-KS2 whole class reading comprehension lessons
-reading templates, assemblies and inspiration -
As Year 6 teachers, we found ourselves in need of comprehension resources that bring texts to life.
YES, we want our comprehension lessons to be rigorous in preparation for the SATs, BUT we also want them to be engaging and fun!
Our aim is to get children excited about comprehension lessons, eager to talk about books and confident in interrogating a text.
-KS2 whole class reading comprehension lessons
-reading templates, assemblies and inspiration -
As Year 6 teachers, we found ourselves in need of comprehension resources that bring texts to life.
YES, we want our comprehension lessons to be rigorous in preparation for the SATs, BUT we also want them to be engaging and fun!
Our aim is to get children excited about comprehension lessons, eager to talk about books and confident in interrogating a text.
2 x reading comprehension lessons based on the introduction and chapter about the astronaut, Mae Jemison ‘Fantastically Great Women Scientists and their Stories’ by Kate Pankhurst.
Years 3 – 5
Book recommended age 7+
24-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint
2 lessons
2 x PDF activities
retrieval
Extract downloadable at lovereading4kids
Lesson 1
Pre-teach vocabulary. Then find out more about women in science before matching the famous scientists with their ground-breaking discovery. If you have time, explore the timeline of women’s rights.
Lesson 2
Firstly introduce key vocabulary, asking the children what they already know about the Civil Rights Movement or Segregation. Children then find out more about the life of Mae Jemison and respond to key questions. Finally, what do the children know about female scientists today who are changing the world?
Lesson 3
Firstly, ask the children to recap what they have learnt previously about Mae Jemison and consider who else inspires them?
5 x reading comprehension lessons based on chapters from So You Think You’ve Got it Bad? A KId’s Life in Ancient Egypt By Chae Strathie.
Year 4
Book recommended age 7+
36-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint
5 lessons
16 x PDF activities
Lessons based on:
Prediction - the front cover
Clothes and Hairstyles - mixed comprehension questions and match the clothing to the era!
The Home - retrieval cards, pyramid fact page.
Chores and Jobs - create a pyramid of roles in society, retrieval questions, match the definitions.
Diet - create a menu, clarify glossary definitions.
Extracts not included.
Reading comprehension resources based on Chapters 8-19 of Varjak Paw by SF Said.
More at MY TEACHING HIVE
93-page PowerPoint presentation
Vocabulary cards
Comprehension Questions in line with the KS2 National Curriculum
Reading skill focused activities
For each chapter
A flexible set of resources which could be used for whole class reading, guided reading, individual and group work as well as for home learning.
Text not included.
Suitable for age 7+
Varjak Paw Reading Comprehension Resource Bundle – Downloadable & Ready to Use
Unlock the world of Varjak Paw by S.F. Said with this comprehensive, ready-to-use reading comprehension resource bundle. Perfect for educators and homeschooling parents, this downloadable pack includes everything you need to guide students through the beloved novel with confidence and engagement.
What’s Included:
✅ PowerPoints & PDFs for easy lesson delivery
✅ Vocabulary Lists for every chapter to support literacy development
✅ Comprehension Questions with answers included
✅ Hands-on Activities to deepen understanding and creativity
Ideal for classroom or remote learning, this Varjak Paw resource pack is designed to save time while enhancing student engagement and comprehension.
Key Features:
Instant download - start using right away
Curriculum-aligned content
Suitable for Key Stage 2/primary students
Supports reading fluency, critical thinking, and vocabulary growth
Take the stress out of lesson planning and bring Varjak Paw to life with this all-in-one comprehension resource bundle!
based on Chapter 1, ‘Planet Omar’, by Zanib Mian
World Book Day whole class reading comprehension lesson
Years 4 & 5
Whole book recommended 8+
9 page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint delving deeper into the text, exploring the main characters and thinking about how their personality and relationship will affect their upcoming journey. Includes an inference activity and a fun task creating word illustration.
Extract not included but available on the World Book Day website.
Book is currently £1 as part of World Book Day 2021.
Offer your children the opportunity to read diverse, inspirational books as part of the Planet Omar series.
3 whole class reading comprehension lessons based on ‘The Selfish Giant’ by Oscar Wilde.
Vocabulary, about the author, whole class reading, paired reading
Reading Skills foci: visualise, clarify, fluency, summarise
34-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint, 2 x printable PDF activities.
Extract included.
Suitable for age 7+
3 x reading comprehension lessons based on the Prologue and Chapter One of I was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers by Philip Pullman.
Book recommended age 9+
Great comprehension lessons from texts written by Philip Pullman
26-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint
2 x PDF activity
Predict, Clarify, Infer, Connect
Extract not included.
Lesson 1
The first activity focusses on making predictions using ‘I see, I wonder, I think’. Then children are encouraged to make wider connections with other traditional tales they have experienced.
Lesson 2
The first activity clarifies the meaning of words in context so the children gain confidence exploring the text on a deeper level. This lesson provides a great opportunity to develop vocabulary by discussing unfamiliar words within the context of the text.
Lesson 3
Children begin by connecting the events in the story to their modern-day equivalents. Then children consider what evidence they can find to support a given statement. Finally, children discuss what they would have done if they were in a similar situation, building empathy for the characters.
KS2 Whole Class Guided Reading for Human 2.0: A Celebration of Human Bionics by Patrick Kane
38-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint, 19 x printable PDFs including vocabulary cards, mixed comprehension questions, skill-focsued activities and hands-on activities.
In line with the KS2 National Curriculum.
Reading comprehension resources for the following topics:
The First Prosthesis
Eyewear
Eye Replacements
Bionic Eyes
Bionic Limbs
Prosthetic hands through the ages
The Paralympics
Richard Whitehead
Beyond Bionics
Implantable Electronic Chips
Extracts not included.
Suitable for ages 7+
4 whole class guided reading comprehension lessons based on chapter one of ‘A Dangerous Game’ by Malorie Blackman.
34-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint, 1 x printable PDF activity (other activities featured on the PowerPoint slides) Extract included.
Pre-teach vocabulary, about the author, whole class reading, paired reading
Reading Skills foci: predict, infer
**Lesson 1 **
To use clues in a text to predict what might happen next.
To recall any similarities or differences between books by the same author.
Lesson 2 - 4
To make inferences about a character.
To support your inferences with evidence from a text.
Suitable for age 7+
Recommended for Year 3 and 4.
Story Synopsis
Although Sam has a long-term illness, all he wants is the chance to lead a normal life. So he is thrilled when he finally gets his mum and dad to let him go on the school trip to the Scottish Highlands. Sam’s desperate for an adventure and wants to prove to everyone that he’s just as strong as his friends. But when some of the boys from his class take a reckless risk in order to win a challenge, the trip turns out to be more dangerous than Sam could have imagined. Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant or dyslexic readers.
Graphic Novel Reading Comprehension
3 whole class reading comprehension lessons based on Hilda and the Troll by Luke Pearson.
Suitable for age 7+
Download Contents:
22-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint, 4 x printable PDF activities
Text not included.
Lessons Overview:
Vocabulary, about the book, warm up game, whole class reading, paired reading
Reading Skills:
Lesson 1
Use clues in a text to predict what might happen next.
Make predictions based on the front cover and part way through the story.
Lesson 2
Infer a character’s feelings based on their speech, actions and facial expressions.
Infer character’s feelings based on the illustrations.
Lesson 3
Summarise the main events in a story.
Summarise the main details of the story, decide which are most important.
Available for £3 on our website
3 whole class reading comprehension lessons based on an extract from the Blue Peter book award winner, ‘Podkin One-Ear’ by Kieran Larwood.
Whole class reading, paired reading, pre-teaching vocabulary
Reading Skills foci: visualise, infer, question
31-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint, 2 x printable PDF activities.
Extract not included.
Suitable for ages 9+
3 whole class reading comprehension lessons based on three chapters of ‘Ronaldo Ultimate Football Heroes’ by Matt and Tom Oldfield
Vocabulary, whole class reading, paired reading
Reading Skills foci: feature’splore, infer, retrieve, discuss, word’splore, clarify
31-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint, 4 x printable PDF activity (other activities featured on the PowerPoint slides) Extract included.
Suitable for age 7+
Visit our website for more.
Reading Comprehension Resources for “The Last Bear” by Hannah Gold, winner of the 2022 Blue Peter Book Award & 2022 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize
**Year 6
Recommended for ages 8+
20 Lessons
51 Printable PDFs
116-Page PowerPoint Presentation
Vocabulary Cards
Warm-Up Activities and Reflection Exercises**
These materials delve into themes such as global warming, plastic pollution, and their impact on our planet.
**Awards and Recognitions:
Winner of the 2022 Blue Peter Book Award
Winner of the 2022 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize**
KS2 Reading Comprehension Resources for Grimwood by Nadia Shireen
Resources for the whole book
16 chapters/16 lessons
113-page PowerPoint
57 PDF document including:
Vocabulary for each chapter
Mixed comprehension questions
Skill-focused activities
Recommended for age 7+
Extracts not included
A laugh-out-loud adventure featuring two loveable foxes.
Available for £5 on our website or as part of a £35 annual personal subscription at myteachinghive.
4 whole class reading lessons for KS2 based on the poem Happiness from ‘Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers’, by Daniel Thompson.
A thought-provoking poem encouraging children to consider whether buying things can truly bring you happiness.
Whole class reading, paired reading, additional opportunity for children to write their own poem about plastic pollution, Q&A with the author
Reading Skills foci: summarising the main message of the poem, looking at the impact of rhythm, rhyme and word choices on delivering the message of the poem, word’splore (exploring word choices), performing the poem, imitating the poet’s style by recreating their own poem.
37-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint, 3 x printable PDFs, plus a PDF copy of the poem.
Poem included.
Recommended for age 8+
Lesson 1
Firstly, learn more about Daniel Thompson or skip to the Q and A’s at the end of the PowerPoint to learn more about what inspires him to write poetry. Then pre-teach some key vocabulary to increase pupil engagement with the text. Next, read the text together so children can discuss their responses to key questions and work together to summarise each verse.
Lesson 2
This lesson focuses on the poet’s style. Using practical challenges, children work together to discuss how to use words and phrases effectively to reinforce key ideas.
Lesson 3
As children have previously explored the poem on a deeper level, this lesson gives children the opportunity to perform the poem, focusing on intonation, tone, volume and actions.
Lesson 4
Finally, children can use a similar structure to create their own poem about plastic pollution.
For more poetry lessons explore our website, My Teaching Hive.
5 KS2 reading comprehension whole class lessons
Based on the prologue and chapter one of ‘The House with Chicken Legs’ by Sophie Anderson.
Vocabulary, whole class reading, paired reading, making connections
Reading Skills foci: clarify, infer and connect.
40-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint, 2 x printable PDFs
Extract included.
Suitable for ages 9+
Available on our website for £3 or as part of our school subscription.
3 whole class reading comprehension lessons based on page 5, and pages 18-19 ‘Exploring the Rio Negro’ and the ‘Collector’s Equipment’ of ‘Darwin’s Rival’ by Christiane Dorion.
Whole class reading, paired reading, memory game
Reading Skills foci: infer, retrieve and summarise
25-page dyslexia-friendly PowerPoint, 3 x printable PDF activities.
Extract not included separately from PowerPoint.
Suitable for ages 9+
Note: these speech bubbles/signs link with our own interpretation of the reading skills taken from the KS2 National Curriculum.
See our reading posters for full information on how we have broken down each skill in a child-friendly way.