Reading and Comprehension
Reading and comprehension at Key Stage 1 is the skill of understanding a short story or text well enough to answer questions about what happened, how characters felt, and why events took place. It includes finding and copying words or phrases from the text, putting events in order, and giving simple opinions supported by evidence from the story.
Method
- Read the whole story first without stopping, just to understand what happens, then go back to answer questions in detail.
- For 'find and copy' questions, search the text for the exact word or phrase asked for and copy it precisely, including correct spelling.
- For 'true or false' or order-of-events questions, check each detail carefully against the text rather than relying on memory alone.
- For 'how does a character feel' questions, look for clues in what the character says, does, or how they are described, not just a stated emotion.
- For 'why' or 'explain' questions, always support your answer with a short quotation or clear reference to the story.
- For questions asking about word effect, such as 'what does this word suggest?', think about the picture or feeling the word creates for the reader.
Worked example
Read this short passage: 'Tom the tortoise was slow, but he never gave up. Step by step, he crawled along the path until, at last, he reached the shady tree.' Explain why Tom felt proud when he reached the tree.
- Find the relevant part of the text: Tom is described as slow but determined.
- Look for evidence of his effort: 'Step by step, he crawled along the path' shows he kept going even though it was hard.
- Look for evidence of achievement: 'until, at last, he reached the shady tree' shows he finally succeeded.
- Connect the evidence to the feeling: Tom felt proud because he did not give up despite being slow, and his effort was rewarded.
- Use the story's own words to support the answer, such as 'never gave up' and 'at last'.
- Final answer: Tom felt proud because, even though he was slow, he kept going step by step and did not give up, so reaching the tree at last felt like a real achievement.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a English exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Find and copy two words or phrases from the passage that show Tom kept trying, even though it was hard: 'Tom the tortoise was slow, but he never gave up. Step by step, he crawled along the path until, at last, he reached the shady tree.'
How do you think Tom felt when he reached the shady tree? Explain your answer using words from the passage.
The passage says Tom crawled 'step by step'. What does this phrase suggest about the way Tom travelled?
Free printable worksheet
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