a hypothesis. Deduce characters reasons for behaviour from their actions and explain how ideas are developed in non-fiction texts. Use knowledge of different organisational features of texts to find information effectively. Use knowledge of word structures and origins to develop their understanding of word meanings. Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere. Read expressively favourite authors or genres and experiment with other types of text. Interrogate texts to deepen and clarify understanding and response. Explore why and how writers write, including through face-to-face and on-line contact with authors.

The Reading Assessment Focus - Overview grid

AF Strategies Use a range of strategies, including accurate decoding of text, to read for meaning Key phrase

Decode accurately. Read with understanding.

Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text

Seek, find and understand. Literal responses to text. Text reference. Between the lines Inference and deduction. Interpret. Put yourself in their shoes. Text reference. Structure. Commenting on presentational features. Why is the text presented and organised as it is? Language. Why did the writer use that word / phrase / image / sentence etc. Literary awareness. Impact on reader. The Writer. Writers purpose. Writers attitudes and values. Big messages about life. The Text and the World. How the text fits into its social, historical, cultural, literary heritage context.

Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts

Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level

Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

Identify and comment on the writers purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect

Relate texts to their cultural and historical contexts and literary traditions.

In addition to a wide ranging read aloud programme, and childrens own choices, pupils in Year 4 will read:

Stories with historical settings Stories set in imaginary worlds Stories from other cultures Stories with raise issues and dilemmas Plays Recounts in newspapers and magazines Information texts Explanations Persuasive texts Poetry creating images Poetry - exploring form

 tell the difference between fact and opinion discuss and decide how effective texts are in meeting their purpose prepare for finding factual information choosing sources to use

read fiction silently for longer periods; close read non-fiction for information

discuss what and when I like to read

talk with my friends about our books

understand how words are formed and use the text to help me understand their meaning read aloud well, pausing at full stops, and changing voice for exclamation, question and speech marks. read, using connectives and clauses to help fluency and meaning understand the different uses of the apostrophe track the passing of time in stories

talk about the authors choice of language to create different effects

debate issues in texts and find evidence to support the discussion; explore alternative courses of action.

The Year 4 Reader I can

use non-fiction texts quickly and decide how useful they are understand the use of chapters and paragraphs to organise texts

recognise different types of text and the different ways they are presented

recognise the different styles of language used for different purposes

Books I have read this year

Fiction

Date

Title

Author

Books I have read this year

Non-Fiction

Date

Title

Author

Fiction

Fact and Fiction

Copy a sentence from your fiction book.

What tense is the sentence written in? How do you know? .. Is it written in the first or third person? .. Does it contain any speech? . What is the sentence about? .. Copy a sentence from your non-fiction book.

What tense is the sentence written in?

How do you know? Is it written in the first or third person or is no-one referred to at all? Does it contain any speech? . What is the sentence about? ..

Fact and Fiction

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

Reading AF4:

Reading AF5:

Ask the children to copy a sentence from their fiction book and one from a non-fiction book. Ask them to identify the differences using the prompts to help them.

Powerful Verbs!

Use a pencil. Copy a passage from your reading book BUT leave gaps where the verbs are. Swap your extract with your friend. Fill in the gaps with the best verbs you can think of to describe the actions or feelings of the characters. Swap back and compare with the originals in the books. Discuss your choices with your friend and whether they are better or not and why.

Powerful Verbs!
Framework objectives: Strand 7: Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF5: Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

Ask two children to copy passages from their reading books but to leave gaps wherever a verb occurs. The children then swap their work and each fills in the best verbs to fill the gaps. They can then compare their versions with the original and evaluate which is better and why.

How Did You Do That?

When you are reading, look out for verbs and adverbs. Adverbs tell the reader how something was done, the speed at which it was done, the way something was said, the mood of the character or the way the light shone. Collect verb and adverb partners and write them here. Remember to use them in your own writing.

laughed happily

How Did You Do That?

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF5: Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

This activity requires children to identify the verbs and adverbs in their books. Ask the children to copy verb and adverb partners from their book. Ask them to consider the effect the adverb has upon the verb and what it tells the reader; does it describe the way in which the verb was done, the speed at which it was done, the way something was said or the way the light shone?

Characters and Settings

As you read your books, think about the ways the author describes the characters and the settings. Note down the words and phrases used to describe what a character looks like, how they behave, react and their moods. How does the author describe the settings, the weather, the atmosphere? Dont forget to use these ideas in your own writing. Settings beautiful house beside the sea * From James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl Characterisation all at once he found himself alone and frightened in a vast unfriendly world

Characters and Settings

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere. Interrogate texts to deepen and clarify understanding and response.

Strand 8:

Assessment focuses: Reading AF5: Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level Identify and comment on the writers purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect

Reading AF6:

This activity requires the children to make notes as they read through a book. Ask them to note down the words and phrases the author uses to describe characters; their appearance, actions, moods, responses, etc. and settings; time, weather, atmosphere, description, etc. Encourage the children to apply these techniques to their own writing.

Dear Diary
Imagine that you are the main character in your book. Choose one day in the story and write a diary entry for that day. Write in the first person and remember to say: - what has happened during the day; - who was involved; - how you feel; - what you will do about it all tomorrow.

Date .

Dear Diary
Framework objectives: Strand 7: Identify and summarise evidence from a text to support a hypothesis. Deduce characters reasons for behaviour from their actions and explain how ideas are developed in non-fiction texts.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas

Reading AF3: from texts

This activity requires children to imagine themselves as the main character and to write a diary entry for a day in the story. Explain to the children that the diary entry should reflect the personality of the character and the story plot. The diary should be written in the first person and can include a mixture of tenses: what has happened (past), how the character feels or another character is behaving, (present) what they intend to do, (future). What happened today? Who was involved? How do you feel? What will you do?

Write a Letter
Imagine that you are a character from your book. Write a letter to another character. You could write to complain about something they have done, or to ask their advice about something that is happening in the story, or to tell them about what has been happening whilst they have been away.
Characters address here:

Date:

Dear

Write a Letter
Framework objectives: Strand 7: Deduce characters reasons for behaviour from their actions and explain how ideas are developed in non-fiction texts. Interrogate texts to deepen and clarify understanding and response.

Strand 8:

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas

Reading AF3: from texts

This activity requires the children to imagine that they are one of the characters in their book. Ask them to write a letter to another character in the book. The letter could be to ask for advice; to complain about the recipients actions or to inform the other character what has been happening in his/her absence.

As Time Goes By
As you read your book, look out for the words and phrases the author uses to show the passing of time. Does the author mention the time, the sun, the moon, dark or light, part of the day, seasons or a change in weather? Also, look out for flashbacks and two events happening at the same time, e.g. Meanwhile. Dont forget to use these ideas in your own writing!

Book title and author: Page Words and phrases used to show the passing of time

Where in your book did the author skip over the longest amount of time?

As Time Goes By
Framework objectives: Strand 8: Interrogate texts to deepen and clarify understanding and response.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF4: Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level

This activity is to help develop the childrens awareness of the techniques authors use to convey the passing of time. This work can be done as a group as a guided novel is being read over time, or individually, by a child reading privately.

From Prose to Playscript!

Choose a scene from your reading book that contains dialogue between two or three characters. Change the scene into a playscript. Remember to show who is speaking and how they are acting by giving a stage direction. Cast:

Scene:

Characters

(stage direction)

What they say

From Prose to Playscript!

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Deduce characters reasons for behaviour from their actions and explain how ideas are developed in non-fiction texts.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF4: Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level

This activity helps children to distinguish between the ways in which characters actions and manner are portrayed in narrative, and by stage directions in playscripts. Ask the children to translate a piece of narrative containing a lively exchange between characters to a playscript. They will need to indicate the setting, and how the characters should act out their lines through stage directions.

From Playscript to Prose

Choose a scene from a play that you have read. Change the scene into narrative. You will have to describe the setting and show how the characters are behaving by using powerful verbs and adverbs. Work with a partner and act out each part of the play. Discuss how you could change it into story form.

Title of play:

From Playscript to Prose

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Use knowledge of different organisational features of texts to find information effectively.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF4: Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level

This activity is the reverse of the previous one; to change a scene from a play into narrative. The children will need to translate the scene into a setting and the stage directions into descriptions of how characters are acting. They might use powerful verbs and adverbs or indicate manner through alternatives to said.

Stories from the web

Stories from the Web

Framework objectives: Strand 8: Read expressively favourite authors or genres and experiment with other types of text. Explore why and how writers write, including through faceto-face and on-line contact with authors.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF6: Identify and comment on the writers purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect

The activity is based upon the web site www.storiesfromtheweb.org. It is best to review the site yourself and stipulate the activities that you would like the children to do. There are many links: information about authors, interviews, reviews and opportunities for the children to add their own reviews to the web site. This site provides many opportunities for reading related activities.

Same but Different Comparing poems on the same theme

Titles and authors: 1. ............. 2. Discuss with your teacher and your friends: Compare: What the two poems are about. The pictures that each poem puts into your mind. The words and phrases each poet has used to describe the theme. The rhyming patterns. The rhythm. Figurative language. Talk to each other about the effect the words the poet has chosen has upon the reader. Why do you think the poet has chosen these? Choose a line that you like and explain to your friends why you like it. Which poem do you prefer? Why? Try to persuade your friends that your choice is the right one. Explain carefully what it is about your choice that you prefer. Write your preferred poem here:

Same but Different Comparing poems on the same theme

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF5: Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

Choose two poems on similar themes, e.g. school, weather, animals, etc. Work with the group or individuals to compare and contrast the poems using the prompts on the activity sheet. The children will need support in identifying rhyming patterns, rhythm, similes and metaphors, and expressing their ideas and opinions. Encourage justification of views at every stage and using evidence from the poem to support these.

Fact and Opinion

Fact: something that is true. Opinion: point of view. Read the five texts below. They give information about childrens authors and a book called Write Here, Write Now. Highlight the facts in one colour and opinions in another. Lizo Mzimba: Lizo is a journalist and currently presents Newsround, the childrens news programme on BBC 1. Hes also written for various magazines and newspapers, and has reported for the BBCs One O Clock and Six O Clock news. Writing is a wonderful way to share your experiences, opinions and insight with people and, of course, its fun too! John Hegley: John is one of the countrys favourite comic poets. He is the author of six best-selling poetry books, including Beyond our Kennel and Dog. Take your chance to make your writing dance sing astonish and sting, and you might win Terry Jones: Terry Jones is a well-known childrens author, as well as being an actor, a director and a comedian. Writing something is much more fun than not writing something and it lasts longer!

Jacqueline Wilson: Jacqueline is the popular prize-winning author of The Illustrated Mum, Vicky Angel and Lizzie Zipmouth. Her latest book is called Secrets. Im looking forward to reading the entries and seeing the inventive and imaginative ways children complete my story.

something.

Writing by childrenfor children! This exciting, inspirational and exhilarating book contains the winning entries in the 2002 Write Here, Write Now awards, run for the third year by the Department for Education and Skills. All the children were given a choice of four pieces of writing, each started by a famous writer, which they used as starting point. The results were varied and highly imaginative. They were often funny, sometimes sad and everything in between! A brilliant collection of childrens writing from the 2002 writing awards

Fact and Opinion

Framework objectives: Strand 8: Interrogate texts to deepen and clarify understanding and response.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts Identify and comment on the writers purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect

Reading AF3:

Reading AF6:

The extracts on the activity sheet are from the blurb on the back of the 2002 Write Here, Write Now collection of childrens stories. Discuss the difference between fact and opinion with the children giving some examples for them to talk about. The book also contains a section on childrens persuasive writing about the countryside versus the town. These pieces provide more material for distinguishing between fact and opinion.

2002 2003

Headlines!
Log onto www.bbc.co.uk/newsround Select an area that interests you. Read the headlines and discuss with your friend what you think the story might be about. Read the story or listen on-line. Were you right? Can you think of another headline to suit the story?

The headline that you chose The date of the story: Summary of the story: Your headline:

Headlines!

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Use knowledge of word structures and origins to develop their understanding of word meanings. Explore why and how writers write, including through face-toface and on-line contact with authors.

Strand 8:

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level

Reading AF3: Reading AF4:

Direct the children to the BBC childrens web site (www.bbc.co.uk/newsround). This site is updated daily and contains conventional style news layout as well as video and audio clips. There are many links to different national and global stories. You might wish to stipulate the story that the children investigate in advance, with specific tasks related to the story; or they might surf the site and report back upon a story of their own choice.

Oh, no! Not that word again!

Words are like paint! Some words make the picture in the readers head grey and rather dull. But choose really great words, and the pictures in your head come to life and you can really imagine what is happening. There are some words in the table below that writers use over and over and OVER again. When you are reading, look out for words, or phrases, that the author has used instead. Dont forget to use them in your own writing!

nice

big

little

good

bad

sad

like

get/got

happy

glad

scared

windy

rainy

hot

cold

Oh, no! Not that word again!!

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF5: Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

This activity is a repeat of one in Year 3, with the addition of phrases, as well as words, as alternatives to overused vocabulary.

Old Words
This poem contains old English words that we no longer use. Read the poem and note the words that are new to you. Try to work out from the rest of the line what they might mean.

When Icicles Hang by the Wall William Shakespeare When icicles hang by the wall, And Dick the shepherd blows his nail, And Tom bears logs into the hall, And milk comes frozen home in pail, When blood be nipped and ways be foul, Then nightly sings the staring owl, To-who; To-whit, to-who, a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot. When all aloud the wind doth blow, And coughing drowns the parsons saw, And birds sit brooding in the snow, And Marions nose looks red and raw, When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl, Then nightly sings the staring owl, To-who; To-whit, to-who, a merry note, While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

Possible meanings

blows his nail... bears..

pail

nipped

ways be foul

merry.

keel

doth

parson

saw.

Old Words

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Use knowledge of word structures and origins to develop their understanding of word meanings. Interrogate texts to deepen and clarify understanding and response.

Strand 8:

Assessment focuses: Reading AF3: Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

Reading AF5:

The poem by William Shakespeare is about winter. The archaic words and phrases are:

blows his nail this refers to blowing into cupped hands in an attempt to warm them up. bears carries a heavy load. pail bucket nipped cold. ways be foul lanes difficult to travel because of ice and snow merry jolly, happy keel clean doth does parson vicar, priest saw sermon, speech

Adjective Detective
When you are reading, look out for the ways in which the authors describe their characters, feelings and settings. Sometimes they use more than one adjective and sometimes they give the reader extra information. Remember to use these in your own writing!

a most extraordinary sight, a colossal, curvyshaped thing

From James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Adjective Detective

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF5: Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

Ask the children to collect words and phrases from their reading that give extra information about the subject of the sentence. settings characters feelings

Its Another World!

Choose a scene from your book that describes an imaginary world. Draw a picture of how you imagine it to be. Label your picture with the words and phrases the author has used to describe the setting.

Its Another World!

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF5: Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level Identify and comment on the writers purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect

Reading AF6:

Ask the children to read through a passage in their book that describes an imaginary setting. It could be science fiction or a fantasy world of another sort. Identify the words and phrases that describe the setting and discuss how the children imagine this place to look. The children draw the scene and annotate the drawing with the words and phrases used by the author to describe the scene.

Characters and Settings

Draw a picture of a character or characters in one of the settings in your book. Label the drawing with the words and phrases the author has used to describe how the characters respond to the setting and the events in the story.

Characters and Settings

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Deduce characters reasons for behaviour from their actions and explain how ideas are developed in non-fiction texts.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts

Reading AF3:

Ask the children to read through a passage in which a character responds to the setting in which they find themselves. This may be an imaginary world referred to in objective T1. Ask the children to draw a picture of the setting and the character and annotate their drawing with the words and phrases the author has used to describe the characters responses to the setting and the events in the passage.

Comparing Settings
Setting One Book: Setting: Authors words to describe setting: Book: Setting: Authors words to describe setting: Setting Two Book: Setting: Authors words to describe setting: Setting Three

Picture:

Picture:

Picture:

Comparing Settings
Framework objectives: Strand 7: Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF3: texts Reading AF5: Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from

Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

This activity is designed to be completed over time, or used to compare text extracts containing settings. Ask the children to complete each column as they read their books, or supply the children with three extracts that contain descriptions of settings.

Writing Pictures!
Authors use language to paint pictures in their readers minds. Look out for words and phrases that authors have used to help you imagine what places look like, how characters feel, what might be about to happen and the atmosphere in the story. Character descriptions
small piggy eyes, a sunken mouth, and one of those white flabby faces that looked exactly as though it had been boiled

Character moods
whenever she got angry or excited, little flecks of spit would come shooting out of her mouth

Character feelings
Great tears began oozing out of Jamess eyes and rolling down his cheeks

Atmosphere
The night was all around him now, and high overhead a wild white moon was riding in the sky

Build tension
..the first thing of all, the rather peculiar thing that lead to so many other much more peculiar things happened to him

Settings
..smelled musty and stale and slightly mildewed, like air in an old cellar

Extracts from James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Writing Pictures!
Framework objectives: Strand 7: Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF3: from texts Reading AF5: Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas

Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

Ask the children to re-read the opening chapter of their book and to look out for examples of ways in which the author has conveyed mood, atmosphere, feelings and tension. Discuss the images that these examples have conjured up in their minds. The children should note down these examples on the activity sheet and encouraged to adapt them for use in their own writing.

Audience
How do you know if a book or comic would interest you? What has the author and publisher done to make you want to pick it up and read it? Look at each of the examples that your teacher has given to you. Talk to your friend about who you think the book is for and how you know.

Title and author

Audience

Clues!

Audience
Framework objectives: Strand 8: Read expressively favourite authors or genres and experiment with other types of text. Interrogate texts to deepen and clarify understanding and response.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF6: Identify and comment on the writers purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect

Supply the children with a varied selection of reading material: different genres, comics, football magazines etc. Discuss the different types of material with the children. Ask them to decide who the intended audience is for each example and to identify the ways in which the text has been presented to appeal to that audience.

Non-Fiction Texts Talk Frame

Use this outline to describe and review your non-fiction book. Choose a talk leader to read the questions and to make sure everyone has a say. Title: Author: What is the book about? Use the blurb to help you. The cover design shows.. Does the cover make you want to read the book? Is the book attractive and exciting to look at? Why? Each person in the group think of a question that the book may be able to answer. Is there a contents page, an index? Is the book divided into chapters? Is each chapter divided into separate headings? Look at chapter one. What is the title of this chapter? Describe how the text is laid out. Has the author used headings? Do you think it would matter if the headings were in a different order? What sort of pictures have been used? Do they help you understand the text? Skim over the text. What is the chapter about? Scan through the text and list the key words in chapter one. Are the sentences long or short? Are they easy to understand? Are all the sentences telling you facts? If not what other types of sentences are there? Is the text written in the first person, third person or something else? What tense is the book written in? Is the information easy to understand? Why? Did you enjoy this book? What did you like about your non-fiction book? What did you not like about the book? Were you surprised by anything in the book? Did you find the answers to your questions? Easily, or was it difficult?

Non-Fiction Texts Talk Frame

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Use knowledge of different organisational features of texts to find information effectively.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level

Reading AF4:

Use the talk frame as part of a guided reading session to help children to navigate texts and appraise the usefulness of what they read. Or, give the talk-frame to a group of children and ask them to discuss a non-fiction text. A set of non-fiction guided readers would be useful so that each child can have a copy. The children will need guidance on how to organise a discussion group so that it is focused and gives everyone an opportunity to contribute.

Reading for Information

Topic:

What do I know?

What do I want to know?

What have I learnt?

Sources

Reading for Information

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Use knowledge of different organisational features of texts to find information effectively. Identify and summarise evidence from a text to support a hypothesis.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts

Reading AF3:

This activity involves the completion of a standard KWL grid; What do I know? What do I want to know? What have I learnt? There is an additional column for listing the sources of information used. This is to encourage children to read a selection of sources when they cannot find what they need in just one text. Ask the children to note down what they already know about the subject of the texts. Discuss some ideas of additional information that they may not know about. Try to guide the children in asking questions that are relevant and likely to be answered in the texts supplied. However, if a question remains unanswered, use this to ask, Where could we look now? Encourage the children to use text navigation techniques to find answers to their questions: skimming, scanning, headings and subheadings, contents, indexes, etc.

Non-Fiction Texts
Look at the non-fiction text that your teacher has given you. Scan down the text looking for key words and phrases.
List the key words and phrases:

What do you think the text is about?

Read through the first paragraph. Write down the paragraphs main idea in a short sentence or copy the sentence that sums up the whole paragraph.

Continue to do this for each paragraph in the text.

Write a short summary of what the text is about.

Non-Fiction Texts
Framework objectives: Strand 7: Use knowledge of different organisational features of texts to find information effectively.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF4: Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level

Give the children a copy of a non-fiction text and a highlighter pen. Ask them to scan down the text looking for key words and phrases to list on the sheet. The children need to read each paragraph and write a brief sentence about the main idea in the paragraph. This is difficult and the children will need support. There may be one sentence within each paragraph that summarises the whole paragraph and this could be copied (the other sentences may be elaborations or details about the main idea). When the children have located the main ideas, ask them to summarise the text using their key words and sentences to help them.

Paragraphs are very organised!

Read through the non-fiction text that your teacher has given you. Make notes in the boxes below to show the main idea in each paragraph. Look for links between each paragraph. Title:

Paragraph 1. Key Idea:

Links to next paragraph: Paragraph 2. Key Idea:

Links to next paragraph: Paragraph 3. Key Idea:

Links to next paragraph: Paragraph 4. Key Idea:

Links to next paragraph: Paragraph 5. Key Idea:

Links to next paragraph: Write one word to describe each paragraph and draw an arrow between each word.

Could the paragraphs be written in another order?

Paragraphs are very organised!

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Use knowledge of different organisational features of texts to find information effectively. Interrogate texts to deepen and clarify understanding and response.

Strand 8:

Assessment focuses: Reading AF4: Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level

Supply the children with a non-fiction text that has been organised into paragraphs. Ask them to read each paragraph and to find the main idea. Then ask them to look for something that links one paragraph to the next. Is something mentioned in one paragraph that is expanded upon in the next? What is the link?

Oh Dear!
Some stories are about characters who find themselves in difficult situations. Sometimes they have caused the problems, and sometimes bad things happen to them. Read through the story. Discuss your ideas with your friends and make notes in the boxes. Story title and author:

Characters name:

Characters problem:

What has caused the problem?

What do you think the character should do?

What might happen to affect the characters decision

What happens in the end?

Did you like the ending or do you think another solution would be better?

What has the character learnt from the experience?

Write a moral for the story

Oh Dear!
Framework objectives: Strand 7: Identify and summarise evidence from a text to support a hypothesis. Interrogate texts to deepen and clarify understanding and response.

Strand 8:

Explore why and how writers write, including through face-to-face and on-line contact with authors.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas from texts Identify and comment on the writers purposes and viewpoints, and the overall effect

Reading AF3:

Reading AF6:

A good source of stories for issues and dilemmas is The Fib and other Stories by George Layton. Ask the children to read a story supplied by you that contain an issue such as loss, theft, lying or cheating. As they read, ask them to identify the issue or dilemma faced by the characters. How do the characters feel or deal with the problem? The children should note down their thoughts and use evidence from the text to support them.

What I like to read

What kind of books do you choose to read for personal reading? What is it about them that you like? Write down your favourite books and authors and why you like them.

I like books about: ________________________________________________ because ________________________________________________________ My favourite author is: ____________________________________________ because ________________________________________________________ Why I like these books: ____________________________________________

The time of day I read is: __________________________________________

I spend

reading each day.

The people I read to are: ___________________________________________

The people who read to me are: ______________________________________

The best thing about reading is: ______________________________________

The hardest thing about reading is: ___________________________________

I would recommend __________________________________________ (title) to a friend because _______________________________________________

What I like to read

Framework objectives: Strand 8: Read expressively favourite authors or genres and experiment with other types of text.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text

Ask the children to refer to the sheet listing the books they have read. Discuss their personal choices and reasons for their preferences. Support them in completing the activity sheet, giving them hooks to express their opinions. Encourage them to justify their opinions with reasons and reference to the books.

And they lived happily ever after or did they?

Think about the resolution and ending of the last book that you read or a wellknown story. Write briefly what happened in the end. Think about a completely different resolution and ending and write this down.

Book title: What happened in the end?

Your new ending:

And they lived happily ever after or did they?

Framework objectives: Strand 7: Deduce characters reasons for behaviour from their actions and explain how ideas are developed in non-fiction texts.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF3: from texts Reading AF6: viewpoints, and Deduce, infer or interpret information, events or ideas

Identify and comment on the writers purposes and the overall effect

Ask the children to recall the resolution and ending of a well known story or the story they have just finished. Discuss alternative endings using examples from well-known stories. What would have happened if the glass slipper had fitted one of the ugly sisters and not Cinderella? What would have happened if the Millers daughter had not guessed Rumplestiltskins name? The activity requires the children to briefly retell the ending of their story and to then rewrite the ending in a different way.

Keep it Brief!
Read the text that your teacher has given you, or choose a section from your non-fiction book. Read each sentence and make a brief note of what the sentence is about; use just one or two words. When you have finished reading, write a very brief summary of what the whole piece was about.

Summary:

Keep it Brief!
Framework objectives: Strand 7: Identify and summarise evidence from a text to support a hypothesis.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF2: Understand, describe, select or retrieve information, events or ideas from texts and use quotation and reference to text

Give the children a piece of text from a non-fiction book. Ask them to discuss the key ideas in each sentence and to sum up in as few words as possible. When they have finished ask the children to sum up, in as few words as possible the key idea of the whole piece.

Persuasive Language
Read the extract from the Blackpool Tower persuasive leaflet. Note down all the persuasive words and phrases. What is the effect the writer is trying to achieve?

Persuasive Language
Framework objectives: Strand 7: Use knowledge of different organisational features of texts to find information effectively.

Explain how writers use figurative and expressive language to create images and atmosphere.

Assessment focuses: Reading AF4: Identify and comment on the structure and organisation of texts, including grammatical and presentational features at text level Explain and comment on the writers use of language, including grammatical and literary features at word and sentence level

Reading AF5:

Discuss the piece of persuasive text with the children. You may need to spend time talking about circuses and the type of language used by the ringmaster during the show. The words and phrases worthy of note are:

roll up, roll up greatest show on earth (non-animal) the fun starts most outstanding thrill and amaze watch in wonder incredible right before your eyes sensational spectacular colourful and exotic star attraction