This no-prep exploring a plotline reading comprehension activity teaches students about: Themes of texts Change in a character through a text How emotions change through a story There is a two-page story and then six task cards, each with their own - accompanying answer card. NO PREPARATION REQUIRED The text and task cards require no preparation and could be printed out or completed on PowerPoint. The answer slides give students the opportunity to self-check or aid the teacher in their marking. ENGAGING ACTIVITIES The six task cards are completed in a number of different ways. There are two longer answer cards (pupils must write a paragraph to answer) and shorter activities, which have been designed to suit different students’ learning styles. Each task card has its own answer card too. Teachers can use these for marking work, or students can use if the task has been set as distance learning. WHAT’S INCLUDED? Story (two pages long) 6 task cards 6 answer cards 8 pages total (some pages contain two task cards)

Non-Fiction Reading Comprehension Tasks - Diary Entry These reading comprehension diary entry tasks bring a little something different to your reading comprehension lessons. There are three diary entry texts from three members of a class: two classmates and their teacher. Each entry then has a series of comprehension questions (and answers) about the text. Your students will enjoy reading the three diary entries, all based on the first day back after the summer holidays. Each one gives a slightly different perspective of the day. There are ten questions based on each one, with a mix of multiple choice, shorter answers and longer responses required. There is also a bonus set of comprehension questions based on comparisons between all three entries, as a whole. This gives students the chance to evaluate all three texts. What’s included? Three diary entries Three sets of comprehension questions Bonus set of questions based on all three texts

These electricity word searches are great for introducing or ending your science topic on electricity. They could be used for early finishes or register activities. In addition, they could be used as prompts for teaching about vocabulary related to electricity. There are two word searches: one based on circuits and the other on famous scientists in the field of electricity. Following the word search, you could ask pupils to define the words or research the scientists. What’s included? Word search on circuits Word search on famous scientists linked to electricity Answers

Are you looking for Christmas morning challenges for Key Stage 2? These Christmas challenge slides are full of fun Christmas challenges, perfect for your Christmas morning tasks. There are Christmas teamwork challenges, Christmas competitive challenges, Christmas cheeesy challenges, Christmas tricky challenges, Christmas kindness challenges and Christmas creative challenges. The students are introduced to six characters: Mikey (the Christmas mouse), who loves setting cheeeeesy challenges! Mrs Claus, who loves setting creative challenges Josie (the head elf), who loves setting tricky challenges Elves, Jilly and Joey, who love setting teamwork challenges Santa, who sets kindness challenges Richie, the reindeer, who sets competitive challenges Each character has five challenges (30 challenges in total) and there is an editable slide for each character (the text box is editable - the images are all flattened). There are no materials, other than paper and pencil, required for these challenges, so they are easy for you, the busy teacher, at this time of year. Copyright © George and Smudge (I also make products under the name Ellie’s Tales for Learning) You may use this resource for your own classroom only.

Looking for Christmas short stories? Or are you looking for Christmas reading comprehension activities for Year 5 or Year 6? Or even a Christmas mystery picture activity? This set of Christmas reading task cards feature short stories, reading comprehension activities and a Christmas-themed mystery picture. What’s included? Child instructions - allows the pack of task cards and mystery picture activity to be handed out for independent pupil work Teacher instructions for ease of use 8 Christmas short stories, each with an associated reading comprehension activity Answers for task cards for student or pupil use Mystery picture table Mystery picture grid template (there is a Christmas-related joke and the mystery picture gives a clue as to the punchline of the joke) Mystery picture answer so that the teacher knows what the children’s pictures should look like The short stories each have a question or task attached to them. These focus on elements such as vocabulary (define the word), determining the themes of a passage, quoting accurately from the text to give evidence to support an answer and answering inference and retrieval questions. The Christmas mystery picture activity can be completed by the class as they complete the task cards. This acts as an incentive for them to get the task cards completed and also adds an element of festive fun! There is a challenge here too, as they must try to work out the punchline of the festive joke, based on the mystery picture. Can they work out what it is? There isn’t much to do! Your students will have Christmas fun, whilst still practicing their reading comprehension skills. This activity would be perfect for an emergency Christmas supply task as everything’s ready to go. Please note that this resource is not editable, due to the need to protect the clip art and font designers’ work. Also check out: Christmas Challenge Slides Christmas Around the World Reading Comprehension Key Stage 2 Christmas Comprehension Worksheets Copyright © George and Smudge (I also make products under the name Ellie’s Tales for Learning) You may use this resource for your own classroom only.

**Are you looking for literary elements posters or figurative language posters for your classroom? Would it be great if you also had some literary elements activities to accompany them? **These figurative language posters and activities will really help your class to understand all the literary devices. The resource starts with a pack of 9 literary elements posters, focusing on figurative language. There is a teacher guide, at the beginning, to explain how the posters work. The first poster is an overview poster, where all of the figurative language techniques are listed with a helpful mnemonic device ‘Ms. Aposhi’. This spells out: Metaphors Similes Alliteration Personification Onomatopoeia Symbolism Hyperbole Irony There is then an individual poster for each of the figurative language techniques. Each one has three different ways of explaining the literary element: A poem, showcasing the device (with several examples of that specific device used) A symbol to remind students what that device means A definition to help students understand the device These posters all continue with the Ms. Aposhi theme - the poems all link to her. After this, in section 2, there are 8 worksheets for pupils to apply their learning about the figurative language features. These worksheets each have a postcard from Ms. Aposhi. She is on her travels and each postcard has examples of the specific figurative device that the worksheet is focusing on. Pupils must write the passage used and the reasons why this device has been used.

Are you looking for a St. Patrick’s Day assembly or a set of St. Patrick’s Day activities? This St. Patrick’s Day assembly and set of activities teaches the children about what St. Patrick’s Day is, its history, traditions and symbols of St. Patrick’s Day, traditional food eaten on St. Patrick’s Day and much more! There are even some case studies, looking at what St. Patrick’s Day means to a selection of fictional children. There is then a quiz at the end to see how much pupils remember. What’s included in the assembly? 28 slides What is St. Patrick’s Day? How long have we celebrated? Who was Saint Patrick? What did St. Patrick do in Ireland? How is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated? What are some popular St. Patrick’s Day foods? Symbols of St. Patrick’s Day: the shamrock Symbols of St. Patrick’s Day: the harp Symbols of St. Patrick’s Day: leprechauns Symbols of St. Patrick’s Day: the rainbow St. Patrick’s Day Fun Facts x2 St. Patrick’s Day case studies St. Patrick’s Day quiz In addition to the assembly presentation, there are also three worksheets for pupils to do after the assembly. There is: A word search featuring words from the assembly A reading comprehension about St. Patrick’s Day A writing activity - Decorate a room for St. Patrick’s Day and explain your choices Please note that these resources are not editable (as clip art and font need to be secured).

Are you looking for quoting accurately from a text practice for your Year 5 or 6 pupils? This set of 6 paired non-fiction texts (3 pairs of passages) will help them to practise the tricky skill of providing evidence to support an answer. The resource can be put together as a quoting accurately booklet, with a front cover and step-by-step instruction page. This would make the booklet perfect for homework, a supply teacher set of lessons or any independent learning day. There are three sets of paired passages: Animal adaptations - All About Animal Adaptations and How Have I Adapted Over Time? Famous Female Inventors and Margaret’s Diary Entry The History of Space Exploration and Come Aboard on a Special Space Journey! There are then six questions for each of these three paired texts (18 questions in the whole resource). Two questions are about the first text, two are about the second and then two are about the pair of passages together. Also included is both passages on one sheet of paper. Not only does this mean less photocopying, but also easier comparison by the pupils. This means you can choose how you want the texts, color, black and white, on individual pages or on a page together. There are all options available to you! An example of the paired questions is: How can you tell that predators are a real threat to wild animals? Answer with evidence from both passages. There is ample space given for pupils’ extended answers for this style of question. Sample answers are then provided. For open ended questions, where there are several plausible answers, sample answers are given. What’s included? Front cover Step-by-step guide: how to quote accurately from the text? 6 texts 18 quoting accurately questions (six based on each set of paired passages Answers The worksheets have been designed to be used in a booklet format, with front cover included. This means it could easily be given for homework, used in a revision workshop or set for a sub lesson. It can be simply printed, copied and handed out to your class. Alternatively, sheets can be printed individually. There is a black and white version of everything included too. Please note that the resource is not editable. This is to protect the fonts and clip art used.

Are you looking for some SATs reading revision for your Year 6 class? Is authorial intent an area they need more practice with? If so, this is the perfect resource. Author’s purpose questions are given alongside 5 different texts - a mix of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Each question focuses, very specifically on the author’s purpose. To help you to introduce the worksheets, there is also a steps to success guide included, which takes pupils through the important elements of answering an author’s intent question. This can be enlarged to go on a working wall or given to the children as a revision aid. The worksheets have a front cover, too. This means it can easily be given as homework or as a supply activity if you need to be away from your class close to SATs. What’s included? Front cover Steps to success guide to author’s purpose questions 5 engaging texts: -A Garden of Change (poem) -Should We Have Intelligent Doorbells?(a balanced argument) -The Thoughful Present (a story) -The Moment (a poem) -Textile Club Diaries (a series of diary entries) 4 author’s intent questions for each text (20 total) Answers Please note that the resource is not editable due to needing to protect the fonts and clip art.

This Year 6 reading SATs author’s purpose PowerPoint takes pupils through the process of answering authorial intent SATs questions. There is then a modelled answer, showing the author’s intention question answered using the steps. After this, there are four texts (two stories, one poem and one non-fiction text) so that pupils can have a go at author’s purpose questions independently. There are three questions for each of these texts and all answers are provided. At the end of the PowerPoint, there is a ‘can you remember the steps?’ slide, for children to talk with a partner and see if they can remember what they have learnt. This slide would be great for enlarging and putting up on a working wall as a reminder of the process. What’s included? 28 slides 5 different texts - fiction/non-fiction/poetry Steps to success Author’s intent questions (13 in total) Answers Summary slide at the end Please note that the slides are not editable to protect the clip art and fonts used.

Use this first day of school reading comprehension for short story question practice with activities included too. This pack includes 3 short stories for KS2. Each story has a set of comprehension questions for KS2. There is also a set of questions about all the stories, allowing students to compare and contrast the characters across all three stories. It can be really hard to find short stories which really encompass all those complex first day of school feelings! Children may well find themselves nodding along with Kaitlynn’s, Gracey’s or Alberto’s stories (or perhaps even all three), as they empathize with their first day of school emotions! These two-page stories are short enough to be accessible, but long enough to be able to really get a feel for the characters and their situations. The three sets of questions (one for each story) are written to be standards-based. There is a focus on author perspective, inference and retrieval, comparing and contrasting characters and the main ideas of the stories. Here’s what you’ll get: -3 stories: colour and black and white versions -3 sets of questions (one set per story), again in color and black and white -Answers for all questions -Set of questions about all three stories - colour and black and white -Activity sheet about all three stories Your class will love reading the fun first day of the new school year stories and getting to know the characters. You’ll love the assessment opportunity this will give you straight away. It’s a win-win! One of the real benefits of this set of stories and comprehension questions is the fact that there’s also a set of questions about all three stories. This means there can be questions comparing and contrasting characters across stories with a similar theme. It can be really hard to find opportunities to do this, so there is a great chance to do this here. What’s more, the two activities included also focus on the characters. Children must find similarities between two different characters. There is also an activity where they track the mood of a character of their choice. You may wish to give the children more than one copy of this worksheet so that they can cover even more characters. Prep is no problem. Simply print the stories and questions, hand everything out and find out more about what your class knows.

If you’re wanting first day of school reading comprehension tasks or passages and activities all about the first day of school for KS2, this resource is perfect. This set contains 3 non-fiction first day of school passages for Key Stage 2, with reading comprehension questions about each one. There is also a set of questions about all the passages, allowing the children to compare and contrast the 3 texts. These non-fiction first day of school reading comprehension passages have been written to be interesting for the children and also so there there is plenty of scope varied questions about them. There’s a back to school checklist, a passage about what the first day of school is like in different countries and there is also a text about making the most of a fresh new year (covering activities such as goal setting). The aim was to include three varied passages, structured in different ways, to give students plenty to compare and contrast. Here’s what you’ll get: 3 non-fiction passages: colour and black and white versions 3 sets of questions (one set per passage), again in colour and black and white Answers for all questions Set of questions about all three texts - color and black and white Two activity pages about all three passages Your class will enjoy reading the different passages and seeing if they identify with the subject matter, having just started back at school themselves. You’ll love the assessment opportunity this will give you straight away. The children will get a lot from it and so will you! One of the real benefits of this set of non-fiction back to school passages and comprehension questions is the fact that there’s also a set of questions about all three texts. This means there can be questions asking pupils to comment on the similarities and differences between the passages. There are also questions about which passage they resonate with most. Pupils will enjoy comparing and contrasting the different texts. What’s more, the two activity pages included also give pupils plenty of opportunities to reflect on the passages. They use the passages to decide what to pack in their bag ready for back to school; they give advice to a fictional child who is starting at a new school, using the texts for guidance; they list the parts of the passages that resonate with them and the parts that don’t; and they draw their own ideal back to school portrait and explain how it was influenced by the passages. Preparation is no problem. Simply print the texts and questions, hand everything out and find out more about what your class knows. This would be absolutely ideal for a back to school emergency supply day, as there is a lot for children to do and it is such a low-preparation activity.

Roman Deities Poems Comprehension This Roman deities poems comprehension reading and history activity includes four poems about Roman gods and goddesses. Each one then has a set of questions for pupils to revise their knowledge of each deity. This also gives pupils the chance to practise their reading comprehension skills. Deities covered in the poems are: Jupiter, Juno, Neptune and Minerva. The cross-curricular nature of this activity means that children will be able to practise both their history skills (learning about Roman gods) and reading comprehension skills at the same time. The comprehension questions include retrieval and inference questions and also author’s intent and vocabulary ones. There are a mix of circle the answer, one word, one sentence and longer answers. Some questions require evidence from the text. All answers are included (sample answers where more than one answer would be acceptable). What’s included? 4 poems about Ancient Egyptian deities: Jupiter, Juno, Neptune and Minerva 4 sets of questions (one about each god or goddess). Five questions per god / goddess 4 sets of answers If you’ve enjoyed this resource, why not try out our other deity poem comprehensions? We have these ones available: Ancient Greek Deities Comprehension: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12723663 Ancient Egyptian Deities Comprehension: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12721772 Ancient Mayan Deities Comprehension: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12718622