Children have been captivated by the animals of Africa for decades. In this reading package, you can find out all about the ‘big five’ animals to spot; their habitats and behaviour; and how we can help to save them from extinction. There are eight reading activities, aimed at 8, 9, 10 and 11 year olds, testing children’s reading skills right across the curriculum. As with all of my reading comprehension projects, my aim is to create stimulating text that will actually get children into reading. I started writing my own material in 2014 after feeling bored by a lot of the comprehensions on offer. Using this approach, I have introduced my students to many stories and topics that may not be on the curriculum, but are important for young people to know. Contents Lion Factfile – Group facts about lions into categories Meet a Lion – Look at words and phrases in context Save The Elephants – Summarise main idea and extra detail The Man and The Elephant - Sequence a fable The Big Five – Identify cause, effect and solution Decline of the Black Rhino - Analyse information in a graph Big Five – Who’s not on the list? – Compare, select and justify using evidence Who am I – Use cryptic clues and keywords to identify animals Answers BONUS KAHOOT QUIZ! In the teacher notes for this item, there is a link to a Kahoot quiz which can be used at the end of the unit. It tests retention of facts from the texts and speed processing skills. A fantastic way to finish the material! ______________________________________________________ This product has been designed to put you in control. There is a Powerpoint file, so you can edit it, delete slides, change the order, print it or share it digitally. The great benefit of this is that your children can complete this as a worksheet or on a digital device – or even a bit of both! I often share this with children on tablets, but obviously I copy the file and remove the answers first! Sometimes, they read the text on a tablet and answer the questions on a sheet. However you use this, I’m sure you will find a way that works for your students – and save some paper and photocopying costs in the process.

This guided reading resource includes a pair of texts about Africa with four comprehension skills sheets to complete, providing reading passages and questions that are challenging and engaging. Using the ‘LIMS’ approach, students work through Literal, Inference, Meaning and Summary questions to ensure that in the course of a week, they have practised skills right across the curriculum. Text is differentiated and an answer scheme is provided. Suggested itinerary: Day 1 (30 mins) – Read both texts as a class. Highlight key parts. Discuss together. What have we learned? What do we want know more about? It is worth asking the students to write down any questions they have about the texts and putting them on display. Day 2 (30 mins) – Literal sheet Day 3 (30 mins) – Inference sheet (or meaning sheet if you prefer) Day 4 (30 mins) – Meaning sheet (or inference sheet if you prefer) Day 5 (45 mins) – Summary sheet and looking back at questions from the start of the week. This is part of a series of Paired text resources looking at the seven continents of the world. You can find the others in my store. Differentiation: All questions are the same, which should make marking easier! However, the texts differ, with asterisks in the bottom right corner indicating the reading level.

This guided reading resource includes a pair of texts about Antarctica with four comprehension skills sheets to complete, providing reading passages and questions that are challenging and engaging. Using the ‘LIMS’ approach, students work through Literal, Inference, Meaning and Summary questions to ensure that in the course of a week, they have practised skills in reading right across the Common Core. Text is differentiated and an answer scheme is provided. Suggested itinerary: Day 1 (30 mins) – Read both texts as a class. Highlight key parts. Discuss together. What have we learned? What do we want know more about? It is worth asking the students to write down any questions they have about the texts and putting them on display. Day 2 (30 mins) – Literal sheet Day 3 (30 mins) – Inference sheet (or meaning sheet if you prefer) Day 4 (30 mins) – Meaning sheet (or inference sheet if you prefer) Day 5 (45 mins) – Summary sheet and looking back at questions from the start of the week. This is the first in a series of Paired text resources looking at the seven continents of the world. Keep an eye on my store. Differentiation: All questions are the same, which should make marking easier! However, the texts differ, with asterisks in the bottom right corner indicating the reading level.

This guided reading resource includes four epic stories of survival. These include the pilot who crash landed in the Hudson River, the football team who got trapped for weeks in a flooded cave and the child who fell into the gorilla enclosure at the zoo. Using the ‘LIMS’ approach, students work through Literal, Inference, Meaning and Summary questions to ensure that as your students find out about these captivating stories, they will also practise skills in reading right across the curriculum. As answer scheme is provided, and the product is ready to print and go. Here is a short sample taken from one of the stories: But shortly after take off, disaster struck. As the plane climbed from the airport, the pilot’s view was filled with a huge flock of large birds. Passengers heard a series of loud bangs, and showers of flame coming from the engines followed by silence and a sickening smell of fuel. The plane had struck a flock of Canada Geese, and lost power in both of the aircraft’s engines. Now useless as a plane, Sully found himself in charge of a 75-tonne glider. He had to think quickly. And examples of questions: *What type of birds struck the engine of Flight 1549? *Why is the plane described as a glider in the second paragraph? * This is the second set of survival stories I have compiled. The other package can be found here: Stories of Survival

In December 2015, Star Wars - The Force Awakens was released and became the highest grossing movie at the box office in history. Star Wars is just one of several series of movie blockbusters - and the children in your class can find out all about them in this guided reading compilation! JAWS…STAR WARS…JAMES BOND…HARRY POTTER These guided reading activities, aimed at children aged 10-13 years old, test childrens’ retrieval, inference and deduction skills. Questions and answers are provided, with an indication of how many marks are on offer at the end of each question. This is particularly helpful for children preparing for reading tests and exams, encouraging them to give fuller answers where required. Your children will love finding out about the stories behind some of the world’s movie blockbusters!

Who is Greta Thunberg? What is Climate Change? This pair of reading comprehension activities, ideal for guided reading, are will help your students find out about the teenager who has made the world aware of climate change. Your students will develop reading comprehension skills through a range of retrieval and inference questions, using skills to skim and scan the text. In particular, they will learn about: Greta Thunberg What is climate change? What causes it? What can be done about it? Just print and go…no prep needed! Answers are provided. I have also included a black and white version of the product on pages to avoid the costs of colour graphics printing - something I’m sure Greta would approve of! This activity is part of a set that that I am currently putting together: Girls who Dare to be Different Thanks for your interest!

This is a small part of a much bigger reading package on Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. If you like these reading activities, then there is much more available in ‘The Fawkes Files’ which is available at the price of £2 from my store. The paid version also includes an answer key and several writing activities, as well as another six documents (like those in this free resource) with reading comprehension questions.

I put this resource together as part of a package that I have created for the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. If you like this, and want more like it (with answers), then please take a look in my store. A BIT ABOUT ME Before teaching, I was a journalist. I still work as a freelance writer, and like nothing more than writing engaging texts to challenge and inspire children and young people. I choose subjects that may not be on the curriculum but are still of great importance for students to know about. Everything I write has been comprehensively researched from a number of sources and been written by myself. No plagiarism here! This is all original material. My questions are pitched at a high level, but with a bit of patience and persistence (and some adult help if necessary) most students will have great fun as they learn, especially as the penny drops I am aware of the impact of printed resources on our environment so try to condense my reading activities into as compact a space as possible. Hopefully this will help you save time in printing, and keep the bills down! Check out my store if you enjoy this – you’re sure to find more. Thanks!

This is the story of the Chilean miners who spent more than two months trapped underground. It is part of my ‘Stories of Survival’ guided reading series, available on TES. I hope you and the children find it of use.

2018 marks the centenary of the end of World War One. This collection of four reading comprehensions, aimed at 10-14 year olds, tests children’s comprehension, retrieval, inference and deduction skills through a range of informative and enlightening texts. It will also promote reflective and engaging classroom discussion as children discover more about this important chapter in the world’s history. For this reason, it is ideal for research projects. Each activity has questions and answers, with an indication of how many marks are on offer at the end of each question. This is particularly helpful for children preparing for reading tests and exams, encouraging them to give fuller answers where required. ____________________________ CONTENTS The Soldier who helped to end the war: The heroic story of a British officer who went behind enemy lines to secure the masterplan for the fearsome Hindenburg defences – a mission that many believe helped to end the war more quickly. America declares war: How America moved from neutrality to war; and how their actions were crucial in securing an Allied victory. The Armistice: The world celebrates as the peace treaty is signed in a railway carriage – but the war rumbles on right until the bitter end. We Will Remember Them: A look at the Flanders Fields poem, followed by information about Remembrance and Veteran’s Day; and the significance of the poppy.

How exactly did World War One begin? Who was Franz Ferdinand? How did the Americans get involved? What role did Uncle Sam play in recruiting an army? 2018 marks the centenary of the end of World War One. This collection of four guided reading activities, aimed at 10 to 14 year olds, tests children’s comprehension, retrieval, inference and deduction skills. It will also promote reflective and engaging classroom discussion as children discover more about this important chapter in the world’s history. CONTENTS Causes of the war - Why did the First World War take place and how did it begin? Find out about how tensions in Europe reached boiling point in the summer of 1914. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand - Read in detail about the daring mission which led to Archduke Franz Ferdinand being killed – and how this led to war. Movers & Shakers - From Woodrow Wilson to the Kaiser, find out about the leaders who played a pivotal part in the war. You will also discover how Adolf Hitler started out as a soldier in World War One. Recruiting an Army - The posters of Lord Kitchener and Uncle Sam are recognised throughout the world, but just how difficult was it to recruit an army for war?

Eddie the Elf has been set the task of saving Christmas – but he needs help from your students! Travel with Eddie, from Lapland to New York and back again, as he tries to fill up Santa’s Workshop with toys. Help him to find a cure for the sickness epidemic that has confined so many elves to bed at the busiest time of the year. Work with him to discover facts about New York City as he meets the Statue of Liberty. This story is full of math problems using all operations. It is a test of comprehension as well as number skills but your students will be captivated by the story as they help Eddie to save Christmas! There are four chapters in total, with questions and answers for each. The answers also include clues to help the students to answer the questions. The reason I make resources like this is that word problems don’t go far enough to test a child’s math ability. I have always thought that they would be more challenging and ultimately more rewarding if they were placed within the context of a wider narrative. This story also encourages students to use comprehension skills. They will need to retain information that will be needed later in the text!

This package on the 2022 Winter Olympics is full of interesting facts, stories and statistics which will inspire and challenge your students through a range of Common Core-aligned reading activities. The reading skills that children will develop are in finding and recalling facts, inference, word meaning and summarising. CONTENTS 2022 Winter Olympics: Beijing – Comprehension questions based on the 24th Winter Olympics and further questions on China. This includes some geography. Sports of the Winter Olympics – A guide to four prominent winter sports with some interesting questions based on photographs that refer to the text. An Olympics like no other – A text exploring the use of artificial snow at Beijing 2022, and the threat of Covid-19 during the games. These questions rely on children using inference and summary skills. History of Winter Olympics – Tables and infographics containing statistics on where past games have been held and which nations and individuals have won the most medals. A series of number-based questions follow. Unlikely Olympic Heroes – The wonderful stories of the Jamaican Bobsled team and Eddie the Eagle, who lit up the 1988 games in Calgary. Questions compare the stories, request students to identify the obstacles, and relate the stories to personal experience. A Bit About Me Before teaching, I was a journalist. I still work as a freelance writer, and like nothing more than writing engaging texts to challenge and inspire children and young people. I choose subjects that may not be on the curriculum but are still of great importance for students to know about. Everything I write has been comprehensively researched from a number of sources and been written by myself. No plagiarism here! This is all original material. My questions are pitched at a high level, but with a bit of patience and persistence (and some adult help if necessary) most students will have great fun as they learn, especially as the penny drops I am aware of the impact of printed resources on our environment so try to condense my reading activities into as compact a space as possible. Hopefully this will help you save time in printing, and keep the bills down! Check out my store if you enjoy this – you’re sure to find more. Thanks!

At 6:30pm on Thursday 8th September 2022, Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen had died at the age of 96. An official statement was placed outside the palace stating “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.” In these reading comprehension activities, your students can find out all about her life including: -her birth and early life -her wedding and children -her coronation as queen -her seventy year reign -her declining health -tributes paid to her when she died -plans for her funeral Please see the preview - what you see is what you are purchasing. Questions include a range of reading skills. I hope this is an informative way for your students to find out about the life of the Queen while challenging your students in their reading comprehension skills.

BIGFOOT. LOCH NESS. LORD LUCAN. MARY CELESTE. ROSWELL. TURIN SHROUD. Does an ape-like biped roam the forests of North America? Is there a monster lurking in the depths of a Scottish lake? Is the face of Jesus miraculously printed in a piece of linen? Did Lord Lucan really kill the nanny? Do aliens exist? Where were the crew of the Mary Celeste? Answer these questions and more in this exciting Guided Reading resource looking at some of the greatest mysteries of the world. This collection of six guided reading activities, aimed at 10 and 11 year olds, tests children’s comprehension, retrieval, inference and deduction skills. It will also promote lively and engaging classroom discussion as children try to solve these mysteries for themselves. Each activity has questions and answers, with an indication of how many marks are on offer at the end of each question. This is particularly helpful for children preparing for reading tests and exams, encouraging them to give fuller answers where required.

It is over 100 years since World War One. This remarkable set of TEN guided reading activities uncovers the horror, humanity and humour of life in the Great War. Each activity focuses on a different part of the war, such as life in the trenches; the Christmas Truce and the assasination of Franz Ferdinand. Also, find out about the fascinating story of the British soldier who spared the life of a young Adolf Hitler. These guided reading activities, aimed at children aged 10-13 years old, test children’s retrieval, inference and deduction skills. They will also promote lively and engaging classroom discussion as children explore these stories for themselves. Each activity has questions and answers, with an indication of how many marks are on offer at the end of each question. This is particularly helpful for children preparing for reading tests and exams, encouraging them to give fuller answers where required.

These reading comprehensions will test your students’ reading skills as they explore three engaging news stories from February 2017. Using research skills and their reporters notebooks, the young journalists will find out about: Mass whale stranding in New Zealand World War Two Bomb panic in Greece Miraculous survival of Australian farmer Each story comes with questions and answers, and will require students to check dictionaries; summarise stories; think critically; retrieve facts; and prioritise statements. A template for a news story is also provided so children can write them up for themselves. A scaffold is included to show them how to fill in the boxes. Finally, posters are enclosed if you want to make the students’ work into a simple, effective display. As a journalist and teacher, it’s my passion that children should have an awareness of what is going on in the world through engaging reading material. CONTENTS 3: INCHES FROM DEATH! 4: Heartbreak of the Whales 5: PANIC IN GREECE! 6-8: Questions 9-11: Answers 12: How to write a newspaper article 13: Newspaper template 14-16: Posters for display