Teacher's Book
Cornprehension
Reading Co pre e sion
Teacher's Book 1-2
Louis Fidge
ACMll lA N FOUNDATIO
S Kil lS
Contents
Page
1
Introduction
Teacher's Book 1
Teacher's Book 2
Skills, scope and sequence chart
8
Teaching notes and answ ers
10
High frequency words check-up
19
Comprehension tests
21
Answers to comprehension t ests
27
Skills, scope and sequence chart
30
Teaching notes and answers
32
Comprehension tests
42
Answers to comprehension test s
48
Introduction
4 Evaluat ing
What is Rea ing
Comprehension?
Here, t he reader is required to evaluate a text,
by comparing the ideas presented in the text
with external criteria (such as other sources of
information), or internal criteria (such as drawing
on his or her own experiences, know ledge or
values). Q ualit ies of accuracy, acceptability,
desirabilit y etc. are involved when using
evaluative comprehension.
Comprehension is an active process. It involves
the reader making meaning f rom:
• the visual information on the page (the print,
th e punctuation and the pictures);
• th e non-visual informat ion (such as
backgro und know ledge based on past
experiences with language and the world).
S Appreciating
Comprehension involves a range of skills,
movi ng from the easy to the difficult in terms of
the demands they place on the reader. Five
categories may be identified. In order of
difficulty, these are:
This involves the subjective response of the
impact of the text on th e reader. It requires an
emotional response to th e content, characters or
incidents, or to the author's use of language or
imagery.
1 Literal comprehension
These five categories may be summarised as:
• reading the lines (using literal
com prehension);
• reading between the li nes (reorganising and
inferring);
• reading beyond the li nes (evaluating and
appreciating) .
This focuses on ideas and information explicitly
stated in the text itself . The tasks may involve
recognising or recalling details from the actual
text.
2 Reorganising
At this level, children are expected to analyse
and/or reorganise ideas or information explicitly
stated in th e text. For example, tasks may
involve classify ing, outlining or summarising.
This series was developed with th e above
developmental framework of comprehension
skills in mind. Througho ut the series, the
activities encourage children to use the whole
range of compre hension skills.
3 Inferring
This requires children to use explicitly stated
information or ideas, along with int uit ion and
personal experience, as a basis for making
inferences. The child is required to use thinking
and imagination that go beyond the printed
page.
1
Teach ing features of Boo 1
Related activity for
individu al children to
complete
Unit number and title
~
T-shirts
Wha t is yo ur favourite co lour?
What are the colours o f the rainbow?
red
0 0 0 0
blue
yellow
green
a red T-shirt
I!:\
1J
a blue T-shirt
a yellow T-S
[
rt ?
_h
_ , ia blue T-shirt
a green T-shirt
Key
vocabulary in
bold typ e
:
'V
... .
a yellow T-shirt
~.
a rainbow T-shirt
I
~
i a red TOShOirt
I
•
I
...-
A
.
I
I
...--,..'
a gree" T·shirt
Match the r-sbtrts .
Text for reading and discussion
with the class
This may be completed
at a ny appropriate time
of the year.
.
0----._­
a block T-shirt
Alphabet check-up
(Book 1 r pages 68-9 )
black
Further practice
activity for
each unit
(p ages 48-67)
Match the wa,ds.
EJ
i/ ~
High frequency wo rds check-up
(Teacher's Book, pag es 19-20)
This may be photocop ied and
completed at any approp riate time
of the year.
48
3
Tackling the texts
the text might continue (thus encouraging
them to be actively involved in listening and
reading);
- to ask questions such as 'What did you
th ink of that character's behaviour?'
• The text may then be read through again as
a class or by inviting different children to
contrib ute as appropriate.
• Alternatively the children could be asked to
read the text silently or read it aloud in pairs
or in groups.
• At the re-reading stage unfamiliar words may
be identified and tackled, encouraging
children to use contextual cues to help them
w ork out their meaning. Key vocabulary
words are printed in bold type t he first time
they appear in a text and in the teaching
notes. Additional words are defined in the
Teacher's Book, and can be explained to
pupils if necessary.
Before reading the text
There are many useful activities which may be
undertaken before the text is read. Here are just
a few :
• On the basis of the title, pictures, ty pe of
language used etc. encourage children to
predict what sort of text it is going to be
e.g. story, information, play, poem, and
what might happen.
• Analyse the way the text is organised. What
helpful headings does it have? How is it set
out and structured? Are there any diagrams
or useful pictures?
• Provide links with children's background
know ledge and previous experience. What do
we already know about the subject?
• Stimulate questions. What do we hope we
may fi nd out about the subject from the text?
After reading the text - tackling the related
activities
Reading the text
One of the most productive ways to tackle the
stimulus text is to use it for shared reading with
the class as a whole or with a group. How this is
done obviously depends very much on the type
of text , the teacher's aims and the level of
reading ability of the class.
• One way is for the teacher to read the whole
text to the class straight through without
stopping to explain unfamiliar vocabulary,
whilst the children follow it in their own
books. Reading the text to the class gives the
children a general overview and enables them
to gain the gist of the text. It doesn't matter
at this point whether they understand every
word . In any case, the understanding of
many unfamiliar words will be helped by a
greater understanding of the context of t he
passage as a whole.
• During the reading the teacher could pause
at certain places:
- to ask children to recall details or to
summarise the main ideas so far;
- to ask children to predict how they think
•
After reading, the text should be discussed to
ensure children have a good grasp of the
literal meaning of the text and any
vocabulary they may not have met before.
• Children could be asked to re-tell stories in
t heir own words. The main events could be
mapped and sequenced on the board.
• The related Text Level activiti es (which
encourage a wide range of responses at all
the levels of comprehension) may initially be
done verbally as a class to help children
reflect on the texts, and then converted into
written responses. They could be tackled
individually or in pairs, or even in small
groups as appropriate from time to time to
promote purposive discussion .
• The related activities at Text, Sentence and
Word Level may be used systematically or
selectively as desired. (However they are
used, it is suggested that prior to working
any activity the pupils are helped to
understand exactly what is required of thern.)
5
Readi 9 Compre ension
Teacher's Book
1
7
Unit 11
Text type
Act ivity
Further practice
On the fa rm
Simple story based on noises farm animals make (pictu res and sentences)
Word/picture matching (onimals)
Classifying animals (farm and wild an imals)
Unit 12
Text type
Activ ity
Furt her practice
The wind
Information text in form of poem
Sentence completion using pict ure clues
Keeping a weather diary (recording ; using sentences)
Unit 13
Text type
Activity
Further practice
Kites
Poem
Hand-eye co-ordination and sentence completion
Classify ing rhyming w ords (cvc) into sets
Unit 14
Text ty pe
Activity
Further practice
Growing things
Inf ormation text showing a process (pictures and sentences)
Sequencing pictures and sentences
Sentence completion based on numbers and colours
Unit 15
Text type
Activity
Further practice
At the seaside
Poem
Picture and word matc hing
Answer ing simple questions using picture clues
Unit 16
Text type
Activity
Further practice
Animal alphabet
Alphabetically-organised text (in f orm of simple dictionary)
Sentence completion (using alpabetically-organ ised text with picture clues)
Arranging words in alphabetical order according to fi rst letter
Unit 17
Text type
Activity
Further practice
The day the doctor came
Simple story about a common experience (pictures and sentences)
Sentence completion ('people's jobs' theme ; using pict ure and context clues)
Word-making (using words ending in 'all' , 'ell ' and 'ill' in rhym ing sets)
Unit 18
Text type
Activity
Further practice
M y body
Information text (naming parts of body) in form of poem and labelled picture
Labelling picture and sentence completion
Sentence completion focusing on 'sensory ' verbs (using picture clues)
Unit 19
Text t ype
Activity
Furt her practice
The big carrot
Traditional story (pictures and sentences)
Drawn responses based on positional word s (such as 'on ' , 'above ' etc.)
Sentence completion based on the story (using picture clues)
Unit 20
Text type
Activity
Furt her practice
Ten little monkeys
Number rhyme
Completing rhyming phrases
Completing fam iliar nursery rhyme
9
.
Key vocabulary
Answers:
teacher - desk
cook - pan
princess - crow n
The teacher needs the desk.
The cook needs the pan.
The princess needs the crown.
balloon, rocket, rain
The activities
Related activity (page 11)
Sentence completion, filling in missing wo rd
(given each time) to accompany a picture.
IAnswers: kite, bird, plane, rocket
How to make
Further practice (page 50)
a boat
Picture/word matching, using words already
int roduced.
The text
IAnswers: rocket, bird, balloon, plane
Introduce the unit by asking children to talk
about anything they have ever made at home.
What did they make? What did they use? How
did they do it? Look at the text together. (Note
that it is divided into two clear sections: 'What
you need' and 'What you do' . You may wish to
discuss why this is important.) In the 'What you
need' section the pictures are all accompanied by
labels to aid comprehension. The 'What you do'
section consists of five numbered pictures
showing various steps in the process of making a
boat. Discuss how the numbering helps. Look at
and discuss each picture one at a time .
Dressing up
The text
Introduce the unit by getting children to talk
about what they want to be when they are
grown up. The text is a series of pictures and
captions with a predictable language structure,
showing a child dressing up in 'dressing-up
clothes' suggesting different occupations e.g.
nurse, teacher etc. Ask the children which one
they like best. W hen looking at the page with
the children, use the pictures to help them wo rk
out any unfa miliar words underneath .
paper, scissors, brush
straw you drink through a paper or plastic straw
Key vocabulary
The activities
nurse, princess, astronaut, teacher, cook
Related activity (page 15)
The activities
Numbering four pictures in the correct order to
continue the story; predicting and drawing what
happens next.
Key vocabulary
Related activity (page 13)
Sentence completion , filling in the missing word
(given each time) to accompany each picture.
Answers: The order of the pictures is as
follows:
3,1 ,4, 2 .
drawn response (open)
Answers: princess, nurse, teacher, (open)
Further practice (page 5 1)
Matching pictures and captions of people wi th
pictures and captions of things they need, and
writing sentences about them .
Further practice (page 52 )
Matching up pictures and labels of pairs of
things that go together e.g. paint and brush, and
wr iting down each pair.
11
Things I can do
The day
The text
The text
Can children name different parts of the day?
What happens at night? What happens in the
day? This sequence of pictures and
accompanying captions, set out as a circular flo w
diagram with arrows, shows what happens at
different times of the day. Look at each pictur e
and sentence together as a class. Discuss the
way the pictures are organised. Do all days
follow the same pattern?
Begin by getti ng children to list as many things
as possible that they can do. The simple text,
with supporting pictures, is in the form of a
rhyme. Look at and read the rhyme to and with
t he class several times. Perhaps the children
could be asked to act out the rhyme as it is
being read.
Key vocabulary
anyth ing
Key vo cabulary
pop a small bang or bursting noise
tie my laces fasten my shoes (boys' type)
moon, stars, sun
shine to give out a bright light
twinkle to shine like a star, brighter and less
bright in tu rn
The activities
Related ecti vity (page 23)
Looking at pictu res, reading captions and ticking
those which the child is able to do.
The activiti es
Related acti vi ty (page 21)
Sequencing and numbe ring pictures and captions
(taken f rom t he text) in order.
IAnsw ers: (open)
Further practice (page 56)
Ma king a set of cvc rhyming words (op and un
words); picture/word matching .
Answ ers:
The order of the pictures should be as follows :
1 The moon comes out.
2 The moon shines.
3 The stars twinkle.
4 The sun comes up.
5 The sun shines.
6 The sun goes down.
Answers:
Ma ke the
Matching
Make the
Matching
Further practice (page 55)
Identify ing the odd picture out in a set of fou r
pictures; picture/ word matching and w rit ing.
words: pop, top , mop .
words/ pictures: hop, top.
words: run, sun, fun, bun.
w ords/ pict ures: sun, bun, run.
A giraffe
Answers: door, bicycle, bell, bird, spade
The text
Begin by asking children what a giraff e is. What
do they know about giraffes? Can they describe
one? The text consists of a labelled picture of a
giraffe, identify ing some of its key physical
featur es in simple, structured sentences. Look at
the picture and read each sentence with the
class, getting the children to use the picture to
help them as much as possible.
\,
13
Answers:
The wi nd
The wi nd
The wind
The wi nd
The wi nd
Answers:
blows
blows
blows
blows
blows
at words: cat, fat
the tree.
the kite .
the sea.
the washing.
me.
et words: get , jet , pet
it word s: bit , fit, sit
at w ords: dot , hot, lot
ui words: cut/ hut , but
Further practice (page 59 )
Keeping a weather diary for a week, using
picture-cued words, and repetitive sentence
structures.
4
I Answers: (open)
Un it
1
Growi ng things
The text
Have any of the children in the class ever grown
anyth ing? Encourage them to tell the rest of t he
class about it. W hat are seeds? W hat do they
need to make th em grow?
Ki tes
Key vocabulary
The text
seeds, hole, plant, grow
W hat do the children know about kites? Ask
them to share their experiences. What makes
kites fly? This simple rhym e has built-in
repetition and predictable language st ruct ures to
facilitate reading. Read it to the class several
times, one aft er the other, to help them get the
feel of it. Ask them to follow the word s as you
do so. Encourage them to join in with the wo rds
when they feel confident.
dig move soil, make a hole in the ground
The activities
Related activity (page 33)
Sequencing and numbering pictures and captions
(taken from the text) in order.
Answers: The order of the pictures should be
as fo llow s:
1 We get some seeds.
2 We dig a hole.
3 We plant the seeds.
4 We give them some water.
5 The sun shines.
6 Some flowers grow.
Key vocabulary
high, sky, butterfly, climbs
tiny very small
still cont inues
summertime during the summer
The activities
Further practice (page 61)
Related activity (page 31)
Countin g; sentence completion using number
words; colouring using colour words .
Fine motor control, colour words.
Answers:
There are five yellow flow ers.
There are three green flowers.
There are fo ur orange flowers.
There are two red flowers.
There are six bile flowers .
Answer: The order of the kites is as follow s:
blue, green, red, yellow.
Further practice (page 60)
Grouping cvc rhyming words according to letter
patt erns.
15
l!Init
1~
day the
doctor c e
The
U nit
My body
The text
The text
How many diff erent parts of their bodies can the
children name? This rhyme, accompanied by a
labelled picture, focuses on naming parts of the
body. ead the rhyme several times to the class,
encouraging them to find the name of each
body part as it is ment ioned in t he rhyme on the
picture, or else point to it on their own bodies.
Ask the children to recount any experiences they
have had of being ill and visiting the doctor or
having the doctor pay a home visit. W hat was
the matter? What happened? The text is a
simple recount of a child being ill and of a visit
by the doctor. It consists of a series of pictures,
each picture being accompanied by a short
sentence. Discuss the pictures before reading the
text to and with the children.
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary
head, nose, mouth, chin, neck, chest, hand,
thumb , eye, ear, leg, arm
medicine
The activities
not feel well to feel ill
Related activity(page 41)
Labelling picture with names of parts of the
body ; using wo rds in sentences.
The activities
Related activity (page 39)
Sentence completion , with picture cues, using
the names of people who help us.
Answers: Children draw lines to label the
correct part of the body.
This is my mouth .
This is my hand.
These are my legs.
These are my ears.
This is my nose.
Answers:
dentist
teacher
baker
farmer
builder
Further practice (page 65)
Sentence completion , using pictu re cues to help,
focusing on the f ive senses.
Further practice (page 64)
O nset and rime words using ill, all, ell.
Answers:
I see with my eyes.
I taste with my mouth .
I smell with my nose.
I feel with my hands.
Answers:
Mak e the wo rds: hill, ball, wall, well, yell
Write the letters: yell, hill, well, fill, ball
17
High frequency
ords ch ck- p (1)
Name - - - - - - - Date - -
-
-
Colo r the wor s you can read .
( up )
( like )
( look)
(
( and)
(
( at)
we )
on )
(
( IS )
he )
( said )
.
( you )
(
( are)
go )
( thiS)
( play )
( they)
(
am )
(
( cat )
© Copyright M acmillan Education Ltd 2001
19
a
)
-
Book 1
•
e
nsi
n
Test:
Fi
[Com
_ _ _ _ _o
_ _1
The crocodile and the monkey
The crocodile was in the
water.
The crocodile saw a monkey.
The crocodile ran after the
monkey.
The monkey climbed a tree .
The monkey threw a banana
at the crocodile.
Book 1
I Co
pre ension Te : Non-fiction
The lion
UIIL...
A lion is like a big cat.
A lion eats meat.
A lion can run fast.
A lion is brown.
A baby lion is called a cub.
© Copyright M acmillan Educatio n Ltd 200 1
23
I
Book 1
Comprehension
Test:_
Poetry
_
___
_ _1
I
My body
I have ten fingers.
I have ten toes.
I have two eyes.
I have one nose.
I have two legs.
I have two feet.
I have one mouth
So I can eat!
© Copyright Macmillan Education Ltd 2001
25
Book 1
I_
Comprehension
_ _ _ _ _Test:
_ _Poetry
_ _ _ _ _1
Name
---------
Date
------
1
How many fingers do you have?
2
Do you have two or ten toes?
3
How many eyes do you have?
4
Do you have one or two feet?
5
What do you do with your mouth?
.Marks:
© Copyrig ht M acmillan Education Ltd 2001
26
D
out of 5
Answers to Comprehension Tests
Fiction: The crocodile and the monkey
1
2
3
4
5
The crocodile was in the water.
The crocodile saw a monkey.
The crocodile ran after the monkey.
The monkey climbed a tree.
The monkey threw a banana at the crocodile.
Non-fiction: The lion
1
2
3
4
5
A
A
A
A
A
lion eats meat.
lion is brown.
lion is like a big cat.
lion can run fast.
baby lion is called a cub.
Poetry: My body
1
2
3
4
5
,
I have ten fingers .
I have ten toes.
I have two eyes.
I have two feet.
I eat with my mouth.
© Copyright M acmillan Education Ltd 2001
27
Reading Comprehension
Teacher's Book
2
29
Skills, scope and sequence
Unit 1
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Ward Level
I can do the same as you!
Autobiographical te xt w ith familiar setting
Sentence compl et ion (lit eral comprehension)
Focus an verbs
cvc words with short medial a
Unit 2
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
I like school
Autobiographical text with familiar setting
True or false statements (lit eral comprehension)
Focus on verbs
Short words ending w ith -ng
Unit 3
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
The space monster
Fanta sy adventure
Sent ence completion (multiple choice)
Focus on nouns
Con sonant digraph ch
Unit 4
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Alphabetical people
Alphabetically-organised texts
Sentence completion (literal comprehension)
Indefinite article
Alphabetical knowledge and order
Unit 5
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Follow the leader
Story with familiar setting/ instructions
Sentence completion (literal comprehensio n)
Punctuation - capital letters and full stops
cvc w ords w ith short medial 0
Unit 6
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Bedtime
Story with familiar setting/fantasy
Questions (literal comprehens ion)
Word order - sentence structure
cvc word s with short medial e
Unit 7
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
How to make a glass xylophone
Instructi on s
Feature s of instruction s/ sequen ce
Punctuation - capital letters and qu estion marks
Short word s ending with - ck
Unit 8
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Shadows
Information text
Literal questions
Focus on adjectives - drawn responses
Con sonant digraph sh
Unit 9
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Our family comes from round the world
Choral poem, with patterned language
Questions (literal and apprec iative)
Focus on adjectives
cvc words with short medial i
Unit 10
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
The lion and the mouse
Traditional story
Characterisation
Focus on verbs (animal noises)
cvc word s with short medial a and u
30
Unit 11
Text Type
Text Level
A dinosaur came to school
Fantasy story with familiar setting
Matching sentence beginnings and endings
Sentence Level
Focus on nouns
Word Level
a-e words (magic e)
Unit 12
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Mrs Wilson's weel<
Story with patterned language
Sentence completion (literal comprehension)
Capitalising proper nouns
Months of the year
Unit 13
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
My eyes can see
Poem with patterned language/familiar setting
Correcting 'silly' sentences
Regular plurals + s
Short words ending in -II
Unit 14
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Our class trip
Recount
True/false statements
Adjectives/ opposites
Consonant blends at the beginning of words
Unit 15
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
The gingerbread boy
Traditional story
Sentence completion (literal comprehension)
Matching sentence beginnings and endings
s + consonant blends at beginning of words
Unit 16
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
A tree
Information text
Sentence completion (multiple choice)
Commas in lists
Vowel digraphs ee and 00
Unit 17
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Mark's mask
Explanatory text in familiar setting
Sequencing
Ordinal number words - drawn responses
o-e words (magic e)
Unit 18
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Jacl< and the beanstalk
Traditional story
Sentence completion (literal comprehension)
Categorising nouns (odd one out)
High frequency words
Unit 19
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Gorillas
Information text
Literal questions
Sentence structure - spacing words
Short words ending in -nd
Unit 20
Text Type
Text Level
Sentence Level
Word Level
Here is the ostrich
Action rhyme
Literal questions
Subject/verb agreement -is or are
i-e words (magic e)
31
Teaching Notes
I can do the
I like school
same as you!
The text
The text
The text consists of a series of pictures with
simple repetit ive captions, mainly beginning with
I like ...., explaining what different children like
about school. Before reading the text to and
with the children, ask them to volunteer some of
the things they like about school. When reading
the text, encourage children to use the pictures
to help them.
This text consists of a series of pictures and
simple captions. Read the text with the children,
using the pictures to help.
Key vocabulary
fast
The activities
Text Level: sentence completion requiring literal
comprehension.
Sentence Level:
Key vocabulary
cutting, stick ing
verbs with in sentences using the
can _ _. construct ion.
'A
The activities
Word Level: cvc words w ith short medial a.
Text Level: true and false statements based on
the text.
Answers:
Text Level
1 go
3 hide
5 . drink
2 catch
4 paint
6 jump
sentence construction.
Answers:
Text Level
2 sing
4 slide
6 moo
3 hop
5 roar
1 true
4 false
2 true
5 true
3 false
6 true
Sentence Level
Word Level
can
ran
cat
rat
verbs wit hin sentences using the
I like
Word Level: short wo rds ending in - ng .
Sentence Level
1
4
7
10
Sentence Level:
man
fan
5
8 mat
11 bat
2
3
6
9
12
2 jumping
4 helping
6 sleeping
pan
van
pat
sat
3 cooking
5 singing
Word Level
ring
5 gang
8 song
2
32
3 king
6 hang
9 gong
4 bang
7 long
Word Level
b chip
e choose
h cheese
k lunch
The space
monster
The text
This story in pictures and words tells about the
day a spaceship lands in a child's garden and ou t
gets a space monster. The child shows the space
monster a number of things . The monster is fine
unt il it is shown a spider - then it turns and runs
back to its spaceship in fright! Read the story to
and w ith the children. using the pictures to help
support the text. Discuss with the class what
they would do if they met a space monster.
c
f
i
I
chop
chin
rich
pinch
d chick
g chest
j much
Alphabetical
people
The text
Before reading and discussing th is alphabetically­
organised text together, ask the children to say
the alphabet. Talk about why it is important. Talk
about books that are arranged in alphabetical
order e.g. dictionaries, word books,
encyclopaedia, registers etc.
Key vocabulary
garden, funny, spots, spider
space monster a strange creature from another
planet
spaceship a vehicle which can take you into
space
spots small marks, usually round
crops plants we can eat
The activities
The activities
Text Level: sentence completion (multiple
choice).
Text Level: sentence completion requ iring literal
comprehens ion .
Sentence Level: choosing the correct nou ns to
complete sentences.
Sentence Level: using the indefi nite art icle.
Key vocabulary
astronaut, bu ilder, clown, dent ist, editor, farmer
Word Level: alphabetical knowledge and order.
Word Level: consonant ~ igraph ch.
Answers:
Answers:
Text Level
1 An astronaut goes up into space in a
spaceship.
2 A dentist looks after our teeth.
3 A farmer grows crops or looks after
animals on a farm
4 A clown makes us laugh
5 A builder builds houses.
6 An editor checks books for mistakes.
Text Level
1 garden
2 green, yellow
3 apple
4 car
5 spider
Sentence Level
2 chair
3 pencil
4 car
5 bed
6 book
Sentence Level
2
1 a ball
5
4 a door
7
6 a fish
9 a man
10
33
an
an
an
an
ant
3 a cat
elephant
insect
8 a house
umbrella
Word Level
1 b u
c i
h n
2 a b
i z
b s
g n
h I
d I
j r
c g
i x
e
q
d j
f x
e
0
Sentence Level
2 The girl climbs the tree.
3 A frog hops.
g P
f v
4 You smell with your nose.
5 The lady likes to dance.
j P
Word Level
2 pop
5 dog
8 jog
11 not
Follow the
leader
3 stop
6 log
9 hot
4 shop
7 fog
10
lot
12 got
The text
Bedtime
This simple story, consisting of pictures and
captions, contains predictable language. It is
based on the children's game 'Simon Says' which
requires all the children to follow the actions of
the leader. In the pictures they all do this until
they get tired out and want to stop. After
reading the text to and with the class, you might
w ish to play the game with the class .
The text
In th is story told in pictures and words, various
animals all get into the same bed until at last,
when the elephant gets in, the bed breaks and
they all fallout again . Look at and discuss each
picture as you read the story to and with the
class. After reading , discuss bedtimes with the
class . What time do they go to bed? Are they
ever allowed to stay up late?
Key vocabulary
point, touch, wave, dance, hop, stop
band a group of people with musical
inst ruments
Key vocabulary
The activities
crash, broke
Text Level: sentence completion requiring literal
comprehension .
fell out fell from in the bed onto the floor
The activities
Sentence Level: punctuation using capital letters
Text Level: questions requir ing literal
comprehension .
and full stops.
Word Level: eve words with short medial o.
Sentence Level: reorder ing words to compose
sensible sentences.
Answers:
Word Level: cvc words w ith short medial e.
Text Level
1 hand
2
3
4
5
6
Answers:
toes
band
nose
shop
stop
Text Level
1 the cat
2 the lion
3 the crocodile
4 the hippo
5 the elephant
6 The bed broke and they all fell out.
34
Sentence Level
Answers:
2 It was time for bed.
3 The bed broke.
4 The sun shines .
5 Dogs can bark.
6 Fish swim in water.
Text Level
1 Four glass bottles, some water; some
3 hen, ten, pen
paints and a stick
Put some water into the glass bottles.
3 Make the level of the water different in
each bottle.
4 Make the water in each bottle a different
colour. Put some paint into each bottle.
5 Tap the glass bottles with the stick.
4 net, get, wet
Sentence Level
2
Word Level
1 red, fed
2 peg, beg, leg
2
3
4
5
How to make a
When is your birthday?
Where do you live?
Who is your teacher?
What number comes before five?
Word Level
glass xylophone
1 pack - sack; neck - peck; rock - lock;
duck - suck
2 a sock
b peck
The text
This simple instructional text explains to children
how to make a xylophone from glass bottles. It
is set out in two sections: 'What you need' and
'What you do'. The final section is sub-divided
into four numbered steps each with a picture
and a caption. After reading and discussing the
text together with the class, why not try making
a glass xylophone by following and carrying out
the instructions?
c duck
d neck
Shadows
Key vocabulary
glass, bottle, stick
The text
xylophone a musical instrument you tap to
make musical sounds
musical instrument something you play to make
music
level height of water in the bottle
tap a small sound
note a musical sound
This simple information text, consisting of
pictures and captions, describes how a child's
shadow changes according to the position of the
sun. After reading the text with the class, why
not check out the length of children's shadows
at different times during the day?
The activities
same, middle
Text Level: questions focusing on the features
comes up rises
goes down sets
Key vocabulary
and content of the text.
Sentence Level: punctuation - capital letters and
question marks.
Word Level: short words ending with -ck .
35
The activities
Sentence Level: choosing appropriate adjectives
Text Level: questions requiring literal
to complete sentences.
comprehension.
Word Level: cvc words with short medial i
Sentence Level: demonstrating understanding of
Answers:
adjectives by making a drawn response.
Text Level
Word Level: consonant digraph sh.
(open)
Answers:
Sentence Level
Text Level
2 green
4 long
6 straight
1 yes
4 It is long.
2 yes
5 It is short.
3 yes
6 yes
Sentence Level
Word Level
(drawn response)
2 him
5 pit
Word Level
1 fish wish shop crash sheep rush
shoe shell brush
2 words with sh at the beginning: ship,
shop, sheep, shoe, shell
words with sh at the end: wish, crash,
rush, brush
3 blue
5 wet
3 fig
6 bib
4 lid
The lion and
the mouse
The text
This is a simplified version of a well-known
Aesop fable. It shows how size does not matter
- even the small and insignificant have
something to offer. Before reading the story with
the class, ask the children to suggest ways in
which a small mouse might help a big lion.
Our family
comes from
round the world
The text
Key vocabulary
This" lovely poem encourages children to think of
everyone in the world as part of one large family.
Before reading it allow the children to talk about
their families. Discuss in what way the school
can be considered as a large family. Introduce
the poem by explaining that the people of the
world can also be thought of as one large family.
Read the poem to the class several times straight
through, to allow them to get the gist of it.
Encourage them to join in the chorus and then
to join in as and when they are able to.
net
let go allow to escape
got away escaped
The activities
Text Level: sentence completion, focusing on the
two main characters.
Sentence Level: verbs - animal noises.
Word Level: cvc words with medial vowels a
and u.
Key vocabulary
round the world, straight, curled, skins
The activities
Text Level: questions requiring literal and
appreciative comprehension.
36
Answers:
5 The dinosaur painted a picture.
6 The dinosaur went home.
Text Level
1 One day a lion was sleeping.
2 The mouse woke the lion up.
3 The lion let the mouse go.
4 The mouse saw the lion in a net.
5 The mouse bit the net.
6 The lion got away.
Sentence Level
2 song
3 ladder
4 hair
5 ball
6 spade
Sentence Level
2 squeaks
4 moos
6 croaks
Word Level
b tape
e shape
h wave
Word Level
2 mud
5 put
8 but
3 quacks
5 buzzes
3 bug
6 fun
9 cut
4 rug
7 run
10 bun
elate
f game
gave
d make
g gate
j take
Mrs Wilson's
week
The text
A dinosaur came
to school
Before reading the story to and with the class,
ask children to say the days of the week in order.
This humorous story tells how Mrs Wilson used a
different form of transport each day of the week
to get into town . Use the pictures to help
children understand any unfamiliar words.
The text
Before reading the story to and w ith the class,
ask children to volunteer what they know about
dinosaurs. What would it be like if a friendly
dinosaur spent the day at your school? Ask the
children for some suggestions and then read the
story.
'
Key vocabulary
(names of the days of the week)
bike short form of bicycle
have a rest sit quietly, do no work
Key vocabulary
dinosaur, lunch, picture
The activities
The activities
Text Level: sentence complet ion requiring literal
comprehension.
Text Level: matching sentence beginnings with
endings to re-tell the story.
Sentence Level: proper nouns (beginning each
with a capital letter).
Sentence Level: multiple choice sentence
completion choosing the best noun.
Word Level: months of the year.
Answers:
Word Level: a-e words (using the 'magic' or
modifying e).
Text Level
1 on her bike
2 on her horse
3 in her balloon
4 in her car
5 in her helicopter
6 on her skates
Answers:
Text Level
2 The dinosaur sat on a chair.
3 The dinosaur read a book .
4 The dinosaur ate some lunch.
37
Sentence Level
2 Jill
4 Goldilocks
6 Mrs Wilson
9 Hussein
Sentence Level
3 Snow White
2
3
4
5
6
5 Mr West
7 Sam
8 Ali
10 M r Shah
Word Level
January, February, March, April, May, June,
July, August, September, October, November,
December
ears
birds
tree
cat
sock
Word Level
1
2
3
4
b
a
a
a
bell
fill
call
bull
b pill
b fall
b full
Our class trip
My eyes can see
The text
The text
This rhyme is about parts of our bodies and
what they can do. Before reading it talk about
parts of our bodies and what we use them for.
After reading the rhyme several times,
encourage children to act it out or point to the
various parts of their bodies as they are
mentioned .
Before reading this recount of a school visit to a
museum to and with the class, ask the children
to talk about their experiences and memories of
class trips.
Key vocabulary
trip, museum, picnic, wind
The activities
Key vocabulary
Text Level: true/false statements.
smell, bite , hug
Sentence Level: opposites, using adjectives.
The, activities
Word Level: consonant blends at the beginning
Text Level: reading for meaning and correcting
of words.
deliberate mistakes in sentences.
Sentence Level: pluralising regular nouns.
Answers:
Word Level: short words ending with -II.
Text Level
Answers:
1 true
4 false
Text Level
Sentence Level
2
3
4
5
6
2 long/short
4 hot/cold
6 open/shut
I can talk with my mouth.
lotcan hear with my ears.
" can walk with my feet.
I can smell with my nose.
I can bite with my teeth .
2 false
5 false
3 big/small
5 wet/dry
Word Level
cr words: crop, crab
fr words: from, frog, fr ill
gr words: grab, grip , grass
pr words: pram, prod, press
tr words: trip, trap, trick
38
3 true
6 true
The gingerbread
A tree
boy
The text
The text
This information text consists of statements
about trees, accompanied by a labelled diagram,
which w ill help children understand many of the
't ree-relat ed words ' used in the text.
This is a very simple re-telling of the trad itional
story of the gingerbread boy wh ich has a clear,
repetitive storyline and lots of predictab le
language in it. Before sharing the story w ith the
class, ask if any of the children have read or
been told the story before .
Key vocabulary
Key vocabulary
plant, trunk, branches, twigs, roots, insects,
wood, fruit
lady. baked
The activities
gingerbread a kind of biscuit
Text Level: sentence completion requiring literal
comprehension.
The activities
Sentence Level: using commas correctly in lists.
Text Level: sentence completion requiring literal
comprehens ion .
Word Level: vowel digraphs ee and 00 .
Answers:
Sentence Level: match ing sentence beginnings
and endings .
Text Level
1 trunk
2 Branches
3 twigs
4 Leaves
5 roots
6 water
Word Level: s + consonant blends at beginning
of words .
Answers:
Text Level
1 lady
2 man
3 horse
4 cow
5 duck
6 fox
Sentence Level
2 pink, red, blue and yellow
3 cat, dog , mouse and rabbit
4 apple , banana, pear and orange
5 plate, cup, saucer and bowl
Sentence Level
2 The apple fell from the apple tree.
3 The cat is sleeping under the chair.
4 The man came down the ladder.
5 The girl put the money in her bag.
6 The boy put the hat on his head.
Word Level
1 b sweet
f smash
j stick
2 (open)
Word Level
1 b see c need d seed
2 a root b cool c moon
3 a need b root c keep
c snake d sniff e smile
g spill h spell i sting
39
Jack and the
beanstalk
Mark's mask
The text
The text
This is a story about how Mark made a monster
mask. It explains what he did. At the end when
he wears his monster mask, he frightens his
mother. Before reading the story together, ask
children to explain in their own words what a
mask is and why people wear masks.
Key vocabulary
This is a simple re-telling of the well-known
traditional story. Before reading the story to and
with the class, ask children what they know
about giants. Have any of the children read the
'Jack and the Beanstalk' story? Ask them to tell
the others about it and then compare their
version with the one in the book .
mask, cardboard box, stuck, wool
Key vocabulary
cry shout
top, castle, giant, gold
The activities
beanstalk bean plant
chop down cut down
Text Level: re-ordering sentences to tell the story
in sequence.
The activities
Sentence Level: demonstrating understanding of
ordinal numbers by drawn responses.
Text Level: sentence completion requiring literal
comprehension.
Word Level: o-e words (using the 'magic' or
mod ifying e).
Sentence Level: categorising nouns by selecting
the odd one out in"each set.
Word Level: learning some high frequency
words .
Answers:
Text Level
Mark got a cardboard box.
He cut out some eyes.
Then he painted the mask green.
Next he painted a mouth w ith sharp teeth .
After this Mark painted a nose.
Last of all he stuck some long wool on for
hair.
Answers:
Text Level
1 some seeds
2 a castle
3 Jack hid
4 to sleep
5 ran away
Sentence Level
(drawn responses)
Sentence Level
2
bag
3
5
sun
Word Level
1 ose words: rose, close
2 ope words: hope, rope, slope
3 oke words : woke, joke, smoke
4 ole words: hole, pole, stole
cup
4
book
Word Level
1 b they c them d there e then
2 a what b that
3 a where b there
4 a what b when c where d who
40
Here is the
ostrich
Gorillas
The text
The text
Before reading th is informat ion text to and w ith
the class, ask children to volunteer what they
already know about go rillas.
This action rhyme describes features of various
animals. The pictures accompanying the text
show how the se actions may be done by the
children . Read the poem to and w ith the class
several times to ensure understanding. After a
few readings , you may w ish to encourage the
children to join in with the words and actions.
Key vocabulary
gorillas, apes, leaves, live, rainforests ,
stay together, groups, gentle, nests, ground
apes anima ls such as gorillas, monkeys,
chimpanzees
Key vocabulary
The activities
nods, slithers along, flaps, crawls, web , peep
Text Level: questions requiring literal
comprehension .
hissing sound noise made by snakes
wing a bird uses its Wings to fly
Sentence Level: spacing words in sentences.
The activities
Word Level: short words ending in -nd.
Text Level: questions requiring literal
comprehension .
Answers :
Sentence Level: subject/verb agreement using
the verbs is/a re.
Text Level
1 They are big apes.
2 They eat leaves.
3 They live in hot rainforests.
4 yes
5 They make thei r nests from leaves.
Word Level: i-e words (using the 'magic ' or
modifying e).
Answers:
Text Level
1 the ostrich
3 a bird
5 the children
Sentence Level
2 It eats leaves.
3 It has thick skin.
4 It has a trunk.
5 An elephant has big ears.
2
4
t he long snake
a spider
Sentence Level
2 are
3 is
4 is
5 are
Word Level
1 and words: hand , grand, band, sand, stand
end words: mend, blend, send, bend, lend
2 a send
b sand
c bend
d band
e hand
Word Level
1 smile - crocodile; nine - fine; kite - white;
dive - drive
2 a ride
b smile
c kite
d dr ive
e nine
41
Book 2
I_
Comprehension
Test:
____
_ Fiction
_ _ _ _1
The day Ben went shopping
Ben's mum asked Ben to go to the shop for her. She
gave him a bag. She gave him a list of the things to
get. She wanted some bread, some eggs and some
apples. Ben went to the shop and got all three things.
On the way home Ben fell over. He dropped the bag.
All the things fell out. The eggs broke. The apples
rolled down a hill. A car ran over the bread. Poor Ben!
© Copyright Ma cmillan Education Ltd 2002
42
Book 2
Test:_
Fiction
___
_---.11
I Comprehension
Name
- --
-
-
- --
-
Date - - - - - -
1
Who asked Ben to go shopping?
2
What did Ben's mum give him to put the shopping
in?
3
What three things did Ben's mum ask Ben to get?
4
What did Ben do on the way horne?
5
What happened to the eggs?
6
What happened to the bread?
Marks:
© Copyr ight Macmillan Education Ltd 2002
43
D
out of 6
Book 2
I Comprehension
Test: Non-fiction
The elephant
An elephant is a very large animal.
It eats leaves of trees and plants.
It has a thick, grey skin.
It has a long nose called a trunk.
An elephant uses its trunk for picking up things.
Its tail is very short.
An elephant has two big ears.
It also has two long teeth called tusks.
An elephant walks slowly.
© Copyright Macmillan Education Ltd 2002
44
I
Book 2
I Comprehension
Name
Test: Non-fiction
---------
I
Date - - - - - -
Read each sentence. Write if it is true or false.
1
An elephant is a smell animal.
2
An elephant eats leaves of trees.
3
An elephant has grey skin.
4
An elephant's nose is called a tusk.
5
An elephant has a long tail.
6
An elephant walks slowly.
Marks:
© Copyright M acmillan Education Ltd 2002
45
D
out of 6
Book 2
I Comprehension
'
­
Test: Poetry
Six little cats
Six little cats were learning to dive,
One jumped in the water, then
there were five.
Five little cats were playing near a door,
One ran outside, then there were four.
Four little cats were under a tree,
One ran after a bird, then
there were three.
Two little cats were playing in the sun,
One ran after a butterfly, then
there was one.
One little cat was looking for some fun,
He went to get some milk, then
there were none.
© Copyright Macmillan Education Ltd 2002
46
1
Book 2
Comprehension
Test:
_
____
_ Poetry
_ _ _ _1
I
Name
---------
Date
------
Choose the correct word to fill in each gap.
1
Six little cats were learning to
_
(dive, drive)
2
little cats were playing near a door.
(Four, Five)
3
Four little cats were under a
---­
(sea, tree)
4
little cats were sitting near a shoe.
(Two, Three)
5
Two little cats were playing in the
_
(shoe, sun)
6
little cat was looking for some fun.
(One, Two)
Marks:
© Copyright Macmillan Education Ltd 2002
47
D
out of 6
Answers to Comprehension
Fiction: The day Ben went shopping
1 Ben's mum asked Ben to go to the shop.
2 Ben's mum gave him a bag to put the
shopping in.
3 Ben's mum asked Ben to get some bread,
some eggs and some apples.
4 Ben fell over.
5 The eggs broke.
6 A car ran over the bread.
Non-fiction: The elephant
1 false
4 false
2 true
5 false
3 true
6 true
Poetry: Six little cats
1
2
3
4
5
6
Six little cats were learning to dive.
Five little cats were playing near a door.
Four little cats were under a tree.
Three little cats were sitting near a shoe.
Two little cats were playing in the sun.
One little cat was looking for some fun.
© Copyright Macmillan Education Ltd 2002
48