KS2 Comprehension Key Stage 2

Answers

Key Sta

Key Sta
ge 2

ge 2
s ion 3 sion 1
pr e h en e h e n
2 C o m mpr
KS KS2 Co

Name
Name
KS2 Co KS2 Co
mprehe mprehe
nsion nsion

Name
Name
4 2

Key Sta
Key Sta

ge 2
ge 2
 Teaching notes
BOOK 1 The Green Cross Code
Contained in: Book 1 (page 4) Genre: Information / instructions
Source: Department for Transport

Introduction This is a non-chronological information and advice text aimed specifically at children. It has
clear-cut layout and formatting with aids to retrieval of information, including numbered
paragraphs with inset sub-headings in bold coloured print. Use the pointer in the pupil
book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

You might also give the children some further background information. First introduced in
1971, the Green Cross Code procedure was designed to help pedestrians to cross streets
safely. The campaign that launched the code was targeted specifically at children; at that
time, half of all casualties on the road were children. Following the launch of the Code, the
number of casualties dropped by 11 per cent. Sadly, the rate rose again after six months,
highlighting the need for road safety messages to be given a high profile at all times.

Answers 1. sight, sound 2. ‘where drivers can see you’ 3. the distance from one side of the road to the
other is shorter if you go straight across; it lessens the danger from vehicles suddenly appearing;
it is easier for drivers to predict your movements (allow for child’s own wording and
interpretation as long as the answer is logical) 4. between parked cars; on sharp bends;
close to the top of a hill 5. (any three from:) subway, zebra/puffin/pelican/toucan crossing,
footbridge, island, patrolled crossing 6. back from the edge 7. (either or both:) can’t see
approaching traffic; drivers can’t see you.

Further Challenge the children to create a poster, including key advice from the text. Suggest
activities that they display this advice in speech bubbles, thought bubbles or call-out stars. They
could make the poster by hand or on a computer.
Encourage the children to prepare and act out a scene that demonstrates the use of the
Green Cross Code.
Invite the children to research other government safety documents and websites, such
as the Countryside Code, the Beach Safety Code and the Sea Safety Code.
Ask the children to identify the key features and conventions of a typical safety
document (such as clear headings and bullet points) and use this structure to write a
Classroom Code. They should look at safety, tidiness, behaviour and consideration to
others, when to speak and when to listen.
Hold a class discussion on whether it is ever safe to run across a road, asking the
children to explain the rationale behind their views.

Games glossary
Contained in: Book 1 (page 6) Genre: Glossary
Source: You Can Do It! Games Author: Kirk Bizley

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 1 17

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 17 11/11/2019 11:00

 Introduction This Glossary from the book You Can Do It! Games by Kirk Bizley gives children the chance
to practise their knowledge of alphabetic organisation of texts and highlights its usefulness
in retrieval of information. The combined use of bold and regular fonts enhances the
layout for practical purposes. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the
children before they start reading.

Answers 1. dictionary 2. True 3a. after ‘overarm pass’ and before ‘ring’ 3b. after ‘hamstring’ and
before ‘hitting T’ 4. first two letters are the same, third letter ‘c’ (in backstop) comes before
third letter ‘t’ (in bat) 5. forehand (stroke) 6. hamstring 7. basketball 8. (two of:) ‘cool-
down’, ‘warm-up’, ‘stretching’ 9. verbs: definitions contain verbs (hitting, catching, throwing).

Further Discuss the purpose of a glossary and whereabouts in a book readers would expect to
activities find one. Ask, ‘What genre of book would contain a glossary?’ (Non-fiction or, possibly,
classic fiction where archaic words might not be understood.)
Use this extract as a model for the children to create glossaries for other information
texts that they read or create.
List further sport-related words (such as baseline, racket, shuttlecock) and challenge the
children to write definitions and position them correctly.
Challenge individual children to prepare and read aloud to the class a short
description of game rules or a report on a specific game. Their descriptions should
incorporate related words from this Glossary.

The baby of the family

Contained in: Book 1 (page 8) Genre: Poem
Author: Wendy Cope

Introduction This poem, by the widely published poet Wendy Cope, will strike a chord with any child
who has a younger brother or sister. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text
to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. older sibling 2. jealous 3a. too young; too tired to walk 3b. important, centre of attention;
successful 4. ‘short’ or ‘sweet’ 5. better/calmer, as she is venting her feelings and releasing
her pent-up emotion 6. the child’s spoiling and babyhood; the baby will grow older and be less
‘sweet’ 7. ‘pie’ and ‘toys’.

Further Ask the children to look for the effective use of strong verbs in the poem: for example,
activities ‘grabs’, ‘bellows’, ‘stamps’. Compare possible synonyms, such as ‘takes’, ‘shouts’, ‘taps’.
Discuss how verbs can be used emotively to influence the reader to share the writer’s
viewpoint and paint a vivid picture.
Discuss how the baby of the family will be feeling. Ask, ‘Is the baby aware of his
older sibling’s presence and feelings?’ ‘Would the baby’s father notice?’
Use the poem as a springboard for discussion about feelings such as jealousy,
anger, resentment, and relationships within families. Ask the children, in pairs, to take
turns to describe a time when they felt very upset or jealous, angry or hurt. Tell all the
children to listen carefully to their partners. Suggest that their partner ask questions
beginning ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘where’.
Encourage the children to turn their own stories into poems about their feelings.

18 Teaching notes Book 1 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 18 11/11/2019 11:00

 Invasion
Contained in: Book 1 (page 10) Genre: Fiction
Source: I’m Telling You They’re Aliens Author: Jeremy Strong

Introduction This extract from I’m Telling You They’re Aliens, by Jeremy Strong, is written in the first
person. It includes the use of rhetorical questions and, in contrast to older classic children’s
literature, a number of colloquialisms. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the
text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. the first person 2. ‘I decided to keep quiet’ 3. (accept any accurate response) 4. to enter
by force and completely take over 5. a close neighbour or friend nearby; from a nearby house 6.
all ready to put into action 7. wild 8. digressing 9. (accept any response that is in keeping
with the story).

Further Make sure that the children understand the use of the word ‘alien’ to mean ‘a creature
activities from another planet’.
Discuss how the use of language makes this text read as if the character were speaking
directly to the reader. Ask the children to list examples of everyday, idiomatic phrases
(‘The trouble is’; ‘if you go round saying’; ‘keep a low profile’, etc.).
Invite the children to imagine that they have a new child in the class, whom they think
is strangely non-human in some way – a robot, a pixie, an angel, a time-traveller or a
living statue, for example. What is odd about the child’s behaviour? Is there a special
reason why this child has joined their class? Ask them to write a description of the new
boy or girl, using conversational and colloquial language. Stress that the children need
to use their imagination and make sure that they do not pick on a real child who is
currently in the class.
Organise a class debate in which the children discuss whether they think aliens
exist or not.

Octocure
Contained in: Book 1 (page 12) Genre: Comic poem
Author: Alison Chisholm

Introduction The word play in this humorous poem by Alison Chisholm allows children to practise their
phonic skills by decoding rhyming nonsense words and recognising the root words from
which they are constructed and which point to their meaning. Use the pointer in the pupil
book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. funny, rhyming 2. ‘octopus’ 3. ‘chickenpoctopus’ 4. spots 5. ‘doctor’ and ‘octopus’

6. chocolate 7. Olly 8. ‘knocktopus’.

Further Challenge the children to use the poem as a model for a poem of their own which
activities focuses on a different creature, such as Eleanor the elephant or Benjamin the baboon.
They will need to build up appropriate nonsense words to use in their poem, for
example: ‘telephant’, ‘jellephant’, ‘spellephant’; ‘bablunch’, ‘babath’, ‘babook’.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 1 19

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 19 11/11/2019 11:00

 Find further word-play poems, such as Causley’s ‘Good morning, Mr Croco-doco-
dile’, and compare these with ‘Octocure’, discussing how nonsense words can be created
in a way that still conveys meaning. Ask for volunteers to read the poems aloud.
Invite the children to investigate and collect words whose prefix indicates number, for
example: ‘uni’, ‘bi’/’duo’, ‘tri’, ‘quad’, ‘penta’, ‘hexa’, ‘sept’, ‘octo’, ‘centi’, ‘milli’.

Odd girls
Contained in: Book 1 (page 14) Genre: Poem
Author: John Coldwell

Introduction The first part of this poem by the children’s poet John Coldwell is made up of rhyming
couplets, closing with an ABCB rhyming quatrain, set apart. Its strong rhyme, rhythmic
pattern and light tone make it an easy read. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce
the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1a. T 1b. ? 1c. T 1d. ? 1e. F 1f. ? 2. after 3. Mary Minns 4. Zara Good (and/or Joanne
Green) 5. ‘pals’ 6. Sue’s 7. to rhyme with ‘wood’ and ‘rock’ respectively.

Further List all the different materials referred to in the poem – glass, Plasticine®, wood, straw,
activities rubber (balloon), rock, flesh, bone. Divide the children into groups and see which group
can come up with the longest list of further materials.
Invite the children to write an ‘Odd boys’ poem using ‘Odd girls’ as a model, inviting
rhyme-driven couplets and inventive names, such as ‘Have you noticed Jacob Draper? His
head is screwed-up tissue paper’.
Ask the children to collect the names from the poem and invent a suitable surname for
Sue (Bass? Pass?). Then challenge them to put the names in alphabetical order, according
to surname, as they would appear in their class register.
Sort the children into groups and ask them to prepare and perform the poem,
dividing it into parts – perhaps as a choral spoken poem.

Teeth
Contained in: Book 1 (page 16) Genre: Information / explanation
Source: University of Manchester Children’s University website

Introduction A non-chronological information and explanatory text whose layout features include sub-
headings in a bold coloured font. It links well with topic work on personal health and hygiene
and biological science. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children
before they start reading.

Answers 1. incisors 2. no 3. twenty 4. ‘adult teeth’ 5. milk (teeth), deciduous (teeth) 6. canines
7. by using sub-headings 8. information, non-fiction.

Further Use this text as a springboard for research into other areas of the human skeleton, such
activities as the bones that form the limbs, with a brief description of each.

20 Teaching notes Book 1 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 20 11/11/2019 11:00

 Ask the children to write an additional paragraph on what they know about how to
care for teeth, from dietary advice to tips on mouth hygiene and teeth-cleaning. They
should follow the style used in ‘Teeth’, with a paragraph heading and clear language.
Provide a list of different foods and ask the children to describe as vividly as they can
someone attacking each food type. Encourage them to use the correct names of the
teeth that are best suited to the food. For example, bread: ‘He tore off the crust with his
canines, and chewed the bread to a pulp with his molars’; celery: ‘Her incisors snapped
off the end of the stick sharply, so that it left no threads dangling.’
Challenge the children to prepare and perform dental-care advertisements for TV
or radio that point out the importance of cleaning one’s teeth and making regular visits
to the dentist.

Pelican
Contained in: Book 1 (page 18) Genre: Poem
Author: Celia Warren

Introduction A contemporary poem displaying many typically English poetic devices including rhyme,
rhythm, repetition and the patterned layout of verses. Use the pointer in the pupil book to
introduce the text to the children before they start reading. Provide dictionaries for the
children to use when answering the comprehension questions.

Answers 1. pelican 2. emphasises subject: the poet’s love of words 3. brain/head 4. she liked the sound
of them 5. solid 12-sided shape; deciduous tree with winged seeds; sweet-smelling flower with
thorny stem; red pepper, often in powdered form; lizard whose colour may change 6. beak only
small; its name has two syllables rather than three 7. (expect:) ‘Molly’ and repetition of ‘words’;
list of favourites; focus on pelican’s name rather than other aspects; final word is ‘word’.

Further Refer the children to the drawing on page 18. Discuss the real-life function of the
activities pelican’s large beak (scooping fish from the water).
Invite the children to suggest their own favourite words to substitute into the middle
verse of the poem, matching the syllable count of the existing words to retain the
rhythm.
Ask the children to collect more three-syllable words, such as ‘butterfly’, ‘acrobat’ or
‘telephone’. Choose one to repeat at the beginning of each verse of their own poem.
Include questions of the creature or object as if they were addressing it, for example,
‘Telephone, telephone, / Why’s your bell so loud?’
Invite the children to write a glossary of any words from the poem whose meaning they
don’t know. They may use a dictionary to do this.

Jorvik Viking Centre, Coppergate

Contained in: Book 1 (page 20) Genre: Information
Source: Pathways to Literacy: City of York Author: Gill Matthews

Introduction This extract is from a guidebook to the city of York, written specifically for young readers.
It is an information text which displays features enabling easy retrieval of crucial facts

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 1 21

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 21 11/11/2019 11:00

 needed before visiting the site; these include classic devices such as a text box, symbols
and a bold font. It shows the value of the use of paragraphs in the descriptive text. Use the
pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. archaeology 2. relating to the study of relics 3. York 4. sight, sound, smell
5. street musicians 6. London 7. 7pm 8. (any two of:) combs, (belt) buckles, jewellery
9. it makes the visitor information easier to find.

Further Highlight and compare examples of passive and active voice.

activities Use the text as a model for the children to write a guide to a local place of interest.
Reiterate that Jorvik is the Viking name for York. Challenge the children to find the old
names for some other British cities.
Draw attention to the wheelchair-user icon. Discuss how this could help people
who cannot read or who do not speak English, and how communication does not
always depend upon words. Discuss other icons the children can think of (the signs for
men’s and women’s toilets; arrows in various forms). Challenge the children to look for
signs on their journey to and from school and see how many different internationally
understood symbols they can find. Create a whole-class glossary of signs and their
meanings.

City sounds heard after dark

Contained in: Book 1 (page 22) Genre: Poem
Author: Wes Magee

Introduction Rhythm and rhyme combine with alliteration and onomatopoeia to create an audibly
atmospheric piece by this popular poet. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce
the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. end word of each set of three lines rhymes or AAA, BBB, CCC, DDD 2. ‘sweesh’ 3. the
words sound like the cars speeding past 4. pop songs, some old songs, disco music; in the city
streets 5. ‘josh’: joke, fool around; ‘jaw’: talk, chat, natter 6. people have broken into the park
or have accidentally got locked in 7. second verse; ‘fly’ rhymes with ‘sky’, ‘cry’ and ‘by’; the
second verse, like the new line, refers to things that are high up (aircraft, rooftop cats) 8. (look
for two of:) content and sound describing an aspect of city life; ‘dum-di, dum-di, dum-di, dum’
rhythm; matching end-of-line rhyme (verse 1: –ars; verse 3: –or/aw/oar; verse 4: –ark).

Further Use this poem in conjunction with Edward Thomas’s poem ‘Digging’ (see Book 2,
activities page 38 and Teacher’s Guide page 42) and invite the children to compare the style and
content of the two poems. For example, they might compare: use of language; classic
and contemporary aspects; town and country; content that relates to different senses
(smells/sounds).
Explain that the poet is a prolific writer. Challenge the children to find more poems by
Wes Magee and create a class anthology. They should then choose their favourite poem
to recommend to a child in another class, explaining what they enjoyed about it and
why they think another child would like it.
After completing the comprehension exercise, challenge the children to create new
words (like ‘sweesh’ in this poem, which is made from ‘sweep’ and ‘swish’) that are also
onomatopoeic – sounding like the action they describe. For example, ‘thummering’

22 Teaching notes Book 1 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 22 11/11/2019 11:00

 might be made from the words ‘hammering’ and ‘thumping’. Put the words into
sentences to show their meaning.
Together, through discussion, write a class poem on ‘City (or Country) sounds
heard at dawn’, modelled on Wes Magee’s poem.

On the Yellow Brick Road

Contained in: Book 1 (page 24) Genre: Playscript
Author: Adapted by Celia Warren from
L. Frank Baum

Introduction This passage presents a scene from the classic children’s novel, The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank
Baum, in script form, complete with stage directions in parentheses. The use of italics
makes such directions distinct from the direct speech of each character. It is presented
differently from direct speech in prose, where speech marks would be required. Use the
pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1a. stage directions (to players) 1b. to distinguish them from characters’ speeches 1c. to save
space, be concise 2. four 3. the Emerald City 4. a heart 5. he is afraid/his heart beats
fast 6. the wizard (of Oz)/Oz 7. (such as:) trees, landscape, yellow road; toy dog, oil can.

Further Ask the children to write a short profile of each of the characters, with a view to telling
activities actors who are to perform this scene what sort of character they will be playing.
Encourage the children to sketch in colour a design for an appropriate backcloth for this
scene if it were to be presented on stage.
Invite the children to take particular parts, memorising the lines and acting out
the scene. Use highlighter pens to help the children pick out the words that they need to
learn.
Challenge the children to choose another scene from The Wizard of Oz, a favourite novel
or famous fairytale, to rewrite in script form and perform to the class.

House on fire!
Contained in: Book 1 (page 26) Genre: Prose poem
Source: A Child’s Christmas in Wales Author: Dylan Thomas

Introduction This extract is from Thomas’s descriptive prose poem A Child’s Christmas in Wales, written
in the 1940s. Some of it was written for radio – and all of it is good for reading aloud. The
poem contains images that may be beyond a present-day child’s experience, and these are
worth discussing. You could also discuss the fact that this is a ‘prose poem’ – that is, a type
of verse that does not rhyme but uses other poetic techniques. Use the pointer in the pupil
book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

This is a long text for Year 3. You might want to read the text together in class and/or
work on it over a couple of days.

Answers 1. it’s Christmas (Eve) 2. speaking ironically/sarcastically, he means there have been better

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 1 23

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 23 11/11/2019 11:00

 Christmases/this is not a good one 3. dinner gongs and slippers are old-fashioned; no home
telephone or mobile phone; ‘firemen’ – not gender-neutral ‘fire fighters’ 4. the call to Ernie
Jenkins 5. the most appropriate to the circumstances; the only urgent need 6. something to
drink/eat 7a. to try and put the fire out 7b. no; it was too dangerous, or yes; it was sensible to
try anything to put the fire out quickly 8. excited: they were happily throwing snowballs and
casually discussing who to phone.

Further Ask the children how many of their dads wear slippers around the house. Do their dads
activities read a newspaper and sometimes fall asleep with it over their faces?
Turn to some of the other images in this poem that are now falling out of use.
What would the ‘fire brigade’ and ‘firemen’ more commonly be called now? (Fire
fighters.) What is a gong? Do any of the children’s homes have one? What would it
have been used for in the past? (To call the family to dinner.) How many telephones do
they have at home? How often do we use telephone boxes these days? How many of the
children’s homes have a fireplace for a log fire and a chimney to carry away the smoke?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of heating your home in this way?
Can the children tell whose viewpoint the episode is seen from? Ask them to imagine
the three firemen discussing later on their visit to the house. Ask the children, in groups
of three, to role-play the three firemen. Give them names (Welsh, if possible, perhaps
surnames: Jones, Pierce, Williams) and, through improvisation based on the extract,
create a script that begins, ‘Do you remember that Christmas when we were called out
to the Protheros?’
Ask the children to retell the story to a partner. Encourage them to use appropriate
tone and intonation.
Reread the last nine lines of the text with the children. Ask the children to think of a
book they would recommend for someone to read on a snowy winter’s night. They should
then recommend the book to a partner, explaining their reasons for choosing it.

The story of Helen Keller

Contained in: Book 1 (page 28) Genre: Biography
Author: Celia Warren

Introduction The teacher Anne Sullivan turned the tragedy of the blindness and deafness of Helen Keller
(1880–1968) into a story of success and triumph over adversity. Her teaching opened
doors in Helen’s life, freeing her from the imprisonment in which her disabilities had placed
her. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start
reading.

Make sure the children understand that not only Helen Keller but many thousands of
others have benefited from sign language and Braille since – and still do. Today there are
over 23 000 people in the UK who, like Helen Keller, have problems with both their sight
and their hearing. This makes it difficult for them to communicate with other people and to
get the information they need for daily life. They may also find it difficult to get around.

Answers 1. ‘blind’ 2a. T 2b. T 2c. F 2d. F 2e. T 3. excited, elated, as she was no longer shut in and
isolated, but could now communicate 4. felt their faces and clothing 5. touched their hands
6. Braille 7. herself and her life (an autobiography).

24 Teaching notes Book 1 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 24 11/11/2019 11:00

 Further Reiterate the fact that this is a biography – that is, a non-fiction account telling the
activities story of someone’s life.
Place the children in twos and ask them to try communicating with each other
without using words: they can use hand gestures and facial expression but must not
mouth words or use any form of spoken language or writing. Come together and
discuss how difficult they found this. Could they get their message across? How subtle
were their communications? Discuss how much more difficult communication would be
without sight. Challenge the children to find out how to say some simple phrases in sign
language, such as ‘hello’.
Encourage the children to research the Braille alphabet. Ask each of them to write their
name in Braille. When they have done so, show them how to turn their page over and
make pin-prick indentations behind each dot. Turn the pages over again and let each
child practise fingering the letters of his or her name. Mix up the names and see if they
can decode each other’s.

Rebecca
Contained in: Book 1 (page 30) Genre: Narrative poem
Author: Hilaire Belloc

Introduction This cautionary tale – a story with a moral warning – is one of many written by the comic
poet Hilaire Belloc. Many of the children will have read the poem about Matilda, who told
lies; as a direct consequence, her house burned down and she died. The tale of Rebecca is a
little less widely known. However, most young readers will at some time have experienced
being told off for slamming a door – so the poem should be easily understood. Point out
the fact that there are some difficult words in the poem: some of these are explained in
the Glossary and the rest the children should be able to work out for themselves. Use the
pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

This is a long text for Year 3. You might want to read the text together in class and/or
work on it over a couple of days.

Answers 1. ‘perished miserably’ 2. dislike 3. bad behaviour 4. a banker 5. Rebecca’s slamming the
door below it (vibration) 6. ‘She looked like that’ 7. jump (with shock/surprise) 8. children
at the funeral decided not to slam the door in future ‘as often they had done before’ 9. to give a
warning of potential dangers 10. ‘inly’.

Further Ask the children to describe to the class any misdemeanours like door-slamming
activities that they are regularly ‘cautioned’ about. Not cleaning their teeth? Leaving their
room untidy? Leaving clothes on the floor? Forgetting their swimming kit? Allow the
children to work with a partner to plan a sticky end that could result from disobeying
adult advice. (Their ears grow to the size of elephants’ ears? Their teeth turn black?)
Challenge them to write their story in verse.
Encourage the children to add new words from the poem to their personal vocabulary
books, together with a definition and a sentence that uses the word in context. They
should underline and discuss any words that they find particularly interesting.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 1 25

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 25 11/11/2019 11:00

 Steam train stories
Contained in: Book 1 (page 32) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: The Railway Children Author: E. Nesbit

Introduction This is an extract from the children’s classic The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit. It was
first published in 1906, when railway travel was in its heyday. This humorous extract
demonstrates how dialect can be used in direct speech to great effect – in this case, the
Yorkshire dialect, which sounds strange to the London children’s ears. Use the pointer in
the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. Roberta, Phyllis 2. tired 3. includes description and direct speech, is in the past tense
4. hooks to link carriages 5. £5 fine 6a. hold, of 6b. would 7a. someone fooled her/misled
her for fun 7b. I bet she never forgot.

Further Ask the children to investigate online or in reference books the importance and impact
activities of the railway network in Victorian and Edwardian Britain, before the advent of cars
and tarmac roads. Remind them that, at this time, most ordinary people did not own
carriages or even horses.
Select a small group of children to present the information that they have found
(see above) as if for a television documentary programme. Ask the ‘audience’ to make
notes and ask questions at the end of the presentation.
Encourage the children to read sections of the passage aloud, varying voice, tone and
pace to enhance the comic effect. Pay particular attention to the porter’s anecdote and
the children’s questions.
Challenge the children to imagine the three characters in a present-day setting – with
contemporary names – and write a scene about how they are passing their time. Where
might they be? (In a shopping centre? At a bus depot? On the London Underground?)
Ask the children to use plenty of direct speech, referring to the original text to check
how to punctuate their characters’ speeches.

A great storm in Scotland

Contained in: Book 1 (page 34) Genre: Fiction
Source: The Water Horse Author: Dick King-Smith

Introduction Taken from The Water Horse – one of many novels by Dick King-Smith – this extract offers
an atmospheric description of setting and skilful mood creation, as well as being a passage
that reveals character through both action and direct speech. Many children will already
be familiar with this author’s writing and some may have seen the 2007 film based on this
novel. Other Dick King-Smith stories have also been filmed, including The Sheep Pig, which
is well known as the film Babe. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the
children before they start reading.

Answers 1. small 2. it ‘grabbed’ the house ‘in its jaws’ 3. on top of a cliff 4. that the roof will be
blown off 5. younger 6. snoring 7. capital G on second ‘grumble’ 8. sailors 9. mother carried
an oil lamp 10. “Can’t sleep a wink”.

26 Teaching notes Book 1 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 26 11/11/2019 11:00

 Further Invite the children to underline the strong verbs and discuss their role in creating a vivid
activities atmosphere.
Ask the children what they think will happen next, after this extract. Draw their
attention to the pointer, which explains that Kirstie and Angus find ‘something very
strange’ on the beach the following morning. The children should discuss this with a
partner and decide what they think Kirstie and Angus will find on the beach.
Remind the children that earlier in this book they read a biography of Helen Keller. Reiterate
the key features of this genre. Ask the children to research the author of The Water Horse
(Dick King-Smith) and write a brief biography of his life. This should include when and
where he was born, and the names of some of his books for children. Also challenge them
to find out why Dick King-Smith has written so many books featuring animals.
Invite the children to imagine they are Angus, waking in the morning after the storm
has abated. Suggest that, although he didn’t wake, he heard the storm in his sleep
and the sounds entered his dreams. Ask them to write a first-person narrative, entitled
‘Angus’s dream’, using powerful verbs to create atmosphere. The narrative should
begin, ‘Last night I dreamed …’
Ask the children to share with the class any memories of their own concerning
storms, strong winds and floods that their family has experienced.

Tom finds happiness

Contained in: Book 1 (page 36) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: The Water Babies Author: Charles Kingsley

Introduction First published in 1863, this abridged extract from the children’s classic The Water Babies by
Charles Kingsley links well with the study of children’s lives in Victorian England. Even in
this short extract, the wide gap between the rich, educated middle-class children and their
poor, over worked counterparts is evident. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce
the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1a. in bold 1b. intro: present tense, extract: past tense 2. an adjective 3. both in water
and on land 4. chimney sweep 5. (any two of:) tired, hungry, beaten, sent up dark
chimneys 6. friends (mates, pals) 7. just right (not too hot, not too cold) 8. (one, such as:)
comfortable, content, happy, carefree.

Further Explain and explore the life of chimney sweeps, covering why sweeps were needed and
activities what they did. Point out that children employed as chimney sweeps were small enough
to get inside chimneys. Make sure that the class understands how hungry and poor the
children were, living on the street. Point out that many of the children were orphans,
and this made them vulnerable to exploitation by irresponsible adults.
Use the extract as a starting point for research on underwater life in a river in this
country – what creatures and plants might a ‘water baby’ expect to encounter? The
children should then present their findings to the class.
Invite the children to rewrite part of the passage in the first person, as if they were Tom,
describing what happened to him and how he felt.
Discuss with the children the meaning of ‘amphibious’ and invite comments on
whether they would enjoy being amphibious or if they prefer land or water. They might
write and perform poems beginning ‘If I were a water baby …’ .

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 1 27

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 27 11/11/2019 11:00

 The milkmaid and her pail
Contained in: Book 1 (page 38) Genre: Traditional tale / fable
Author: Celia Warren

Introduction A retelling of one of Aesop’s fables, exemplifying the widely quoted moral, ‘Don’t count
your chickens before they’re hatched’. The wise, hard-working farmer and his feckless,
daydreaming daughter are far removed from present-day role models, but are typical of
the genre of traditional tales. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the
children before they start reading.

Answers 1. she is daydreaming or in a world of her own 2. tell off 3. ‘poultry’ 4. ‘a fine silk gown’
5. tossed her head 6. outmoded occupation and dress; archaic words, such as pail,
a-courting 7. bucket, think, dress 8. don’t count on/assume success/riches till you have achieved
them/have them in your hand – look for understanding and interpretation as well as the
ability to answer in a clear sentence.

Further Explain that this is a fable – that is, a story with a warning or piece of moral advice.
activities Help the children to identify the typical features of a fable, particularly the moral at the
end of the story.
Reiterate, as in the pointer, that the fable was written over 2500 years ago. Make it
clear that Aesop’s stories spread quickly by word of mouth. Tell the children that the
stories are now available across the world and in many languages.
Invite the children to collect and compare further Aesop fables. Ask them to investigate
the stories behind other sayings attributed to Aesop, such as ‘dog in a manger’; ‘belling
the cat’; ‘crying “wolf”’.
Ask the children to identify in this text the tag words that differ from ‘said’ (‘scolded’,
‘mused’, ‘reasoned’) and to begin a wider collection to use in their own narrative
writing.
Write a list of proverbs and ask the children to choose one as the subject of their own
fable or story, which will include a warning or a piece of moral advice. (A friend in need
is a friend indeed; Better late than never; Never a rose without thorns; Where there’s a
will, there’s a way; Do good, reap good, do evil, reap evil.)
Invite the children to act out the story of ‘The milkmaid and her pail’, improvising
dialogue and using a narrator.

BOOK 2 London goes wild

Contained in: Book 2 (page 4) Genre: Newspaper report
Source: Observer, 31 July 1966

Introduction The children may have heard grandparents and older football enthusiasts talking
animatedly about the English World Cup home victory of 1966, which is described in this
newspaper article. Use the text to tap into the children’s own interest in football as well as
their grandparents’ recollections. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to
the children before they start reading.

28 Teaching notes Book 1/2 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 28 11/11/2019 11:00

 Answers 1. enthusiasm, excitement 2. (one of:) crowds mobbing the players; stopping traffic flow;
climbing in fountains 3. Royal Gardens Hotel, Kensington 4. pubs 5. police cordons
‘popped open like seams’ 6. their own safety/wouldn’t get mobbed; widely visible to the crowds
7. England was again the victor over Germany (as at the close of World War 2) 8. 3000 million
(five times 600 million).

Further Ask the children to write three bullet points to summarise the information in the text.
activities Discuss what mood the writer was trying to convey in his report (excitement, joy).
Ask if the children know why the outcome of the match held an extra spark of interest
and national pride. Expand on the Glossary note about the meaning of VE (‘Victory in
Europe’) Day: 21 years earlier, England and its allies had defeated Germany in World
War 2, and some saw the match as a sporting parallel to the hostilities. As England also
hosted the contest in 1966, there was an additional motivation to national pride.
Invite the children to imagine that England had lost the World Cup final. Ask them
to write a newspaper report describing this outcome. Remind them to use similarly
emotive language (for example, ‘Britain sank into a slough of despond’).
Invite the children to research online or in reference books particular parts of the article
to help paint a clearer picture of the occasion. For example, they might: find and copy
a road map of the West End; research details of its monuments and the people they
commemorate (do the children know whose statue is in Trafalgar Square?); find out the
name of the 1966 team captain for England, together with other members of the team
and their positions.
Challenge the children to identify other key events of 1966 (for example, Indira Ghandi
became prime minister of India; over 100 children died when a coal tip buried their
school in Aberfan, South Wales; art treasures in Florence were damaged by flooding;
Freddie Laker started a new airline, making holidays abroad much cheaper; the Beatles’
song ‘Yellow Submarine’ was released).
Tell the children about other events that have prompted a national reaction on a
large scale (for example, the 2011 riots; the royal wedding in 2011; the 2012 London
Olympics, and other similar events).

How to make a wormery

Contained in: Book 2 (page 6) Genre: Instructions
Source: Glasgow City Council
Countryside Ranger Service

Introduction The value of worms as the gardener’s and farmer’s ‘friend’ provides good background to
this information text. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children
before they start reading. Expand on the pointer by explaining that worms aerate the soil
as they turn it over and over. As the worms tunnel and feed, the earth becomes less tightly
packed – thus enabling air and rainwater to break through the surface and reach the roots
of plants. In addition, food, such as rotting leaves that pass through the worms’ bodies,
fertilises the soil so that plants grow strong and healthy.

If possible, give the children the opportunity to follow the instructions provided and
make their own wormery at school. Make sure that all the children wash their
hands after handling soil.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 2 29

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 29 11/11/2019 11:00

 Answers 1. all verbs 2. sub-headings help readers to find information 3. pea gravel 4. cut off the top
and bottom 5. soil 6. dead leaves 7. to make it as dark as underground, like worms’ natural
environment 8. one or two weeks 9. you might dig up the same worms 10. ‘habitat hunt’,
‘stamping up and down’ 11a. ‘twanging’ 11b. 15 mins.

Further Challenge the children to find out further earthworm facts. For example, you might
activities ask, ‘How many worms turn over how much soil in a given volume of soil? How do they
move? How long are they – and what length is the longest ever found?’
Tell the children to present their findings as a non-chronological information text or a
non-fiction article.
Invite the children to write their own instructional ‘How to …’ text: for example, ‘How
to play the recorder’; ‘How to look after a hamster’; ‘How to play ping-pong’. Challenge
them to invent their own ball or team game and write a set of instructions and rules
explaining how it is to be played.
Draw the children’s attention to the fact that, in making a wormery, they are
contributing to the health of the soil – which in turn will contribute to a healthier
environment. Broaden this out into a discussion on wider environmental and
sustainability issues. You might cover, for example, recycling, waste reduction,
renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and sustainable transport. Ask the children
to do some further research into one of these areas, and to deliver verbally their own
rationale for living in a way that takes account of sustainability issues.

Why?
Contained in: Book 2 (page 8) Genre: Classic poem
Author: Charles Causley

Introduction Using questions to create atmosphere and emphasise characters’ feelings is a technique
that Causley uses in a number of poems. Questions can speak louder than answers in the
poetic form, allowing readers to infer for themselves what is happening.

Before reading the poem with the children, ensure that they have some knowledge of the
history and traditions surrounding Guy Fawkes night, which has been a day of celebration
since 1606. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before
they start reading. Expand on the pointer by explaining that the plotters’ intention was to
kill King James I and wipe out everyone in the government.

Expand further, as follows, if appropriate for your class. The plotters were Catholic
extremists who wanted to return England to the Catholic faith. One of the conspirators
had a friend in the Houses of Parliament and sent a letter to him, warning him to stay
away from the House on the day the attack was supposed to take place. The letter was
intercepted and handed to the king, who ordered the execution of Guy Fawkes and his
fellow conspirators.

Answers 1. horrified, upset 2. (look for signs of identifying with Susanna and/or empathy relating
to a parallel personal experience or feeling) 3a. ‘in an old top-hat’; ‘fancy jacket and tie’
3b. straw 4. she hears ‘a last,/long sigh’/it ‘won’t leave [her] head’ 5. fireworks: rockets
6. (one of:) looks away, has tears in her eyes, holds the speaker’s hand, turns pale
7a. an adult – perhaps parent 7b. ‘Nobody’s going to die’ 8. lie down on her bed.

30 Teaching notes Book 2 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 30 11/11/2019 11:00

 Further Explore the rhyme scheme of the poem (ABCB) and discuss how this affects the mood of
activities the poem (menacing, relentless pace).
Ask the children to research further poems by Causley, especially those where he
employs a similar questioning technique, such as ‘Who?’ (‘Who is that child I see
wandering, wandering …’) and ‘What has happened to Lulu?’
Divide the children into pairs or small groups. Invite them to discuss further their
answers to question 2 (‘How did the poem make you feel? Explain why.’). Encourage the
children to talk about any specific words or phrases that particularly appealed to them.
Ask the children to make notes on an occasion or event when they felt an extreme
emotion – happy, sad, excited, scared. Challenge them to turn their notes into a poem
using questions, using either the second or third person (as if they were writing about
someone other than themselves).

Dogs are good for you!

Contained in: Book 2 (page 10) Genre: Newspaper report
Source: Daily Telegraph, 22 January 2007 Author: Lynne Wallis

Introduction This newspaper article describes the conclusions of informed, academic research conducted
at Queen’s University, Belfast. You can use it to demonstrate the importance of backing up
statements with specific evidence. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to
the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. the body 2. they are more likely to become ill 3a. (two of:) headaches, colds, dizziness
3b. cancer, epilepsy 4. taking dog for walks; getting to know other dog walkers 5. mind
6. make easier 7. after some months the benefits wore off for cat-owners, but continued for dog-
owners 8. that owning a dog could reduce their blood pressure 9. Health Psychology Journal.

Further Ask the children to briefly summarise what they have read, then ask, ‘Which of
activities you has a cat or a dog at home?’ Explore whether they would recommend having such
a pet. Ask them to explain their reasons. Do they think having a cat or dog is ‘good’ for
them? If so, how?
Conclude by pointing out that, like all discussions, the conversation you have just had in
class was based on personal opinions, even though these might be based on individual
experiences – and opinions are not measurable. Medical or other scientific research,
on the other hand, involves the gathering and comparing of specific data over a given
period of time. In this text, the research involved people who owned pets and people
who did not. The newspaper article sums up the results of the research.
Invite the children to write a story – true or fictional – describing how an animal helps a
human character. It might cover anything from the animal comforting a character who
is sad or unwell to rescuing them from sudden danger.
Ask the children to research working dogs, their breeds and origins. Ask which are or
were used for hunting, as carriage dogs, rat killers, rescue dogs (diggers and sniffers),
guide or hearing dogs, sheep herders, police dogs, guard dogs, sled dogs, etc. Create a
class encyclopedia of different breeds.
Discuss any books that the children have read which feature a dog as the central
character. Ask the children to explain whether they would recommend these books to a
child their age, and why.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 2 31

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 31 11/11/2019 11:00

 The ‘ration book’ Olympics
Contained in: Book 2 (page 12) Genre: Information / explanation
Source: National Archives of Author: Celia Warren
Great Britain

Introduction This article is based on documentary material held by the National Archives. It describes
the Olympic Games held in Britain during the post-war period (1948) and invites
comparison to and contrast with Britain’s hosting of the 2012 Olympics. Use the pointer in
the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. competitor, competition 2. severe, hard-going 3. ‘have a bad psychological effect’

4. bigger 5. fruit and vegetables 6. America 7. American teams as they complained of
‘stomach trouble’ 8. John Strachey 9. often, during rationing, only dried milk was available.

Further Explain that ordinary people were struggling after the war to provide for their families.
activities Money was short and food and clothes were still rationed. Many people were living in
temporary accommodation as there was a housing shortage.
Ask the children to discuss whether this text contains mostly facts or opinions.
Invite the children to examine the use of capitals throughout this article and, together,
create a list of the different reasons for using them: for names of people, places, official
boards and departments, formal job titles, countries and nationalities. Point out how
even ‘Games’ has a capital, referring as it does to the Olympic Games.
Challenge the children to work out the quantities of specific foods and drinks they
consume each week (for example, milk, bread, potatoes, apples, sugar, sweets) and to
present this information in a short written report.
Ask the children to consider how they might have felt about extra money and rations
being provided to Olympic athletes and the cost of hosting even an ‘austere’ Olympic
Games at a time when they were struggling to look after their families. Challenge them
to write a letter to a newspaper, pointing out how difficult it was for them to manage.
Explain why it is expensive to host a Games to Olympic standards (preparing a
site; building stadia, changing rooms, pools, spectator stands; providing car parks;
insurance; medical care; staff salaries, and so on). Hold a class discussion on whether
it is justifiable to spend a large sum of money on this international event every four
years. Ask questions such as, ‘Can all host countries afford the cost? Should there be a
fixed site in one country (for example, Greece) for every Olympic Games? Should each
participating country contribute to the cost? What impact might competing in their
own homeland and climate have on the athletes?’

Robin Hood
Contained in: Book 2 (page 14) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: The Adventures of Robin Hood Author: Patricia Leitch

Introduction This episode from The Adventures of Robin Hood, first published in 1983, is an action-packed
narrative. It captures well the atmosphere of the Sherwood Forest setting and describes
an encounter between Robin Hood and Little John. Use the pointer in the pupil book to
introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

32 Teaching notes Book 2 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 32 11/11/2019 11:00

 Answers 1. 36 2. True: a, e, f; False: b, c, d 3. agree to stop fighting 4a. ‘made to shine’ 4b. ‘frosted’
4c. ‘dodged and evaded’ 4d. ‘chopped down’ 5. head 6. tripped over a root 7. (accept any
reasoned answer).

Further Invite the children to look at the author’s use of paragraphs. Discuss how the author
activities decided when to start a new one. (A change of perspective or action.) Ask them to
sum up the content of each in turn. (1: setting the scene; 2: the pause in activity; 3: the
description of the fight; 4: a brief switch of viewpoint to that of the onlookers; 5: the
close of the fight.)
Identify and highlight examples of metaphor. Discuss how these enhance the description
and help to paint a picture of the scene.
Challenge the children to write a newspaper article about the fight, in a present-
day voice – either as a straight news report or as a back-page sports report, using
journalistic language and including direct quotations from Robin Hood and Little John
on their own and each other’s performance.
Encourage the children, in pairs, to explore and imagine what Robin Hood and Little
John might have said to one another during this incident. Ask them to write and then
perform their brief dialogue.
Ask the children how this part of Sherwood Forest would have looked in the
depths of winter. Collect lists of words that might be used in a description of this same
fight taking place in snow and ice, and write these on the board. Invite the children, in
small groups, to write and then perform their own new text.

The veiled lady

Contained in: Book 2 (page 16) Genre: Playscript
Author: Adapted by Celia Warren from
‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’ by Arthur Conan Doyle

Introduction Most children will have heard of the great detective character Sherlock Holmes, even if they
have never read any of Conan Doyle’s stories. They might even be able to describe his deer-
stalker hat, cloak and pipe or know that his friend and confidant is called Dr Watson. They
may or may not know that the oft-quoted exclamation, ‘Elementary, my dear Watson!’
never appeared in any of Conan Doyle’s stories, despite its becoming an integral part of
the character’s popular image. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the
children before they start reading.

Answers 1. fear 2. long, dark Victorian dress; coat; veil over face; gloves 3. a friend has recommended
Holmes 4. a disguise to avoid her being recognised 5. pats her arm and tells her they’ll soon
‘set matters right’/not to be afraid 6. a dog-cart: her left sleeve is mud-spattered 7. ‘I am all
attention’ 8. they tell the actor how to perform 9. a colon (:).

Further Explain that, when a novel is turned into a script for actors to perform, this is called
activities ‘dramatisation’. Can the children spot the root word ‘drama’? Can they think of books
that they have seen dramatised on TV or for the cinema? (The Railway Children; Babe;
Mrs Doubtfire; Alice in Wonderland; The Wind in the Willows, and many more.)

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 2 33

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 33 11/11/2019 11:00

 Invite the children to ‘play detective’ and spot clues revealing that the story does
not have a contemporary setting. (Clothing, mode of transport, no central heating.)
Afterwards, tell the children that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote his first story about
Sherlock Holmes in 1887.
In pairs, ask the children to discuss what they think will happen next. What might
the lady be afraid of? Will Sherlock Holmes solve the mystery? Why? Why not?
Encourage the children to find the original story and compare its telling with the script.
(It may be found online by searching for ‘The Adventure of the Speckled Band’.)
Discuss what is lost or gained in dramatising a story. (How might the characters’
private thoughts and feelings be conveyed on stage? Is it as easy to provide background
to a character in a script as it is in narrative? Why not?)
Ask for two volunteers to perform the play in front of the rest of the class. Encourage
the children to speak clearly so that they can be heard. Afterwards, start a class
discussion on those parts of the performance that worked well and those that might be
improved. Make sure that criticisms are constructive and include helpful suggestions.

Battered by hurricane winds

Contained in: Book 2 (page 18) Genre: Newspaper report
Author: Celia Warren

Introduction The 1987 storm achieved fame by its greater-than-expected ferocity and by the failure of
the BBC TV weather team to correctly forecast its direction – thus viewers were misled into
believing it would stay across the sea and cause no problems. The resulting havoc came as
a shock. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they
start reading.

Answers 1. debris from buildings and falling trees 2. weeks of steady rain had weakened roots
3. west 4. fallen trees off roads and railway lines; debris from roofs and buildings; broken
vehicles in boatyards and caravan parks 5. insurance claims/compensation payments
6. Shanklin, Isle of Wight 7. central government 8a. people who travel to work 8b. train lines
and roads were blocked (by fallen trees, etc.).

Further Expand on information in the pointer with material from the Introduction above. Check
activities that the children understand any unfamiliar words.
Challenge the children to research the causes of hurricanes and in what geographical
regions they usually occur. Discuss how people might have prepared more effectively
had they realised how bad this particular hurricane would be.
Invite the children to imagine waking up to find the roof ripped off their house and their
possessions being whisked away by the wind. Ask them to find words and phrases in
the text that capture their imagination. Challenge them to use some of these words in
an e-mail to a friend, describing what happened and how they felt.
Ask the children to prepare a set of questions with which to interview an older relative
or family friend who remembers the 1987 storm.
Hot-seat individuals role-playing survivors of the hurricane who have lost their
house or possessions or even a relative or a pet. Invite others to ask open questions of
them, such as, ‘At what point did you realise this was no ordinary gale? How did you
feel when your roof blew off? Where were you when the hurricane hit?’

34 Teaching notes Book 2 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 34 11/11/2019 11:00

 The thrill of wartime work
Contained in: Book 2 (page 20) Genre: Fiction
Source: Peggy Speeds the Plough Author: Madge S. Smith

Introduction This extract comes from a novel aimed at girls of school-leaving age and is blatant propaganda
to encourage girls to enrol for the Land Army and to work on farms across the UK. Use the
pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. to influence people’s thinking and behaviour 2. makes it entertaining to retain interest and
help readers to identify with the central character or hero 3. ‘mushy’ 4. she does not cry
5. ‘Iris’ 6. tears in her eyes 7. to go; to take oneself 8. farm work; ploughing 9. (look for
answers that show an awareness of social and employment roles in that era, such as:) the
farmer might feel uncomfortable issuing orders to women to do hard physical work; he might be
resentful or open-minded; he might fear that the women were not strong enough; he might be
happy to accept their contributions to the work of the farm. He would have to start from scratch
teaching the women how to use equipment, how to drive tractors safely, and would need to
explain farming practice.

Further Encourage further discussion of why women were being asked to do what had
activities previously been men’s work.
Emphasise the fact that, as here, persuasive writing is not always confined to
non-fiction texts.
Take the phrase ‘A chance to do things’ as a title for a fictional narrative that the
children are to write. Explain that the plot of their story should involve someone rising
to the occasion in a crisis. (It could be a family or personal crisis, not necessarily a
national one.)
Based on the scenario presented in this extract, challenge the children to research the
Land Girls’ role in wartime Britain and to design a poster to attract older girls to join
the Land Army. Can they think up a catchy slogan and brief persuasive text to include?
Sort the children into pairs and ask them to improvise a telephone conversation
between a new ‘land girl’ and a friend or relative, asking and explaining what they have
to do, and how they find working conditions and their new friends and co-workers.
Alternatively, the characters speaking might include an elderly male farmer getting
used to having women instead of men working on his land. Does he think them up
to the job? Does he accept and admire their role or feel uncomfortable seeing young
women doing what was traditionally ‘men’s work’?

Arthur’s sister turned to stone

Contained in: Book 2 (page 22) Genre: Myth / legend
Source: King Arthur and the Round Table Author: Geraldine McCaughrean

Introduction The stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are largely myth and
legend. This retelling captures all the familiar elements that have endured over centuries.
Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start
reading.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 2 35

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 35 11/11/2019 11:00

 Answers 1. ‘jingle’/‘jingling’ 2. vertebra 3. they are turning to stone 4. their transformation makes
them resemble statues and carvings, but they have not actually been carved 5. (King) Arthur
6. made unable to move 7. 12 8. (one of:) ‘the rock face shivered’, ‘puffs of dust erupted’,
‘pebbles trickled down’ 9. the repetition adds emphasis, strengthens the picture of the absence
of colour in the scene 10. (accept any reasoned answer).

Further Point out how the emotional effectiveness of this episode is enhanced by the author’s
activities reference to human senses: hearing, touch and sight. Allocate a colour code to each
sense and ask the children to underline in colour those descriptive phrases that draw on
each one (hearing will include: ‘silence’, ‘jingle’, ‘noise of galloping’, ‘snorting’; touch will
include: ‘trembling violently’, ‘ran his fingers over …’, ‘laid his hand over hers’, ‘tears in
his eyes’; sight will include: ‘as grey as dusk’, ‘columns of pebbles’, ‘the fresco carving on a
wall’, ‘beautiful, hard, bloodless’, ‘Morgan’s hand turned from grey to pink’).
Talk to the children about the word ‘petrified’, which is used in question 5. Explain
its origins (the Greek petra, meaning ‘rock’) and discuss its present-day meaning (to
frighten into immobility). Check that the children understand other unfamiliar words
– for example, ‘fresco’, which is a way of painting on walls covered with damp, freshly
made plaster.
Ask the children to describe in the first person, from Morgan’s point of view, the feeling
of life returning, first to her fingers and gradually to the rest of her body and senses, as
she turns back to life from being petrified.
Organise a class performance of this text. Ask for two volunteers to play Morgan
and King Arthur. Then divide the rest of the class into three groups. One group reads
out the text: help them to practise, ensuring that their diction is clear so every word
can be heard. The second group takes the part of the company of horsemen: they need
to practise turning to stone and slowly returning to life. A third group acts as critical
observers, making notes, reviewing and giving verbal comments on the performance
afterwards. Encourage this group to give reasons and examples when making their
comments.

Overheard on a saltmarsh
Contained in: Book 2 (page 24) Genre: Conversational poem
Author: Harold Monro

Introduction This poem is a conversation between strangers who meet on a saltmarsh. The nymph and
goblin have no names, fixing the reader’s attention, like that of the goblin, on the green
glass beads. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before
they start reading.

Answers 1. a goblin 2. a ‘saltmarsh’ 3. the goblin 4. the nymph’s beads 5. green glass
6. a silver ring 7. because she stole them (out of the moon) 8. howl 9. why does he stare
at the beads? why does he love them so?

Further Invite the children to consider the themes and emotions in the poem (obsession, envy,
activities longing and selfish greed on the goblin’s part; curiosity and possessiveness on the
nymph’s part).
Draw the children’s attention to the fact that, although this is a conversation, there are
no speech marks. How do we distinguish between the two speakers? (The layout makes

36 Teaching notes Book 2 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 36 11/11/2019 11:00

 this clear, and when the poem is read aloud the completely opposed perspectives of the
two characters ensure that their voices remain distinct.)
Encourage the children to read the poem aloud in the two voice-parts, either with
a partner or spoken chorally (with girls reading the nymph’s lines and boys reading
the goblin’s). Decide together which words or phrases should be spoken loudly or
quietly. Encourage those reading the different parts to use this emphasis to give life and
expression to their reading.
Compare how the layout of the poem differs from a playscript (no speakers’ names
or stage directions) and what poetic devices it uses (repetition, rhyme, alliteration,
assonance).
Invite the children to create two new characters, and a new possession belonging to one
of them. Ask them to script a conversation but, in contrast to Monro’s poem, explain
that in their scenario one character must be trying to persuade the other to take the
object from them. They must decide why. (Perhaps the owner feels weighed down by
it? Perhaps it is enchanted with a curse? Perhaps it is stolen property? ‘It is worse than
…’; ‘Take it, take it, I hate it so’, etc.) The title should reflect the setting (for example,
‘Overheard on the bus’; ‘Overheard in a supermarket’, etc.).

The arrival of a rugged seaman

Contained in: Book 2 (page 26) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: Treasure Island Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Introduction The classic adventure story Treasure Island has so much to offer. Emphasise that it contains
mystery, crime and exciting characters, and was specially written by Stevenson to
entertain his own stepson. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the
children before they start reading.
Other texts by Robert Louis Stevenson appear in Key Stage 2 Comprehension Book 3
(page 24, the poem ‘Keepsake Mill’ and page 30, ‘Respected relative’, which is a letter that
the author wrote as a teenager) and Book 4 (page 24, ‘Our toilsome journey’, which is an
extract from Kidnapped ).

Answers 1. (any two of:) ‘hands ragged and scarred’, ‘black, broken nails’, ‘the sabre cut across one
cheek’ 2. at sea since boyhood, before his voice broke 3a. situated 3b. ought to/must 4. to
show how the character speaks/the pronunciation he used 5. the inn 6. what to call him; if he
can pay 7. bacon, eggs and rum.

Further Ask the children to read the opening sentence. How is the sentence constructed? (It
activities is a very long list of different characteristics.) What is its effect on the reader? (Slow,
unhurried recollection of a vivid image.)
Once they have read the piece through, check that the children understand the
vocabulary used; direct the children to the Glossary and any available dictionaries, and
give further explanations as necessary.
Ask the children to discuss with a partner the events that might follow this extract. How
long will the captain stay at the inn? What will he do while he is there?
List the hyphenated words from the start of the story (‘sea-chest’, ‘hand-barrow’,
‘nut-brown’). Underline the key noun or adjective in each term (‘chest’, ‘barrow’, ‘brown’).
Point out how each attached word adds information to modify the main word and add

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 2 37

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 37 11/11/2019 11:00

 detail. Invite the children to list as many colours as they can think of. Challenge them to
attach different words to each colour to modify and more closely define variations of each
colour, using hyphens to do so: for example, pea-green, sea-green, sky-blue, pillar-box-red.
Explain some of the customs of sailors of the time: to wear their hair in a pigtail that they
dipped in tar (which has an antiseptic property and may have helped keep them free of
head lice); to receive a daily measure of rum.
Moving on from the point above, ask the children to research online or in reference books
the history of life at sea for sailors and/or pirates. What would they eat? How old would
they be when they first joined a crew? What ranks and related duties could they expect?
What would the ship’s surgeon’s job be? What animals might be taken aboard and why?
(If possible, take the children to visit an old sailing ship to see the living conditions.)
When the research is complete, ask for volunteers to present their findings orally.
The other children are to listen carefully and make notes.

The scarecrow
Contained in: Book 2 (page 28) Genre: Classic poem
Author: Walter de la Mare

Introduction A classic observational poem written in the first person by the timelessly popular poet
Walter de la Mare. Strong rhythm and rhyme prevail, with fine examples of alliterative
phrases, leading the reader through the seasons of the year. It requires challenging close
reading. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before
they start reading. Provide dictionaries for the children to use when answering the
comprehension questions.

Answers 1. the scarecrow’s 2. winter 3. wheat 4. crows 5. horses pulling a plough 6. ripened by the
sun 7a. frost 7b. joy, delight, joyful delight, ecstasy 7c. empty space 8. (any of:) blows/
black, midnight/maze, stand/stubble/stiff, rapture/rags; sterile snow.

Further Warn the children that some of the language is old-fashioned (for example, ‘sun-
activities begotten’ and ‘hath’), but that once they read the poem and think about the context, the
meaning will become clear. Encourage them to choose their favourite phrase or line in the
poem and explain why it appealed to them.
Explain that the poem only mentions two seasons by name, winter and spring. Invite the
children to tell you in which order the next two seasons will follow.
Draw attention to the layout of lines, with every other line inset. Read the poem aloud,
emphasising the consistency of the metre (four iambs – di-dum, di-dum, di-dum, di-dum,
followed by three iambs, di-dum, di-dum, di-dum) and pointing out how the layout of the
text reinforces this metre visually, helping the reader to retain the rhythm when reading
aloud.
Challenge the children to write a few pairs of lines in the same metre on the subject of
their choice. Alternatively, give them a starting first line: ‘In winter when I trudge to
school …’ or ‘At midnight when the clock strikes twelve …’
Ask the children to write a series of entries in the scarecrow’s diary throughout the year,
beginning with an appropriately wintry date, such as January.
Invite the children to use the detailed images in this poem as a stimulus for drawing or
painting an illustration of the scarecrow.

38 Teaching notes Book 2 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 38 11/11/2019 11:00

 Discuss with the children other scarecrows that feature in children’s literature –
for example, in Worzel Gummidge (Barbara Euphan Todd) and The Wizard of Oz (L. Frank
Baum). Compare these characters with Walter de la Mare’s scarecrow.

Holy horrors
Contained in: Book 2 (page 30) Genre: Magazine article
Source: National Trust Magazine, Authors: Oliver Garnett and
Autumn 2007 Claire Masset

Introduction The irreverent images of gargoyles – grotesquely funny or just plain rude – will fire the
imagination of most readers. In their day, gargoyles met the practical requirements
of essential plumbing, but may also have been seen in the same way as today we see
graffiti. This potted history makes fascinating reading. Use the pointer in the pupil book to
introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. ‘plumbing’ 2. (one of:) to ward off evil spirits; to warn Medieval people against evil
3. not easily understood 4. ‘gargle’ 5. by mouth-pulling 6. wings, fangs and claws/clawed
feet 7. vampire 8a. the ‘Green Man’ 8b. leaves 9. high up on the edge of the building.

Further Check that the children understand the vocabulary used; direct them to the Glossary,
activities and give further explanations as necessary. You may need to explain ‘guises’
(appearances) and ‘ward off’ (protect against), both in paragraph 2.
Point out how the article begins and ends by addressing the reader with imperative
verbs: ‘walk’, ‘look’. Discuss how this challenges the reader to become personally
involved and invites their enthusiasm. Ask the children to write an opening paragraph
introducing any subject that they love (for example, skateboarding, keeping a hamster,
judo).
Encourage the children to look around their local area, or places they visit, and see
how many examples of gargoyles they can spot. Ask them to make sketches or take
photographs and create an annotated class display.
Divide the class into groups, asking each group to write a commentary on
a selection of the gargoyles they have found. Prepare and practise a TV-style
documentary on gargoyles in your area. This can then be performed to other classes.
Challenge the children to create their own gargoyle designs using materials such as
cardboard tubes, papier-mâché, modelling clay, fabrics, and so on. Ask them to draw a
diagram of their gargoyle and to write some simple instructions on how it is to be put
together.

De
Contained in: Book 2 (page 32) Genre: Poem / parody
Author: Valerie Bloom

Introduction Valerie Bloom’s parody of Thomas Hood’s evocative poem is thoroughly tongue in cheek. Like
all dialect poems, it works best when read aloud, preferably in a Jamaican accent. Use the
pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 2 39

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 39 11/11/2019 11:00

 Answers 1a. ‘the’ 1b. the joints are all rheumatic 2. the word-play relies on the first two letters of the
month ‘December’ being a word, just as ‘no’ is a word in ‘November’, which only happens
within this dialect 3. no: e.g. ‘frostbite’, ‘misery’, ‘gloomy’, ‘sinkin’ heart’ 4. onomatopoeic
5. it’s a broken electric blanket – cold because it is without power 6. ‘De wind dat cut like
razor’ 7. it is raining 8. had double-glazing fitted 9a. ‘November’ 9b. a parody follows the
same pattern as the original.

Further Encourage the children to find and read Thomas Hood’s original poem, ‘No!’.
activities Discuss and compare the two poems, looking for similarities and contrasts of style
and form and investigating how each reflects its era.
Ask the children to list some of the things they might do on a rainy Saturday sitting
around at home. Then challenge them to write parodies of their own: working from
their notes, they should use ‘Sat’ as the title and ‘Saturday’ as the last line. Encourage
them to use the ABCB rhyme scheme. For example, the poem might start:
(I…)
Sat twiddling my thumbs,
Sat watching the rain,
Sat wishing for sun,
Sat resting my brain.
Choose some of the best poems that the children have written and invite the
children to read them aloud to the class. Ask the rest of the class to tell you two things
that they like about each poem, and one thing that they think might be improved. Work
with the whole class to see if, together, you can make the improvements suggested.

Alice meets the Cheshire cat

Contained in: Book 2 (page 34) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Author: Lewis Carroll

Introduction From the minute Alice follows a talking white rabbit down his hole in the ground, all
her dream-experiences have grown ‘curiouser and curiouser’. Set the extract in context
before presenting it to the children. Ask if any child has heard the expression ‘to grin like a
Cheshire cat’. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before
they start reading.

Answers 1. it begins, ‘The door led straight into a large kitchen’ 2. three (Alice, Duchess and baby)
3. pepper in the air 4. the sneezing and howling take it in turns, one after the other again and
again 5. a large cauldron 6. over the fire 7. the baby 8. to begin to talk to and/or exchange
views with someone 9. shyly, nervously 10. the place in front of the fire; because cats like warm
places 11. ‘from ear to ear’.

Further Ask the children to identify all the contractions in the text: ‘there’s’, ‘it’s’, ‘that’s’,
activities ‘didn’t’, ‘’em’, ‘don’t’, and to rewrite them as full words. Discuss how and when these
are used (within direct speech).
Invite the children to rewrite this short scene as a playscript, adding any further
stage directions as required and writing a list of the props needed (a stool, a baby doll,
a big cooking pot and a spoon to stir it with). Then perform the play in class. Ask those
not taking part to make notes on the strengths and weaknesses of the performance;
invite volunteers to present these as if they were on a radio chat-show.

40 Teaching notes Book 2 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 40 11/11/2019 11:00

 Challenge the children to predict what might happen next, then find the source of this
(abridged) extract in the original book (available online, if not in the school library)
to see if they were right. They should then retell the end of this episode in their own
words.

The fox repaid in his own coin

Contained in: Book 2 (page 36) Genre: Traditional tale / fable
Source: The Canterbury Tales Author of original: Geoffrey Chaucer

Introduction Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales are stories within the overall frame of another story. Each
story is told by a different character as together they make their pilgrimage to Canterbury;
each has a moral message (akin to Aesop’s fables). This is the story told by ‘the nun’s
priest’, rewritten for the Children’s Encylopaedia by Arthur Mee. Use the pointer in the pupil
book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading. Provide dictionaries
for the children to use when answering the comprehension questions.

Answers 1. a hen 2. seeing a fox 3. his other dreams had come true in the past 4. listed
5. indigestion 6. because he speaks nicely to the cockerel and earns his trust, then tricks
him 7a. ‘spied’ 7b. ‘racket’ 7c. ‘deceived’ 8. ‘(strutting around) as fierce as a lion’
9. a fox 10. b.

Further Explain that Geoffrey Chaucer lived over 600 years ago and his writing – much of it
activities poetry – led him to be dubbed ‘The father of English literature’. (Most poetry before his
was written either in French or Latin but Chaucer chose to write his poems in English,
making it more easily accessible for future generations.)
Check that the children understand the vocabulary used (for example, ‘deceived’,
‘cockerel’, ‘enumerated’, ‘mate’, ‘racket’, ‘widow’).
Point out typical story-telling devices in the organisation of the text: use of paragraphs,
direct speech, time phrases (‘While’, ‘Some days later’). Highlight archaic phrases (‘alas’,
‘Gentle sir’).
Discuss the fact that this tale is a ‘fable’ – a moral tale in which animals are used to
communicate a special message about the way humans interact with one another. Ask
the children if they know of other fables (by Aesop, for example). Read some of them in
class, and compare them to this text – how does the ‘moral’ of each tale compare and
what are the similarities and differences between the characters?
Encourage the children to retell this story in their own words and research further
Canterbury Tales.
Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each character. Divide the children into
groups of three and invite them to act out the story, improvising their own scripts and
showing the characters’ personalities in their performances.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 2 41

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 41 11/11/2019 11:00

 Digging
Contained in: Book 2 (page 38) Genre: Classic poem
Author: Edward Thomas

Introduction Like his friend Robert Frost, Edward Thomas wrote simple traditional poems that often
echo the patterns of natural speech. ‘Digging’ is a typical example, giving clear evidence
of his ability to evoke the essence of the English countryside, capturing mood and feeling
through images of nature. It draws particularly on the sense of smell. Use the pointer in
the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading. Provide
dictionaries for the children to use when answering the comprehension questions.

Answers 1. the words sound alike 2. observing through the sense of smell 3. ‘odours’, ‘smell’ 4. to give
up 5. ‘wounds’ 6. bonfire smoke 7. usually used of liquids 8. laughter; merriment
9. hearing 10a. mirth is the opposite of sadness 10b. he is both sad and happy (nostalgic?).

Further Ask if the children know what major world event happened during the poet’s lifetime
activities (World War 1 – known as ‘The Great War’, in which Thomas died).
Briefly discuss how the countryside has changed since the time when Thomas was
writing. (Many green areas have been built on – and are now industrial sites, housing
estates, shopping centres.) Give specific examples in your local area if possible. Encourage
the children to discuss the dilemmas and tensions between wanting to preserve green
spaces and the beauty of the countryside and at the same time wanting to provide
affordable housing for families. Focus on the details that will make this issue clearer for the
children: for example, wild animals and plants are good for the environment, but families
with children need houses to live in; farmers need open land on which to grow crops, but
big shopping centres are cheap and convenient for doing all your shopping in one place.
Ask what other senses, apart from the sense of smell, poets may use in description
(hearing, sight, taste and touch).
Invite the children to search anthologies for further poems by Edward Thomas.
Ask the children what they notice about the organisation of lines 3 and 4 in the first
three verses, pointing out the use of commas as a clue. (They are lists.)
Challenge the children to write their own poem, focusing primarily on one of the senses
and using a list technique.

BOOK 3 Jacky Daydream remembers

Contained in: Book 3 (page 4) Genre: Autobiography
Source: Jacky Daydream, The Story of her Author: Jacqueline Wilson
Childhood

Introduction In this extract by the ever-popular Jacqueline Wilson, children’s Laureate 2005 – 2007, the
author recalls childhood shopping trips in post-war Britain. Use the pointer in the pupil
book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1a. writing books; writing novels 1b. ‘autobiography’ 2a. mosaic-tiled walls 2b. the
dressing room of a lady in the East 3. the butter was hard and the bread wasn’t sliced, so it

42 Teaching notes Book 2/3 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 42 11/11/2019 11:00

 was the easiest way to do it; if you cut the bread first and then buttered it, you would need to
cut thicker slices, or the bread would disintegrate when you spread it with hard butter 4. there
were separate queues when you bought things in different parts of the shop; food was rationed
as normal international trade had not fully resumed following the war 5. (accept any accurate
response) 6. they argue over the price of goods to try and get a bargain 7. they have cash tills
and electronic registers to do the arithmetic automatically 8. within a child’s reach 9. she was
an imaginary friend whom Jacky could blame for naughtiness.

Further Explain to the children that ordinary people were struggling after the war to provide
activities for their families. Money was short and food was still rationed. You will have
touched on this when discussing the text ‘The “ration book” Olympics’ (Key Stage 2
Comprehension Book 2, page 12).
Draw attention to Jacqueline Wilson’s use of the past conjunctive tense: ‘We’d’ (short
for ‘We would’). Discuss what she means when she says, ‘You could …’ (meaning ‘one
could’ or ‘people generally could’). Help turn such sentences into the passive voice: for
example, ‘You could get oranges …’ becomes ‘Oranges were available …’, etc. Ask
the children which version makes it easier for the reader to identify with the writer’s
experience. (The author’s conversational, informal voice using ‘you’ more readily
involves the reader.)
Ask the children if they know what ‘garbed’ means (line 9); then ask them if they know
any other synonyms for ‘dressed’ (attired, arrayed, rigged up, draped).
Discuss some of the many differences between the Sainsbury’s grocery shop of
Jacky’s childhood and the supermarket chains of today: the different lengths of (and
reasons for) queues; the presentation of the food (loose/pre-wrapped); the availability
and range of foods; the means of payment; loyalty cards, and so on. Few people would
have had cars in which to carry heavy shopping home.
Invite the children to write a description of a recent shopping trip for food and
household goods.

Seal saves drowning dog

Contained in: Book 3 (page 6) Genre: Newspaper report
Source: Daily Telegraph, 19 June 2002 Author: Paul Stokes

Introduction The children may have read stories of dolphins rescuing human beings struggling in the
water, but this true account of a seal coming to a dog’s rescue will strike a touching chord
with many young animal lovers. It will also prompt a sense of wonder at the interaction
between different creatures in the natural world. Use the pointer in the pupil book to
introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. an Alsatian-cross 2. its injury combined with panic when approached 3. Raymond
Hinds 4. Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 5. they were walking their
two dogs 6. it wore no collar 7. River Tees 8. muddy land exposed when the tide goes out,
such as in a river estuary 9. Stockton 10. (look for different wording from the original, such
as:) a cut head and a damaged back leg 11. (accept any accurate response).
Further
Ask the children if they have ever witnessed or heard about a similar rescue of one
activities
animal by another. Encourage them to compare and discuss one another’s stories.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 3 43

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 43 11/11/2019 11:00

 Introduce the term ‘anthropomorphism’ – applying human attributes to an animal. Ask
the children to adopt the persona of the seal and write an account of what happened
and how and why he chose to help the struggling dog, as if the seal had human feelings
and were writing an entry in his diary.
Invite the children to retell the story as a fictional narrative, possibly again adopting
an anthropomorphic tone, if they wish. Suggest that, for the purposes of fiction, names
and locations can be changed and the circumstances adapted and enhanced.
Discuss what the children know already about the Royal Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and invite them to research this organisation and the work
it does for animals.

You are old, Father William

Contained in: Book 3 (page 8) Genre: Classic nonsense poem / parody
Source: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Author: Lewis Carroll

Introduction This is the poem that Alice recites, at the request of the caterpillar, in Chapter 5 of Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland – though its nonsense retains just as much appeal when read out
of its original context. In fact, this poem is a parody of another that was famous at the
time, ‘The old man’s comforts and how he gained them’, by Robert Southey (1774 –1843).
Although the first lines of the two poems are very similar, Lewis Carroll’s version is
evidently not the poem that the caterpillar had expected to hear from Alice, since he tells
her that it is ‘wrong from beginning to end’. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce
the text to the children before they start reading.

Another extract from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll appears in Key
Stage 2 Comprehension Book 2 (page 34, ‘Alice meets the Cheshire cat’).

Answers 1. his son 2. white hair 3. continually, without stopping 4. ABAB (CDCD, etc.) 5a. pliant,
flexible, bendy 5b. turn back-somersaults 6a. small pieces of fat from an animal, used in
cooking 6b. it is soft when cooked/made up of small pieces/would not be too chewy for old
jaws 7. the bones and beak 8a. the old man, Father William 8b. a wise person 9. ‘What
made you so awfully clever?’

Further Read the poem aloud to the class.

activities Check whether there are any words that the children do not understand – for example,
‘shilling’ (line 15). Explain that a shilling would be worth 5p in today’s money, though at
the time that would have bought them many more things than now. Ask the children to
underline and discuss their favourite phrase in the poem.
Ask the children whether the old man’s recommendations are serious, and whether
they would really help to keep someone young and healthy. Having established that the
poem is intended to be funny, encourage the children to identify it as a good example of
nonsense poetry.
Point out how the direct speech is punctuated and explain that the use of commas, full
stops and speech marks is the same as would be used in prose narrative.
Invite the children, with a partner, to improvise and write a nonsense conversation
between two characters of their own invention. Encourage them to refer to the original
poem to check their use of punctuation.

44 Teaching notes Book 3 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 44 11/11/2019 11:00

 Challenge the children to think up a fifth question for the young man to ask of Father
William, regarding a further unlikely activity. It should use the same rhythm and rhyme
scheme as the original verses.
Using highlighter pens, mark up the different ‘parts’ in the poem – the words
spoken by Father William, his son, and the narrator. Ask for three volunteers to give
a dramatised reading of the poem, each of them taking one of these three parts.
Alternatively, you might ask groups of children to take the different parts, making it a
choral speaking activity.
Obtain a copy of Robert Southey’s poem (which begins ‘You are old, Father William, the
young man cried’) and read it aloud to the children. Display the text of both poems and
discuss the differences between them. Ask the children whether they think Southey’s
poem is a nonsense poem too, and encourage the class members to discuss their reasons.

Welsh hero Simon Weston

Contained in: Book 3 (page 10) Genre: Biography
Source: (First paragraph:) Forgiveness: Author: (First paragraph:) Michael
Breaking the Chain of Hate. (Remainder Henderson. (Remainder of text:) Allison
of text:) 100 Welsh Heroes Coleman, Ian Courtney, John Davies,
Iestyn George and Miles Fletcher

Introduction In this age of celebrity, in which people are ‘famous for being famous’, a present-day
example of true heroism cannot fail to impress and inspire respect. Learning of Simon
Weston’s personal battle to recover from his appalling injuries will bring history to life and
will also help the children to put their own troubles into perspective. Use the pointer in the
pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. almost half 2. the Welsh Guards 3. four years 4. most people would see his injuries as
a painfully tragic disaster 5. he prefers to look forward rather than back and finds it pointless
to try and apportion blame 6. underprivileged youngsters 7. inspiring others to positive
attitudes and actions 8. it took courage and patience to fight a long and painful battle to
overcome his injuries and disfigurement, come to terms with an end to his army career, and find
purpose and joy in his life again 9a. similar to a journal, a story relating events in the order in
which they occurred 9b. it is like following a path, a long slow progression towards an end goal
(of being well and independent again).

Further Touch briefly on the reasons for the Falklands War, as described. Avoid heavy
activities discussions of the rights and wrongs of armed conflict, focusing instead on Simon
Weston’s personal courage as he copes with the aftermath of his physical injuries.
Check that the children understand any unfamiliar vocabulary: for example, ‘disfigured’,
‘magnified’, ‘fireball’, ‘engulfed’, ‘controversy’, ‘apportioning of blame’, ‘underprivileged’
and ‘broadcaster’.
Point out that Simon Weston’s survival and recovery would not have been possible
in the days of, say, Tudor sea battles. Ask the children if they know why this is, and
discuss briefly a few of the obvious innovations of contemporary medicine (such as
anaesthetics, X-rays, blood transfusions and skin grafts).
Invite the children to write a poem entitled ‘To a Hero’. They might begin each line, ‘You
are …’ and use metaphors to describe Simon Weston or some other brave hero of their

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 3 45

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 45 11/11/2019 11:00

 choice – preferably someone they know well. Individuals should then read their poem
aloud to the class, with appropriate tone and intonation.
Discuss the non-physical injuries that Simon Weston may have had to face.
(Nightmares? Loss of confidence? Fear of rejection? Depression?) Discuss how and why
he was himself helped by helping others. (He was able to avoid self-pity and to see
something good coming from something bad. He had a new purpose and pride in life
and a role in society – even though he was not fit enough to return to the army.)

Matilda joins Crunchem Hall

Contained in: Book 3 (page 12) Genre: Fiction
Source: Matilda Author: Roald Dahl

Introduction Roald Dahl never minces his words when it comes to describing characters – especially
unpleasant ones. Use this extract to encourage the children to read Matilda for themselves,
as well as finding more books by the same author. Use the pointer in the pupil book to
introduce the text to the children before they start reading.
Another text by Roald Dahl appears in Key Stage 2 Comprehension Book 4 (page 10,
‘Chocolate’, which is an extract from Boy, Tales of Childhood).

Answers 1. oval 2. a porcelain figure 3. she is gentle, warm, never shouts and is understanding
4. can be touched 5. (two words such as:) bewildered, afraid 6. her snort 7. they bounced
out of her path as she ploughed through them 8. like ‘an enraged rhinoceros’ 9. climb up
the nearest tree and stay there until they have gone away.

Further Ask the children to comment on the suitability of the names ‘Honey’ and ‘Trunchbull’
activities for the characters described in this text. Discuss how the names reflect the characters’
nature and personalities. Challenge the children to invent names for characters who
are, respectively: mean, generous, moody, funny, irritable, quiet, bossy. Encourage
them to write a scene in which two of these characters interact, such as ordering lunch
in a café, catching a train or clearing out a garden shed.
Invite the children to make up some similes to describe different characters from real life
or fiction, television or film (such as, ‘Robin Hood jumped from the tree, as sprightly as
a grasshopper’).
Reread the pointer, where an indication is given of the origin of Roald Dahl’s unusual
name (it is Norwegian). Discuss any unusual names among class members, or any that are
known to the children, and discuss their possible origins. Be sure to promote an unusual
name as something positive and interesting rather than something odd or curious.
Divide the children into groups of three. Explain that they can take turns to
be a narrator or a miming actor. First the narrator will read out the description of
Miss Honey (the second paragraph) while the other two role-play Miss Honey and a
child, using body language, stance and facial expression, to indicate each character’s
demeanour and attitude. Next, the two actors will play Miss Trunchbull and a child,
again through mime alone, responding to the words of the third paragraph, as the
narrator reads the description of Miss Trunchbull. Encourage the children to use
exaggeration and humour in their acting, to complement the author’s writing style.
Ask whether any of the children have read Matilda, or any other books by Roald Dahl.
Would they recommend them to a friend? Why? Why not?

46 Teaching notes Book 3 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 46 11/11/2019 11:00

 Rats
Contained in: Book 3 (page 14) Genre: Classic poem
Author: Robert Browning

Introduction The famous retelling of the traditional story of ‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ has delighted
readers for over 100 years. It is well worth reading aloud, so that the children may enjoy
its lyrical rhythm and rhyme before they begin to read it closely. Use the pointer in the
pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. Hanover 2. to the north (as the river washes its south wall) 3. ‘vermin’ 4. a (lyrical/
rhyming) poem 5. line 20: ‘In fifty different sharps and flats’ 6. cheeses and sprats 7. they
disapprove as the council appears to be doing nothing about the town’s problems 8a. simpleton,
idiot, fool 8b. fur from a stoat’s winter coat, when it turns white 9. line 32: ‘we’ll send you
packing’.

Further Read the poem aloud so that the children are able to fully appreciate its features.
activities Ask the children to use an atlas to locate the German town of Hamelin (Hameln) and the
River Weser on which it lies (in Lower Saxony).
Encourage the children to find and read the whole poem and then retell the story in
their own words.
After reading the whole poem, hold a class discussion on the responsibilities
of town and community leaders. How accountable should they be to the townsfolk
who vote them into their positions of authority? How do the children feel about the
behaviour of the councillors of Hamelin? Were they right to cheat the Pied Piper? Was
his revenge appropriate?
Challenge the children to learn parts of the poem by heart and practise reciting it to
the class.

Mischievous Tom
Contained in: Book 3 (page 16) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Author: Mark Twain

Introduction When The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was first published in 1876, Mark Twain wrote in his
preface:
Although my book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls,
I hope it will not be shunned by men and women on that account; for part of
my plan has been to try to write pleasantly, to remind adults of what they once
were themselves, and of how they felt and thought and talked, and what queer
enterprises they sometimes engaged in.
The universal appeal of Tom Sawyer proves the author’s success in this ambition. Use the
pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. American 2. Tom’s Aunt Polly 3. Where’s he got to? What’s he up to? 4. ‘built for “style”,
not service’ 5. the cat 6. tomato vines and jimpson weeds 7. ‘roundabout’ 8. a flexible
whipping stick 9. Tom was in great danger of being hit. 10. he tricks her into looking away and

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 3 47

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 47 11/11/2019 11:00

 while her back is turned he climbs over the fence and vanishes 11. she ‘broke into a gentle laugh’.

Further Check that the children understand any unfamiliar vocabulary: for example, ‘state’,
activities ‘perplexed’, ‘resurrected’, ‘arrest’, ‘closet’, ‘truck’. Discuss any words or phrases that
they find particularly entertaining – such as, ‘she could have seen through a pair of
stove-lids just as well’.
Ask the children to discuss what might happen next, after the extract. Will Aunt
Polly get angry with Tom eventually? What tricks will Tom play during his stay?
Ask the children to note all the characters’ physical movements and actions that help
the reader to picture the scene very clearly (the adjusting of the useless glasses; the
bending and probing with the broom; the grabbing of Tom; his antics to avoid capture
and a beating).
Tell the children to rewrite the scene as a first-person recount, allowing them to choose
whether they take the part of Tom or Aunt Polly.
Challenge the children to rewrite this scene as a film or playscript, complete with stage
directions in brackets. Remind them that each piece of speech will follow the speaker’s
name (in capitals) and that speech marks are not needed.
Invite the children to find a partner and use their scripts to practise and perform a
radio presentation of this episode. Remind them that this medium offers no visual clues,
that their clarity and tone of voice, pace, volume and any sound effects are all they
have to put across the characters and events to the audience. Listen to the results and
vote on which pair performed in the most arresting way.

Sixteen steps to the ice-house

Contained in: Book 3 (page 18) Genre: Shape poem
Author: Gina Douthwaite

Introduction Gina Douthwaite is renowned for her ‘concrete’ or ‘shape’ poetry and the children will find
a rich variety of further examples in anthologies where her work appears. Other poetic
devices commonly feature in her work, for example rhyme, near-rhyme and assonance (see
below). Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they
start reading.

Answers 1. 16 lines to match the number of steps, stepped-inset capitals mimic the appearance of 16 steps
2. down 3. (two of:) mould, slime, rats’ bones, it dates from a time when people had
servants, it is ‘not of this century’ 4a. e.g. ‘mould’/‘cold’; ‘still’/‘chill’ 4b. e.g. ‘holds’/
‘souls’; ‘steps’/‘depths’ 5. (two of:) ‘some sinewy shape not of this century’, ‘the dead who
guard’, ‘ghostly’ 6. servants (the petrifying cold ‘holds the souls of servants’) 7. it makes
the reader retrace the steps with the speaker; it reinforces images.

Further The children will be used to identifying rhymes, especially at the ends of lines.
activities However, this poem offers wonderful examples of near-rhyme and assonance (which is
a correspondence of vowel sounds, even though the consonant sounds are different).
Draw the children’s attention to further internal near-rhymes: for example, ‘scattered’/
‘shatter’/‘stagnant’; ‘sinewy’/‘century’.
Ask the children to brainstorm other places that steps might lead – the deep end of a
swimming pool, a dusty attic or loft, a roof, an apple tree, the crow’s nest of an old

48 Teaching notes Book 3 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 48 11/11/2019 11:00

 sailing ship, the inside of a chimney … Challenge them to create an atmospheric poem
of their own, drafting it before shaping the lines in steps formation. Encourage the
children to use near-rhyme if possible.
Invite the children to gather together various anthologies and look for more Gina
Douthwaite poems. What common features can they identify?
Ask the children to research old houses and stately homes in your area and to find out
whether any of them once had an ice-house. They should then present their findings to
the class.
Divide the children into groups of six and ask them to plan a choral performance of
the poem. They can choose how to divide up the lines among themselves and/or which, if
any, lines to read together. Make sure that the children understand the significance of the
italicised from in lines 13 and 15 (ghosts may be coming up the steps and/or the speaker is
hurriedly retreating). Encourage them to reflect this in their performance. They can also
plan sound effects, using percussion instruments or recording 16 footsteps, or other sound
effects, such as dripping water or a clattering stone. Allow each group to perform their
recitation and invite the audience to discuss areas of success or for improvement.

Sea fever
Contained in: Book 3 (page 20) Genre: Classic poem
Author: John Masefield

Introduction This classic poem paints a graphic picture of life at sea. Its strong pattern of rhythm and
rhyme makes it an ideal poem for learning by heart. Use the pointer in the pupil book to
introduce the text to the children before they start reading. As an extension activity, invite
the more able children to write a review of the text; space is provided in the box below the
questions. Discuss the reviews in class later.

Answers 1. ‘I must go down to the sea again’, ‘and all I ask’; the repetition reinforces the increasingly
impelling longing and urgency 2. (one of:) ‘lonely sea’, ‘wheel’s kick’, ‘wind’s song’, ‘sea’s
face’ 3. it has tall masts and sails 4. ‘a star to steer her by’ 5. flying clouds, flung spray,
blown spume 6. sharpened 7. lines 11 (‘merry yarn … fellow rover’) and 12 (‘when the
long trick’s over’, which refers to taking turns at the helm) 8. (two of:) ‘wind’s song’, ‘call
of the running tide’, ‘sea-gulls crying’, ‘laughing’.

Further Draw attention to the lists of things that follow the repeated ‘And all I ask …’ in each
activities verse. Discuss how easily these desires may be fulfilled. Are they modest or fantastic?
Ask what they indicate of the speaker’s experience of sailing. Suggest that the writer’s
description also endorses the joys of life at sea aboard a sailing ship.
Ask the children to write and perform a poem of their own that will encourage readers
to share an experience they have enjoyed. Their descriptive language must persuade
the readers to share the feelings, sounds and smells that they long to revisit. Allow the
children to choose their own subject or suggest a holiday place they have visited: the
home of a friend or relative; a castle or picnic spot; a pet or toy shop. Challenge the
more able children to create a parody of the original, for example, ‘I must kick a ball on
the green again, where our goals are folded coats …’.
Invite the children to research online or in reference books the life of John Masefield.
They might focus on: his idyllic early childhood in Herefordshire; his being orphaned

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 3 49

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 49 11/11/2019 11:00

 and sent to live with an aunt and uncle; his love of reading; his time at sea; his life in the
USA during the Depression; his return to London; his friendship with the poet Yeats and
his circle; his experiences as a Red Cross worker in World War 1; his appointment as
Poet Laureate in 1930. They should then present their findings to the class.
Display an enlarged copy of the poem and underline words or phrases that
imply discomfort and misery, such as ‘lonely’, ‘kick’, ‘shaking’, ‘grey’, ‘like a whetted
[sharpened] knife’. Invite the children to offer suggestions why, despite these images,
the poem is cheerful and optimistic, making sailing seem romantic and fun. For
example, facing a challenge and overcoming the forces of nature can be exhilarating
and rewarding, making someone feel more ‘alive’ or ‘at one with nature’. Invite
comments on how and why the last line brings the poem to a calm, relaxing close.

The hippogriff’s tusk

Contained in: Book 3 (page 22) Genre: Comic fiction
Source: Jennings’ Diary Author: Anthony Buckeridge

Introduction This extract comes from the fifth of 25 novels featuring Jennings, the first being published
in 1950, and the last – after a gap in the 1980s – in 1991. Use the pointer in the pupil book
to introduce the text to the children before they start reading. As an extension activity,
invite the more able children to write a review of the text; space is provided in the box
below the questions. Discuss the reviews in class later.

Answers 1. 14 days 2. vegetables 3. his visit to the Natural History Museum 4. mythical: ‘that
species had never existed, except in legend’ 5. fake, phoney 6. to fossilise: to preserve in
rock something that was once a living creature or plant; to ossify: to convert to bone; to
petrify: to turn to stone 7. its owner had sharpened its teeth on Bronze Age rocks
8. they will put it in the Form 3 museum.

Further Check that the children understand any unfamiliar vocabulary, for example:
activities ‘enterprise’, ‘unbounded’, ‘relic’.
Ask the children to research Anthony Buckeridge and write a short biography of his life
and work. Encourage them to find and read this and other stories by the same author.
Invite the children to find out about the Natural History Museum in London and plan a
short leaflet, flyer or poster advertising its purpose, location, opening times and facilities.
Challenge the children to keep their own diary for a fortnight, describing day-to-day
happenings both at home and at school. Discuss how they might make everyday events
sound interesting or exciting with a little help from their imagination – embellishing and
exaggerating facts and using interesting and unusual imagery.
The hippogriff in literature is an imaginary animal, shaped like a winged horse
with the head of a griffin; it was first described by the Italian poet Ariosto in the
sixteenth century and has featured in several works of children’s literature. Ask
the children to make up their own description of the hippogriff, what it looked like
(including its tusk), what it ate and when it became extinct. Invite the children in turns
to present their description to the class – using clear diction so that everyone can hear.
They might use the style of a television presenter, and could include their own drawings
as visual aids.

50 Teaching notes Book 3 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 50 11/11/2019 11:00

 Keepsake Mill
Contained in: Book 3 (page 24) Genre: Classic poem
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Introduction The rhythm of this poem offers a perfect example of extended onomatopoeia as the rhythm
throughout echoes the sound of the mill wheel’s continuous ‘turning and churning’ – the
‘moil’. Read the poem aloud to the children and encourage them to learn all or part of it
by heart. Encourage them to enjoy the strong rhythm as they recite it. Use the pointer in
the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading. Provide
dictionaries for the children to refer to: a full adult dictionary would be useful for question 5.
Other texts by Robert Louis Stevenson appear in Key Stage 2 Comprehension Book 2
(page 26, ‘The arrival of a rugged seaman’, which is an extract from Treasure Island),
Book 3 (page 30, ‘Respected relative’, which is a letter that the author wrote as a teenager)
and Book 4 (page 24, ‘Our toilsome journey’, which is an extract from Kidnapped).

Answers 1a. A rhymes: e.g. ‘pardon’/‘garden’; B rhymes: e.g. ‘below’/‘we go’ 1b. e.g. ‘here’/‘weir’;
‘turning’/‘churning’; ‘stiller’/‘miller’ 2. a child: ‘for us children, to-day’; ‘we shall find’
(when older); ‘old … we shall meet’ (future tense); ‘your marble of Saturday last’
(recent) 3. ‘breach’ 4. going ‘over the borders’ (trampling on the flowerbeds and/or
leaving the confines of the garden) 5. rushing water (in a channel bringing water to the
mill) 6. he is deaf and his eyesight is failing 7a. a keepsake is a memento, such as the bean and
marble 7b. they were very close friends and expect to remember each other for ever 8a. e.g.
(one of:) breaking/branches; weir/wonder; moil/mill 8b. e.g. (one of:) humming/thunder;
home/ocean/heroes 9. they accentuate the lyrical flow of the words, so that the whole poem
becomes onomatopoeic, sounding like the mill wheel’s constant, rhythmical turning.

Further Ensure that the children have some idea of what a watermill is and what it looks like.
activities Check that the children understand any unfamiliar words: for example, ‘borders’
(line 1): flowerbeds; ‘sluice’ (line 7): water channel; ‘moil’ (line 12): churning; ‘Indies’ (line
17): the lands of south and south-eastern Asia (in Stevenson’s time, much of this area
was owned by Britain); ‘honoured’ (line 23), ‘apparelled’ (line 23).
Invite the children to jog on the spot at a steady pace – or around the room if space
permits. Ask them to maintain a smooth pace, counting one-two-three-four, one-two-
three-four. When they stop, together clap the jogging rhythm. Challenge the children to
substitute words for the numbers, that fit both the metre and the subject of going out
jogging, for example, ‘under trees and past the houses’ (bold here represents the four
strong beats). Encourage each child in the group to add another line. Experiment with
rhyme, perhaps beginning with an ABCB pattern.
Return to the poem ‘Keepsake Mill’ and read it aloud together as a class. Listen again
to the strong, regular rhythm. Encourage the children to recognise how this echoes the
theme of the poem – the passing of time, from childhood to old age. Use a metronome, set
at a speaking speed, as a background sound, as the children attempt to read or recite the
poem to a steady rhythm. If possible, record the children’s performance for them to listen to.
Read together and compare other poems where the rhythm helps to evoke aspects of
the subject – for example, ‘Night mail’ by W. H. Auden.
Ask the children to recall their earliest memories, making notes on every detail and
involving all their senses. Challenge them to develop their notes into a piece of prose or
poetry in an effort to evoke atmosphere and emotion.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 3 51

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 51 11/11/2019 11:00

 Bilbo the hobbit meets Smaug
Contained in: Book 3 (page 26) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: The Hobbit Author: J. R. R. Tolkien

Introduction A forerunner to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit introduces the small underground-dweller
Bilbo Baggins and quickly takes him through a series of dangerous adventures. Here he
encounters Smaug the dragon and has to deal with his own fear. Use the pointer in the
pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. touch and hearing 2. a horse, a cat 3a. a dragon 3b. his fear 4. ‘bottommost’
5. Smaug 6. reddish 7a. gems and fragments of gold 7b. he had lain on them for so long
that they had stuck to his belly 8. armour and weapons 9. it has been worked on, fashioned by
manual labour, embellished or shaped.

Further Remind the children that the world which Tolkien invented for The Hobbit is the same
activities world that is further explored in his later novel, The Lord of the Rings. Mention that both
of these books have been turned into films, and ask if the children have seen them.
Would they recommend them to their friends? Why? Why not?
Ask the children to work in pairs and discuss what they think might happen next.
Will Smaug see Bilbo? Will Bilbo make it out alive?
Return to the theme of Bilbo’s real battle, that of overcoming his own fear. Discuss
what it means to ‘be brave’. Can you be brave if you know no fear? It has been said that
anyone who claims they are never afraid is either stupid or a liar. Explain that fear is a
natural emotion, necessary for our survival as a species, even if some of our fears may
turn out to be irrational.
Challenge the children to write a short story about a character who overcomes his or
her fear to achieve something positive.
Ask the children to reread the description of the dragon. Invite them to look at Tolkien’s
use of figurative language, then write a detailed description of some other imaginary
beast. They might invent their own or write about a traditional mythical creature, such
as an ogre, a mermaid, a griffin or the minotaur.

The woman of water

Contained in: Book 3 (page 28) Genre: Classic poem
Author: Adrian Mitchell

Introduction The first verse of this chilling story of damaged pride, spite and revenge is told in the form
of a recipe as a spell is prepared for the woman. The second verse may offer a challenge to
the children’s previous perception of what a smile indicates, and is worth discussion. Use
the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.
As an extension activity, invite the more able children to write a review of the poem; space
is provided in the box below the questions. Discuss the reviews in class later.

Answers 1. she has refused to marry him 2. they are (abstract) things that would be impossible to collect
3. e.g. (one of:) ‘dark’, ‘thunder’ 4. revenge 5. she drinks the wizard’s potion 6. it
emphasises the extreme depth 7. not really: the woman gets the final revenge – the ‘last laugh’

52 Teaching notes Book 3 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 52 11/11/2019 11:00

 – but both are destroyed 8. (any of:) ‘squeezed’, ‘drained’, ‘charmed’; look for recognition of
the reader’s ability to visualise these actions and how their meanings reflect the nature of each
‘ingredient’.

Further Ensure that the children know what a well is and that they understand that ‘giving
activities one’s hand’ to someone means agreeing to marry them.
Draw attention to the opening phrase, ‘There once was …’ and ask the children what
other genre of writing it reminds them of. Explain that this is a story, or narrative,
poem. Like stories, it has characters, a plot, a setting and a situation to be resolved. It
also has a beginning, a middle and an end.
Ask the children to identify the language devices that make this piece of writing into a
poem (rhythm, rhyme, repetition, alliteration – such as ‘woman’/‘water’; ‘drained’/‘dark’
– and assonance – such as ‘weight’/‘grain’; ‘height’/‘cypress’).
Ask the children to identify the effects of the repetition of the word ‘And’. (It adds to the
sense of single-minded determination on the part of the wizard. At the same time, the
repeated simple word does nothing to distract from the list of amazing ingredients.)
Invite suggestions as to how the telling of this story would differ in prose narrative.
Would more time be spent on describing the woman’s daily trips to the well, for
example, and the wizard’s noticing and watching the woman of water and becoming
obsessed by her? (Consider whether, if he really loved her, he might still want to destroy
her when she turned him down?)
Ask the children to retell the story in prose, embellishing the characters and adding
detail and direct speech. Ask them to imagine how the wizard proposed, how much
time passed before he punished her, how she felt when she became a well and what her
thought processes were in planning to trap the wizard.
Explain that cypress trees are often planted in graveyards. Discuss how this
knowledge might have influenced the poet’s choice of tree and how this adds to the
atmosphere and implications of the poem. Compare other trees’ attributes and how
differently they would work in a spell recipe – such as the sap of an oak, in a potion to
give someone strength, or the sap of a willow, to make someone weep. Share ideas to
create a class ‘spell’ poem, which the children can then perform to another class.

Respected relative
Contained in: Book 3 (page 30) Genre: Letter
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Introduction This is a genuine letter that the Victorian children’s poet and author Robert Louis
Stevenson wrote to his father in 1866, when he was aged 15 12 . It will strike a chord with
any child who has tried to sweet-talk a parent into giving them extra pocket money. Its
formality is tongue-in-cheek but is nevertheless typical of the era. Use the pointer in the
pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.
Other texts by Robert Louis Stevenson appear in Key Stage 2 Comprehension Book 2
(page 26, ‘The arrival of a rugged seaman’, which is an extract from Treasure Island), Book
3 (page 24, the poem ‘Keepsake Mill’) and Book 4 (page 24, ‘Our toilsome journey’, which
is an extract from Kidnapped).

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 3 53

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 53 11/11/2019 11:00

 Answers 1. the address and the date 2. his father 3. doctor 4. one month/the next month
5. ‘enormous’, ‘elephantine’ 6. ‘moderate’ 7. strong winds, tempests 8. money 9. to have
stated his case; to have won sympathy 10. ‘My sense of generosity forbids the receipt of more
– my sense of justice forbids the receipt of less than half-a-crown.’

Further Invite comments on the layout and content of the letter. What is and isn’t there that
activities the children would expect to find? (A specific date; the address aligned to one side; the
absence of ‘Dear’ at the beginning.)
Ensure that the children understand any unfamiliar vocabulary.
Explain that Robert Louis Stevenson was a sickly child and spent long periods confined
to bed when he was young. Discuss the location of Torquay (on the Devon coast). His
health was doubtless benefiting from the fresh sea air.
Challenge the children to write a similarly tongue-in-cheek request to their parent for
money, but using twenty-first century formal parlance, at the same time creating a
fresh scenario, such as a school field trip or skiing holiday.
Challenge the children to create a conversion table of old money (pounds, shillings and
pence) to new decimal coinage, as introduced in 1971. Note: there were 12 old pence
to a shilling and 20 shillings to a pound, so 2/6 – two shillings and sixpence (or ‘half a
crown’, a crown being five shillings) – is 12.5 new pence; a crown is 25 new pence; a
shilling is five new pence, and so on.
Read and discuss with the children any of Stevenson’s poems that refer to his ill-
health as a child – for example, ‘The land of counterpane’, or ‘The sick child’. Ask them
if they can identify with the feelings he expresses.

Toad learns a lesson?

Contained in: Book 3 (page 32) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: The Wind in the Willows Author: Kenneth Grahame

Introduction The Wind in the Willows was first published in 1908 (the same year as Mrs Emmeline
Pankhurst gave her lecture – see page 38 of the same pupil book). So strong is Toad’s
character that his part was developed into a play, ‘Toad of Toad Hall’, by another well-
known children’s writer, A. A. Milne. The children may have seen it on television. Use the
pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.
Provide dictionaries.

Answers 1. ‘disregarded’ 2a. wasting 2b. speech, lecture, sermon 3. he hopes Toad is sorry and will
emerge a reformed character 4. 45 mins 5. they sit in armchairs, wait patiently, and listen
through the door 6. (one of:) he has ‘seen the error of his ways’; he is ‘truly sorry for his
misguided conduct’ 7. Toad will break his promise and drive again; he will get into trouble
again 8. doubtfully 9. the animal characters behave like humans.

Further Ask the children to suggest what might happen next and discuss these ideas with
activities the class. Will Toad listen to Badger? What will happen if he doesn't?
Check that the children understand any unfamiliar vocabulary: for example,
‘contemptuously’, ‘drone’, ‘oratory’, ‘discourse’.
Invite the children to add new words to their personal dictionary: for example,
‘squander’, ‘oratory’ and ‘discourse’.

54 Teaching notes Book 3 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 54 11/11/2019 11:00

 Explain that Toad’s interests changed each time he discovered some new mode of
transport. Discuss what forms of transport he might be interested in trying if he were a
twenty-first century character. (Microlite flying? Ski-jumping? Space flight? Jet-skiing?
Paragliding?) Invite the children to describe a comical incident in which Toad’s great-
great-grandson, Toady, gets into trouble trying out a new sport without taking due care
and attention. What other animal characters does he meet? What havoc does he cause?
Challenge the children to find out and present some key facts about the early history
of the car from 1886 onwards. (This was the year when the German engineer Karl Benz
was awarded a patent for the first car to run on petrol.)
Start a class discussion on sustainable transport that has a minimal impact on
the environment. For example, you might cover: reducing the need to travel (by using
local shops); cleaner alternative fuels; the promotion of initiatives such as car sharing,
teleworking and public transport; more cycling and walking, which will also make us
more healthy. Be specific and choose examples that the children will relate to.

How music made peace

Contained in: Book 3 (page 34) Genre: Myth
Source: Children’s Encyclopaedia Author: Arthur Mee

Introduction Music without words is an international language, crossing barriers of nationality, creed,
politics and tradition. Here, the special qualities of music are brought to life in one of many
stories about Ancient Roman gods. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to
the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. Jupiter 2. a tortoise shell, stems, reeds and slender strings 3a. rang out 3b. sweet-
sounding, tuneful 4a. he was too busy playing his flute 4b. he was supposed to be looking after
the herd 5. he was distracted by the sight and sound of the lyre 6. a shepherd’s pipe
7a. two snakes entwined around a wand (later with added wings) 7b. the Caduceus
8. myth 9. Apollo.

Further Ask the children to briefly summarise the text, remembering to include all the key events.
activities Check that the children understand any unfamiliar vocabulary: for example, ‘absorbed’,
‘abyss’, ‘entwined’, and discuss any words that they particularly liked.
Ask the children what the names Jupiter and Mercury have in common. (Both
are the names of Roman gods; both became the names of planets.) Invite the children
to investigate the characters of Mercury and Apollo. What other stories can they
discover about either of these mythological characters? What were the Greek names for
these characters? (Jupiter was Zeus; Mercury was Hermes; Apollo was Phoebus.) Ask
individual children to retell their favourite story to the class.
Ask the children to categorise the instruments referred to in the story. (The lyre is a
stringed instrument; the pipe is a wind instrument.) What present-day instruments fit
into these categories? What other types of musical instrument are there? (Woodwind,
brass and percussion.) Invite the children to discover how the instruments are arranged
in an orchestra. Challenge them to design a musical instrument and write instructions
on how to make and play it.
Introduce the children to Gustav Holst’s orchestral composition, ‘The Planets’, composed
between 1914 and 1916. Play the third and fourth movements – titled ‘Mercury, the

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 3 55

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 55 11/11/2019 11:00

 winged messenger’, and ‘Jupiter, bringer of jollity’. Discuss how well the music reflects
the characters. Can the children identify any of the instruments they hear?
Encourage the children to invent their own brief story describing an incident in
which music brings peace – quelling, for example, an argument, disagreement or fight.
Challenge them to tell their story to the rest of the group using expression, varying
tone, pace and volume, and adding musical sound effects if appropriate.

Pyramus and Thisbe

Contained in: Book 3 (page 36) Genre: Playscript
Source: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Author: William Shakespeare

Introduction This extract is from one of the most accessible and popular of Shakespeare’s plays, and it
has particular appeal for children. The humour involving the artisan players demands to be
read aloud and the children may well enjoy reading more of this scene from Act I, Scene ii.
Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start
reading. Explain that ‘Ercles’ (line 8) is Bottom’s way of pronouncing Hercules – the great
hero of Ancient Greek mythology.
Another text by William Shakespeare appears in Key Stage 2 Comprehension Book 4
(page 38, ‘From father to son’, which is an extract from Hamlet).

Answers 1. celebrating a wedding 2. carry on 3. they will be moved to tears 4. a cruel or oppressive
ruler 5. (one of:) ‘raging rocks’, ‘shivering shocks’, ‘shall shine’, ‘make and mar’,
‘foolish Fates’ 6. to demonstrate his skill 7. equipment for blowing air (to start a fire, for
example) 8a. ‘I have a beard coming’ 8b. he tells him he can wear a mask 9. a ‘wandering
knight’ 10. ‘monstrous’ suggests the complete opposite of a ‘little’ voice 11. (accept any
reasoned answer).

Further Read through the text together, ensuring that the children fully understand each line –
activities since Shakespearean language will be unfamiliar to most of them.
Allocate the parts of Bottom, Quince and Flute to three individuals and ask them to
read the scene aloud with expression in their voices, changing the tempo, volume and
tone as if they were performing a radio play.
Discuss why Flute is being asked to play the part of a woman. (Plays were often played
either by guilds of workers, or by members of a church community, and members of
both these groups tended to be male. Therefore it became a tradition, for a time, for
men to play both male and female roles in the theatre.)
Remind the children of the Roman gods who featured in the story ‘How music made
peace’ on page 34. Explain the phrase ‘Phibbus’ car’ – the chariot of Phoebus, which
is the Greek name for the Roman god, Apollo (god of the sun). Invite the children to
research the names of other Greek gods, such as Phoebe (Roman god, Artemis), goddess
of the moon.
Invite the children to research online or in reference books ‘the Fates’ – three mythical
figures of Greek legend, sometimes called ‘Moirae’. They are three sisters, all robed in
white, who decide on human fate. Lachesis speaks of the past, Clotho of the present
and Atropos of the future.
Group the children in threes and ask them to plan and write a script for the three
Fates, as if they were addressing a familiar fictional character, such as Cinderella,

56 Teaching notes Book 3 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 56 11/11/2019 11:00

 Dick Whittington or Little Red Riding Hood. Each in turn will tell the chosen character,
respectively, how things were, are now and will be in the future. For example, Lachesis’
script could tell Cinderella what a beautiful and much-loved girl she was; Clotho could
describe her life since her father remarried; Atropos could warn her to expect a visit from
her fairy godmother and advise her to follow her counsel and so become a princess.

Laws affecting women

Contained in: Book 3 (page 38) Genre: Persuasive text
Author: Emmeline Pankhurst

Introduction Assisted by her daughters, Sylvia and Christabel, Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst (born in
Manchester in 1858) led the Women’s Suffrage Movement of the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries. Her campaign for women’s legal rights and equality with men was
aided by the outbreak of World War 1 in 1914, which forced women to take on the jobs
of men, who were away fighting. When many men lost their lives in the war, the status of
women in society was, by default, altered. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce
the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. ‘suffrage’ 2. the home, child-rearing 3. decisions on how money is spent 4. ‘she ought to
give up her employment’ 5. shelter, food, clothing 6. allowing women adequate clothes and
food and/or control and choice over spending: ‘equality’ 7a. ‘legal’ 7b. ‘sufficient’ 8. (brief
summary, such as:) marriage laws are made by men for women, and they have a profound and
often unfair effect on women.

Further Check that the children understand the words ‘just’, ‘security’, ‘obliged’ and ‘conscientious’,
activities then ask them to write a short summary of the text.
Ask the children to imagine that they are living 100 years ago and have just
listened to Mrs Pankhurst’s speech. For this activity, split the class into pairs. In each
pair, one child should take the role of someone who agrees with Mrs Pankhurst. The
other child should play someone who disagrees, and thinks women should be told what
to do, what to eat, what to wear and how to spend their money. Together, the pair
should improvise a dialogue where each character is trying to convince the other of
their views. Invite the children to perform their dialogues to the class.
Explain that, in concluding her lecture, Mrs Pankhurst points out that the Suffragettes’
wish for the vote was not simply as a ‘right’ but in order that women could carry out
more effectively their duties within their community. Clarify that rights come with
responsibilities. Ask the children to think of some aspect of their lives that they think is
‘not fair’. Ask how it could be improved and who, beyond themselves, would benefit?
Invite them to write and present a short lecture on their point of view. For example,
they might focus on ‘It’s not fair that I have to go to bed earlier than my older brother’
or ‘It’s not fair that you can’t drive until you are 17 years old’.
Challenge the children to find out the year in which some women were at last given the
right to vote in elections (1918).
Ask each child to make two lists, one headed, ‘Things I like to decide for myself’ and the
other, ‘Things I like my parents or teacher to decide’. Sort the children into twos and ask
them to share and compare their lists and discuss common ground or disagreements.
Bring the class together and invite the children to share their findings with others and
discuss and explain their feelings and rationales. Ask the children why some decisions

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 3 57

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 57 11/11/2019 11:00

 are better taken out of their hands. At what age do they think, for example, that
children should decide for themselves what time to go to bed, what to wear, and so on?
Invite any children with younger siblings to consider why limitations are sometimes a
good idea. In a separate lesson, ask the children to write a speech after the style of Mrs
Pankhurst to argue a case for more freedom for children over, say, how they spend their
pocket money or how late they are allowed to play outside.

BOOK 4 Because the children will meet many new words in this book and because some
familiar words have entirely different meanings when used in different contexts,
it is recommended that they have dictionaries to refer to throughout.

The rooks’ parliament

Contained in: Book 4 (page 4) Genre: Poem
Author: Alison Brackenbury

Introduction The rural setting of this poem by a twenty-first century writer lends itself to comparison with
classical poems about birds by poets such as Edward Thomas (see ‘The owl’ on page 12) and
William Wordsworth (see ‘To the cuckoo’ on page 20). Here the rooks’ right to life is defended
without sentimentality as the poet champions their cause in lively lyrical form. Use the
pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1a. she wants to distinguish them from crows 1b. she believes that people confuse the two
birds 2. ‘kind’ 3a. ‘chilling blue flame’ 3b. the light in the eyes of the dead rooks
4. ‘rookeries crown rough roadside trees’ 5a. French ‘parler’; to speak 5b. to give the
rooks a voice; speaking on their behalf; a reference to their ‘assemblies’ – ‘where wisdom is
made’ 6. serious, solemn 7. they are harmless, gentle, and eat pests.

Further ‘Parliament’ here is a collective noun. Ask the children to think of other collective nouns
activities for creatures, especially birds, or list the following: a ‘skein’ of geese or swans (in
flight), a ‘cast’ of (a couple of) hawks, a ‘charm’ of goldfinches, an ‘ascension’ of larks,
a ‘bouquet’ of pheasants, a ‘company’ of parrots or a ‘colony’ of penguins. Point out
how the word ‘parliament’ reflects the talkative nature of rooks and discuss how the
parliament of a country or state makes laws and sets taxes.
Invite the children to select one of the collective nouns above, and turn it into a title as the
poet did here (for example, ‘The pheasants’ bouquet’ or ‘A casting of hawks’). They should
then plan and write their own poem. Depending on their choice of noun, they will need
to consider questions such as, ‘What flowers would the bouquet contain?’ ‘To whom and
why would they present it?’ ‘Would the hawks be a married couple?’ ‘Might their poem be
a dialogue for two voices?’ Invite the children to perform their poems to the class.
Ask the children to list other creatures that people might consider to be pests, such
as mice, snails, flies, rats, wasps, magpies, foxes and badgers. Challenge them to
champion the cause for preserving one or more of these creatures. Ask them to
investigate the food chain and consider ways in which the animals that we see as
‘pests’ might be food and life to another creature or make a useful contribution
to our environment. (For example, thrushes eat snails, snails clean away rotting
debris, and so on.) Ask the children to write a paragraph titled ‘In praise of snails’

58 Teaching notes Book 3/4 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 58 11/11/2019 11:00

 (or another creature) – encouraging them to be controversial if necessary, so that their
writing will prompt class discussion.
Ask the children to investigate the characteristics of either the rook or the crow,
and then to make a presentation to the class so that their shared research makes clear
the differences between the two.

Tudor wedding
Contained in: Book 4 (page 6) Genre: Historical fiction in diary form
Source: My Tudor Queen – The Diary of Eva Author: Alison Prince
De Puebla, London 1501–1513

Introduction This authoritative and well-researched fiction looks at the Tudor court through the eyes
of a fictional Spanish maid-in-waiting to the real-life Catherine of Aragon. It is set at the
time of Catherine’s wedding to Prince Arthur, older brother of Henry (Harry): she will later
become the first of Henry’s six wives. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the
text to the children before they start reading. As an extension activity, invite the more able
children to write a review of the text; space is provided in the box below the questions.
Discuss the reviews in class later.

Answers 1. Spain (Aragon) 2a. argumentative 2b. calm, peaceful 3. ‘like two white swans’ 4. he might
then have been the bridegroom/married Catherine himself 5. ‘burgundy’, ‘scarlet’, ‘crimson’
6. near the beginning: the entry is dated November 1501 and the book covers 1501–1513
7. (underlined:) as befits the future Queen of Scotland.

Further Make sure that the children understand any unfamiliar vocabulary in the first
activities paragraph – for example, ‘pageantry’, ‘law-resistant’, ‘insensible’.
Invite the children to research online or in reference books the real-life characters that
appear in this extract and fit them into part of a family tree of the Tudors. Ask them to
find out how old Harry would have been at the time of Catherine’s first wedding.
Ask the children to analyse the use of colour in this description. Encourage them to
construct a table in which each column is used for a different colour, with each row
listing a different object seen. Then ask different individuals to tell the class what
objects they have identified in a particular colour.
Eva writes in her diary, ‘I wish Mama could have seen it’. Ask the children to adopt the
persona of Eva and, writing in the first person as she does here, compose a letter to her
mother in Spain. Discuss how her language might differ in a personal letter. Then ask
the children to write in the style of a twenty-first century letter or e-mail, describing the
same event. Encourage them to choose a different range of colours as they describe the
scene – for example, silver and blue rather than gold and red.
Initiate a class discussion of wedding customs by describing a wedding that you
attended. Fully involve any children from different cultural backgrounds and ask them
to tell you about any special wedding traditions they know about. Encourage the other
children to contribute by asking questions and making comparisons.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 4 59

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 59 11/11/2019 11:00

 The way through the woods
Contained in: Book 4 (page 8) Genre: Classic poem
Author: Rudyard Kipling

Introduction This elegantly lyrical poem is worth reading aloud, to enjoy the atmospheric use of
alliteration, assonance, rhythm and rhyme. The children may recognise Rudyard Kipling’s
name as author of The Jungle Book and the Just So Stories. Use the pointer in the pupil book
to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. ‘anemones’ 2. it is overgrown; animals and birds are unafraid; trees grow where the road
once ran 3. the riders are heard, not seen; the sound follows the course of the now non-existent
road 4. the otter’s mating call 5. uninhabited areas; lonely, isolated, secluded places
6. fish (trout) surfacing 7a. e.g. a rise in tempo to emulate the horse’s galloping feet; slowing
down for the ‘misty solitudes’ 7b. e.g. quieter when the text describes isolation and slightly
louder when the keeper is mentioned – reflecting the human presence – and/or the noisy horse’s
hooves.

Further Check that the children understand the language used (‘undone’, ‘coppice’, ‘heath’,
activities ‘cantering’). Explain to them the meaning of ‘the keeper’ (gamekeeper), and why he is
the only person who can see where the road once ran. (It is likely that he has known the
forest for many years and is familiar with every inch of the land and the animals that
inhabit it.)
Challenge the children to name all the animals mentioned in the poem (ring-dove,
badger, trout, otter and ghostly horse) and to suggest other animals that might also
have been in the wood, though they are not referred to here.
Ask the children, in twos, to describe to each other an outdoor place that they know
well. Encourage them to draw on all their senses, especially those of sight, sound and
smell. Partners should ask questions to elicit further detail. Let the children make notes
and begin to draft a poem about this familiar location, describing the feelings it evokes
in them when they visit.
Invite the children to look for further poems by Rudyard Kipling. Ask every child
to choose an extract they enjoy to perform to the rest of the class, explaining what they
like about it and why they would recommend it to a friend. Some children may feel able
to draw simple comparisons between Rudyard Kipling’s works.

Chocolate
Contained in: Book 4 (page 10) Genre: Autobiography
Source: Boy, Tales of Childhood Author: Roald Dahl

Introduction Even Dahl’s autobiographical writing has a story-telling tone and the children will doubtless
recognise the author’s schoolboy experience as a source of inspiration for his popular book,
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: film versions of this novel are available on DVD. Use the
pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.
Another text by Roald Dahl appears in Key Stage 2 Comprehension Book 3 (page 12,
‘Matilda joins Crunchem Hall’, which is an extract from Matilda).

60 Teaching notes Book 4 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 60 11/11/2019 11:00

 Answers 1. it is fact-based autobiography 2. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 3. so that the testers
would be influenced by taste alone; at that stage of development a name would serve no
purpose 4a. Cadbury’s Coffee Cream bar 4b. as a ‘benchmark’; as a known quantity,
for comparison purposes 5. took part enthusiastically 6a. they were old enough to
have wide experience of eating choocolate; they knew every existing bar intimately 6b.
‘connoisseurs’ 7. not distinctive enough in flavour to be widely popular 8. ‘irresistible’.

Further Ensure that the children understand any unfamiliar vocabulary – for example,
activities ‘manufacturers’, ‘stunt’, ‘palate’, ‘laboratory’, ‘concocting’.
Invite the children to imagine their own perfect chocolate-box collection. What fillings
would they like? What flavours, textures, colours, shapes? Ask them to write a mouth-
watering description of each of a dozen new chocolates, giving each a temptingly
descriptive name reflecting its properties (for example, Strawberry Sizzle or Damson
Diamond).
Ask individuals to list their 12 chocolate names and read out their 12 descriptions,
while the rest of the group give marks out of 10 according to how attractive the author
has made each chocolate sound. The children should take into account the name of the
chocolate as well as its description. Find out which is the most popular and discuss how
successful the writing was in its appeal. List the 12 most popular chocolate names and
vote on a favourite, creating a bar chart of the results.
Challenge the children to write a memory from their first week at school: they should
include how they felt, what happened, why they will never forget it. (A battle in the
sand tray? Spilling paint? Making a new friend? Feeling homesick?)

Two owls
Contained in: Book 4 (page 12) Genre: Classic poem and more recent
Author: ‘The Owl’, Edward Thomas; poem
‘Owl’, John Agard

Introduction These two poems, dating from opposite ends of the twentieth century, offer an opportunity
to compare a classic and a more recent poem describing the same subject. Use the pointer
in the pupil book to introduce the poems to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. the first person 2a. hunger, cold, tiredness 2b. he reaches an inn that meets all his
needs 3. both offer shelter, an observation platform, a contrast to the night outdoors 4. the
owl sounds sad, which makes the speaker sound sad in sympathy 5a. ‘melancholy’ 5b. sad
and gloomy 6. he thinks about all homeless people, sleeping rough, especially soldiers and the
poor 7. the owl 8. rhetorical 9a. e.g. a hollow tree seems like heaven 9b. e.g. the moon
puff[s] out my feathers 10. cold: owl’s feathers puffed out; clear night encourages frost and
makes things ‘twinkle’ 11. it is made up of four-line verses (quatrains) with regular metre or
ABCB traditional rhyme pattern 12. that owls are wise.

Further Ask the children to draw a picture of something they have all seen – such as a tree.
activities Advise them to think of a specific tree that they can picture in their mind’s eye. When
they have drawn it, ask them to add some other elements to their drawing – perhaps
someone climbing the tree, or a building nearby, or a creature in or near the tree, or
flowers nearby. Finally, ask them to put themselves in the picture. Collect the pictures
and look at each in turn, reminding the children that they were all given the same

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 4 61

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 61 11/11/2019 11:00

 subject to draw: a tree, and yet each picture is different. Explain that it is the same with
poetic writing. There are many English poems in existence on the subject of owls. Just
as each person draws a different picture, so each poet will paint (in words) a different
image of the same subject. Invite them to write a poem about their tree, focusing
on whatever aspect is most striking to them: for example, the tree itself, its age and
physical appearance; its ‘function’ to animals who thrive in it; the shade it offers from
the sun; the sound of the wind through its leaves; the smell and taste of its fruit, and
so on.
Read both owl poems aloud. Focus on selected elements of the detail of the poems –
particularly those not covered by the comprehension questions. In the first, ask the
children the meaning of ‘All of the night was quite barred out’ (line 7). In the second, ask
them the meaning of ‘bespectacled’ (line 6).
Ask the children to choose the poem they like best and explain in a few sentences
why they like it and whether they would recommend it to a friend. Invite them to find
more poems by these two poets to read and present to the rest of the class – again,
saying why they like them and whether they would recommend them.

Mammoth find
Contained in: Book 4 (page 14) Genre: Newspaper report
Source: Guardian, 11 July 2007 Author: Luke Harding

Introduction The extremely cold climate and isolation of Siberia helped preserve the carcass of this
juvenile woolly mammoth for around 10 000 years. The rarity of such a complete specimen
is what made this valuable find so newsworthy. Use the pointer in the pupil book to
introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1a. a baby woolly mammoth 1b. to grab readers’ interest and make them read on 2. cold,
sparse Arctic area with few trees 3. northern Russia/Siberia 4. the animal is complete and
well preserved 5. female 6. ‘lopsided’ 7. by selling them as souvenirs 8. illegal trade
9. around 10 000 years ago/during the Ice Age/Pleistocene era 10. ‘It is being sent to
Japan for further tests.’

Further Reiterate that the opening paragraph of this article contains the pronouns ‘its’ and ‘it’,
activities which are normally only used after the noun in whose place they stand. Discuss why
the journalist has done this. (To hook the readers’ attention and encourage them to
read on and discover the subject.) Ask the children to experiment with this technique by
writing an opening paragraph on a subject of their choice (for example, a rare butterfly
or a famous person) beginning with ‘It’, ‘He’ or ‘She’.
Discuss with the children other ways in which the author arouses the readers’ interest.
(The use of the words ‘hailing’ and ‘sensational’ to bring drama to the discovery; the
description of an ordinary person ‘stumbling’ across the carcass, with the implication
that it was someone with whom the reader might identify who had made this
discovery; the amazing fact that the carcass was so well preserved.)
Challenge the children to research online or in reference books the Ice Age and
the woolly mammoth and write a short background article. What did the creatures live
on? In what parts of the world were they found? How long did the Ice Age last? Ask for
volunteers to present their findings to the class.

62 Teaching notes Book 4 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 62 11/11/2019 11:00

 Poems that entertain
Contained in: Book 4 (page 16) Poole; ‘The amorous teacher’s sonnet to
Author: ‘Crocodile’s Tale’, John Agard; his love’, Dave Calder
‘There was an old lady’, Edward Lear; Genre: Poems in a variety of forms
‘Magic’, Judith Nicholls; ‘Haiku’, Peggy

Introduction This collection of five poems includes a couplet, a limerick, a cinquain, a haiku and a sonnet.
Their diverse subject matter should ensure that every reader finds something that appeals. Use
the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1a. ‘There was an old lady’, Edward Lear 1b. limerick 1c. ‘Crocodile’s tale’, John Agard
1d. two lines with AA end rhymes and matching rhythm 1e. ‘Haiku’, Peggy Poole 1f. words
with a total of 17 syllables, divided 5-7-5 across three lines 2. raindrops 3. ‘Crocodile’s
tale’ and the sonnet 4. ‘Haiku’: it makes the goal sound like a hungry mouth longing for
food 5. it was bitten off by the crocodile when he unwittingly stepped on it 6. ‘Magic’ and
‘Haiku’ 7. ‘I long to shout, “I love you” through the noise’ 8. able to do nothing wrong in the
eyes of the onlooker; perfect.

Further Ask the children for their own definitions as to what poetry is – expanding on,
activities agreeing with or disagreeing with the pointer. Then read the poems aloud, and discuss
how each one fits – or does not fit – the definitions given.
Discuss the different tones of voice required for reading the different poems – these will
range from mischievous (‘Crocodile’s tale’ and ‘There was an old lady’) to dreamy (‘The
amorous teacher’s sonnet to his love’), amazed or wondering (‘Magic’) and matter-of-
fact (‘Haiku’).
Introduce the children to the term ‘iambic pentameter’, which describes the ‘di-dum di-
dum di-dum di-dum di-dum’ metre in ‘The amorous teacher’s sonnet to his love’.
The poem ‘Magic’ is a cinquain. Challenge the children to write a cinquain of their own
– that is, a poem of five lines with the syllable counts 2-4-6-8-2. Writing a cinquain is
an excellent exercise in brevity, and in making sure that every word in a poem ‘earns its
keep’. Possible subject matter for the cinquains could be: the classroom; a best friend;
a season – the names of all but ‘spring’ (which has only one syllable) provide a perfect
opening or closing line.
Invite the children to read their cinquains aloud to the class. Allow the children
listening to give two positive comments about each one, and to make one suggestion as
to how it might be improved.
Encourage the children to find more poems in a specific form and/or further poems by
one of the poets represented here. Build up a class anthology of favourites and ask
individual children to recommend a poem they think a friend would particularly like.
The children might also research the poets and write a short biography to accompany
each poem. Make the children aware that Edward Lear is famous for having written
many other limericks, in the same form as the example given here. Most children will
also be familiar with his popular poem, ‘The owl and the pussycat’, and will be aware
that much of his verse is humorous.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 4 63

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 63 11/11/2019 11:00

 Child employment
Contained in: Book 4 (page 18) Genre: Formal information text
Author: abridged from www.direct.gov.uk

Introduction This extract from government directives on child employment gives the children some
practical experience in interpreting complex information with several different variables.
Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start
reading. Please note that this information was correct at the time of publication.
However, you should not use it as a source of reference without checking that it is still
current.

Answers 1a. Jack can leave on the last Friday in June of that year 1b. Indira must wait until the last
Friday in June of the following year 2a. Mandatory School Leaving Age 2b. compulsory
3. ‘National Insurance Number’ 4. Lily cannot do shop-work until she is 13; Eve can work
for the advertising agency as a model (but will require a chaperone and a performance
licence) 5. 12 hours 6. children are not allowed to work in an industrial setting 7. theatre,
television, modelling or similar work, which would require a performance licence
8. a chaperone is an accompanying responsible adult, licensed by the local authority; a child
would need one if working in the performing arts, sport or modelling 9. education
department of the local council.

Further Read the text aloud, section by section.

activities Tell the children the current Mandatory School Leaving Age (which can always be
checked on the government website) – they will not have needed this information in
order to answer the comprehension questions.
Ask the children why the text is organised as it is. What are the functions of the bullet
points, the short paragraphs and the coloured headings? (Ease of reference, brevity,
clarity.)
Point out the use of initials to represent a longer term (‘MSLA’ for ‘Mandatory School
Leaving Age’). What other such abbreviations are the children aware of – and what
do they stand for? (For example, BBC for British Broadcasting Corporation, AA for
Automobile Association, PC for personal computer, CD for compact disk.)
Discuss any rules or policies that are in force in the class or in the school, or make up
some rules if there are none at present. Use the layout of the text as a model for writing
or presenting the rules in a suitable format.
Point out that the children’s not too distant ancestors, including grandparents and
great-grandparents, may well have left school at age 14 or 15 to learn a trade, perhaps
as an apprentice, or to find employment. Arrange for some older family members to
come and talk to the children about their life just before and after leaving school. What,
if any, Saturday or holiday jobs did they do? Before the visit, ask the children to plan
and write down some questions they would like to ask.
Hold a class debate on the child employment laws. Are they a good idea? Do they
go too far or not far enough? How and why might children need protecting? What
benefits are there to part-time work while children are still at school (apart from extra
pocket money)?

64 Teaching notes Book 4 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 64 11/11/2019 11:00

 To the cuckoo
Contained in: Book 4 (page 20) Genre: Classic poem
Author: William Wordsworth

Introduction Wordsworth was a lyrical poet who painted a romantic but simplistic picture of rural life.
Born in Cockermouth, William and his sister Dorothy, also a poet, grew up surrounded
by the beauty of the Lake District. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text
to the children before they start reading. As an extension activity, invite the more able
children to write a review of the poem; space is provided in the box below the questions.
Discuss the reviews in class later.

Answers 1. ‘darling of the Spring’ 2. (one of:) ‘wandering voice’, ‘twofold shout’, ‘babbling’
3. because it is heard and not seen 4. three times 5. No: ‘again’, ‘often’, ‘same’ (as in
boyhood) 6. a) and c) 7. ‘blessèd’.

Further Demonstrate the sound of the cuckoo’s call to the children to ensure that they recognise
activities it – and can listen out for it during the spring and summer.
Explain that Wordsworth was writing in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth
centuries and that much of the language he used, though ‘simple’ at the time, is now
‘archaic’ (old-fashioned and no longer in common usage). Highlight words no longer
used, such as ‘thee’, ‘bringest’, ‘unto’, ‘art’, ‘wert’.
Clarify that ‘thou’ was a familiar form of address. Invite the children to compare the
following: ‘I am/was’, ‘me’ and ‘my’; ‘you are/were’, ‘you’ and ‘your’; ‘thou art/wert’,
‘thee’ and ‘thy’. Point out the difference between ‘you bring’ and ‘thou bringest’.
Challenge the children to ‘translate’ lines containing archaic words into present-day
English, where the poet would address the cuckoo as ‘you’.
Challenge the children to find out as much information as they can about the
cuckoo, and then take turns in presenting this information to the class in the style of a
television nature programme.
Bring to the class other poems, pieces of music or works of art that also describe
the cuckoo or conjure the atmosphere of spring. Play the children ‘On hearing the
first cuckoo’ by Frederick Delius or ‘The four seasons/Spring’ by Antonio Vivaldi,
encouraging the children to listen for the sound of the cuckoo’s cry. Choose all or part
of another spring poem to read the children: for example, ‘The spring’ by Thomas
Carew, ‘To spring’ by William Blake, or ‘Ode on the spring’ by Thomas Gray. Encourage
the children to draw comparisons between the different representations of spring.
Invite the children to write their own poems about the season that you are currently in.
Alternatively, ask them to write a poem in praise of a wild animal, bird or pet of their
choice. Encourage them to describe specific details that will bring their writing to life.
Ask individuals to read their poem aloud to the class.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 4 65

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 65 11/11/2019 11:00

 The magic of shells
Contained in: Book 4 (page 22) Genre: Non-chronological report
Source: National Trust Magazine, Summer Author: Mark Rowe
2007

Introduction Most children will have seen and collected seashells at the beach and some may be familiar
with cockles and mussels as a seafood. This description of the variety and distribution of
different species makes fascinating reading and will enhance future trips to the seaside. If
the children in your class live within reach of the sea, or have shells that they brought back
from a holiday, encourage them to help you identify shells mentioned in this article. Use
the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1. they thought that shells ‘dropped from the stars’ 2. gastropods (e.g. limpets,
periwinkles) and bivalves (e.g. cockles, mussels) 3a. ‘herbivores’ 3b. cowries and dog
whelks 4. because people have always found shells attractive and collected them and always
will 5. acid on the tip of its tongue burns a hole through a shell 6. (accept any accurate
response) 7. that each shell is empty 8. that shells are in need of protection 9. it suggests a
way to collect shells without seriously affecting beaches.

Further Encourage the children to underline key advice in the article (such as, ‘taking a lot of
activities shells is not sustainable’ and ‘always make sure they are empty’).
Invite one group of children to design a seaside poster to display near a beach with a
view to protecting the environment. Discuss the balance between ‘rules’ and interesting
information and the impact of layout, font size, ‘white space’, illustration and use of
colour. Use the information in the article and a computer art program to create and
print posters.
Invite a second group of children to write and perform a television information
piece, to be screened along with the advertisements, putting across the same
information in a way that viewers will remember.
Encourage the children to list, sketch and research the different shelled species found
on the coastline. Ask them to create an alphabetical glossary, listing the creatures and
adding a sentence or two about each.
Challenge the children to research types of shellfish that are eaten as seafood and to
find a simple seafood recipe.

Our toilsome journey

Contained in: Book 4 (page 24) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: Kidnapped Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Introduction This atmospheric, descriptive passage creates a mood of tension as each of the
countryside’s geographical features represents either danger or safety to the two refugees
in fear of capture. With no direct speech, the use of the first person helps readers to
identify with the narrator. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the
children before they start reading.
Other texts by Robert Louis Stevenson appear in Key Stage 2 Comprehension Book 2

66 Teaching notes Book 4 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 66 11/11/2019 11:00

 (page 26, ‘The arrival of a rugged seaman’, which is an extract from Treasure Island) and
Book 3 (page 24, the poem ‘Keepsake Mill’ and page 30, ‘Respected relative’, which is a
letter that the author wrote as a teenager).

Answers 1a. because they are so far in the distance 1b. they are dead and their branches are bare and
leafless 2. to make themselves less noticeable by staying close to the ground 3. troops (armed
forces) 4. midday (‘about noon’) 5. (hot) smell (‘of the heather’); sound (‘the drone of the
wild bees’); taste (‘of sleep in my throat’) 6. the shadow of a sprig of heather moving to a
chosen point would indicate the time to change shift; 7. (accept any reasoned answer).

Further Make it clear that the narrator is David Balfour, and he is travelling with his friend Alan
activities Breck Stewart.
Explain the meaning of ‘hag’ (in ‘bogs and hags and peaty pools’, line 4): a firm place in
a bog. Understanding this phrase is important to visualise the setting.
Taking account of the children’s suggestions, create a list of old-fashioned terms. Help
the children to rephrase them in present-day English and discuss any that the children
find interesting. For example: ‘as waste as the sea’ (line 1): as unbroken an expanse;
‘devious travel’ (line 9): indirect route; ‘it behoved us’ (line 10): we had to; ‘turned aside’
(line 11): turned away; ‘hard upon’ (line 14): close on the trail of; ‘had scarce’ (line 20):
had hardly; ‘rouse’ (line 22): waken.
Ring words that are used to underline the human emotions and the frailty of those
involved in the mission (‘wearier’, ‘toilsome’, ‘stooping’) and the desolation of the terrain
(‘waste’, ‘dead’, ‘skeletons’, ‘desert’, ‘naked’, ‘killing’). Discuss how well camouflaged the
travellers would be. How easy would it be for them to be spotted or for them to spot
their pursuers?
Challenge the children to select an area of the classroom or school grounds and view it from
an ant’s point of view. Write a description in the persona of an ant attempting to reach its
colony without being trodden on. What obstacles does it face? Where can it hide?
As you read the text aloud, slowly and clearly, ask the children to listen very
carefully and draw a map of the terrain that Balfour and Stewart are crossing. They
can check details afterwards by reading the text again themselves.

Diogenes and the Cynics

Contained in: Book 4 (page 26) Genre: Information / explanation
Author: Celia Warren

Introduction Bearing in mind the military feats of Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, and his lust
for power, it is astounding that Diogenes should have had the courage to ask him to move
and stop blocking his light. It is a measure of the king’s recognition of, and respect for,
Diogenes’ intellect and beliefs that he accepted this behaviour. Use the pointer in the pupil
book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1a. an academic, a thinker, someone concerned with matters of the mind 1b. thrifty, not
wasteful 2. (one of:) ‘unkempt’, ‘unusual’, ‘plain’, ‘proud’, ‘strange’ 3. dogs
4. Antisthenes 5. the fact that he was proud of his plain lifestyle and unafraid
to say what he thought 6. he asked him to teach/educate his son 7. ‘enquired’
8. (accept any accurate response).

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 4 67

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 67 11/11/2019 11:00

 Further Ensure that the children have a basic understanding of what philosophy is, as explained
activities in the pointer.
Check that the children understand any unfamiliar vocabulary – for example, ‘sect’,
‘surly’ and ‘unkempt’ – and discuss any words that the children find interesting.
Ask the children to investigate the current meaning of ‘cynical’. (A person who is
‘cynical’ tends not to believe that people can sometimes act in a selfless way.)
Invite the children to list any words in the passage that are outside their active vocabulary,
such as ‘frugality’ and ‘intellect’, adding the related adjectives, ‘frugal’ and ‘intellectual’.
Challenge the children to make these ‘words of the week’ and find ways to use them as
often as possible in different contexts during the next few days. Make sure that you also
take part in this challenge!
Start a class discussion on materialism (the way of life that focuses almost entirely
on material things and money, to the exclusion of other things like friendship, love, art,
music or religion). Ask the children what non-material things are most important to them.

Welcoming Grace
Contained in: Book 4 (page 28) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: The Woodlanders Author: Thomas Hardy

Introduction The Woodlanders (first published in 1887) is a gloom-ridden story of false pride, wounded
love, loyalty versus disloyalty, and ultimate tragedy – typical of Hardy’s novels.
Nevertheless, this extract demonstrates Hardy’s inimitable eye for humour: he describes
the incident masterfully through observation of social ineptitude, graphic detail and comic
timing. Read in isolation, it cannot fail to amuse. Use the pointer in the pupil book to
introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1a. ‘they’ 1b. (one of:) ‘’Tis’, meaning ‘it is’ or ‘that is’; ‘bain’t’, meaning ‘aren’t’ 2. by using
both sides of the plate – one for the main course and the other for the dessert 3. c) invite Grace
to marry him 4. (one of:) he snuffed out candles; he stuffed bread into his mouth 5. he
gives a warning 6. Cawtree’s suggestion of a kiss 7. lack, shortage 8. (accept any reasoned
answer).

Further Explain that much of the success of this passage can be summed up as ‘actions speak
activities louder than words’. Point out that what the characters say (to be polite) does not
always match what they think or feel. Highlight speeches that are left unfinished.
Discuss why they are abandoned.
Discuss how Giles’s choice of mismatched guests was one of the causes of his party’s
failure. Invite the children to imagine that they are having a party to which their best
friends are invited. Challenge them to suggest an ill-matched guest – or a gatecrasher –
who is a liability or embarrassment (not another member of the class). Encourage them
to describe the events that follow. (The guest might be a fictional character: a wizard,
Oliver Twist, a frog prince.)
Challenge some of the children, working in small groups, to rewrite the text as a
playscript and to act it out in class. There will be speaking parts for Giles Winterborne,
Robert Creedle, Farmer Cawtree, Grace Melbury and her father George Melbury (the
timber merchant); other children can play additional guests.

68 Teaching notes Book 4 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 68 11/11/2019 11:00

 Challenge the other children, also working in small groups, to improvise and
script a short scene between two or three characters where one or more is clumsy
or embarrassing in what they do and say. Suggest a choice of social situations –
introducing an embarrassing friend to Mum or Dad; being taken to a restaurant by a
clumsy aunt who likes to speak for you; watching a friend try on unsuitable clothes in a
shop. Encourage the children to make their scene amusing by including exaggerated or
extreme characters, strong action and restrained speech.

Scott of the Antarctic

Contained in: Book 4 (page 30) Genre: Information / biography
Author: Celia Warren

Introduction Captain Robert Falcon Scott and his team of explorers are remembered and acclaimed as
much for their bravery in adversity as they are for reaching the South Pole – particularly
as they failed to be the first there. This text makes reference to a number of conditions
they faced in their expedition. Use the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the
children before they start reading.

1. ‘accelerate’ 2. they make the cold seem even colder 3. to be the first man to reach the
South Pole (and raise the Union flag of Great Britain) 4a. Norway 4b. adjectives
5. vitamin C 6a. that he would not be returning, that he had walked out to his death 6b. in
the hope that without his slowing them down, his companions might make quicker progress and
survive 7. they were exhausted, ill and suffering from frostbite and had no dogs or ponies left to
pull their sledges 8. he grew up to be a respected and famous naturalist and was knighted.

Further Check that the children understand the meaning of the word ‘stoicism’ (line 23): an
activities uncomplaining attitude to suffering.
Ask the children to list the following and, arranging them alphabetically, create a short
glossary to accompany the article, describing the meaning of each term: ‘continent’,
‘blizzard’, ‘scurvy’, ‘snow-blindness’, ‘frostbite’, ‘naturalist’, ‘ornithologist’.
An absence of vitamin C caused the men to contract scurvy. Challenge the children to
research and create a pamphlet naming the main vitamins, in what foods they can be
found, and how they can help to prevent some illnesses in human beings. They might
work in groups to achieve this, using word-processing tools to create a professional-
looking flyer.
Challenge the children to find out all they can about the South Pole as it is today,
and to write this up as a short article to deliver to the class in a short presentation.

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 4 69

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 69 11/11/2019 11:00

 Scott’s last letter
Contained in: Book 4 (page 32) Genre: Letter
Author: Robert Scott

Introduction Captain Scott was the last of the group of explorers to die in their shelter. He kept a
diary and used blank pages towards the back to write several letters to friends, family
and officials, to be removed and distributed when his body was found. In the event, his
body was not discovered until some months after his death. His letter to his wife, written
in short bursts over several days, is among the most touching of the collection. Use the
pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.

Answers 1a. in extreme, dire difficulties 1b. unlikely to survive; likely to die 1c. deteriorated; got
worse 2a. ‘preparatory to’ 2b. energy and enthusiasm 3a. his wife 3b. ‘pleasant
recollections’ 4. over several days (‘… since I wrote the above’ or ‘since writing the above’
or ‘20 miles’/‘11 miles’ from the depot) 5a. the severe cold; 70° below zero with only a tent as
shelter 5b. ‘… memory. Certainly …’ 6. he knows he will be dead by the time his wife reads
it, making her a widow 7. (one of:) that he be made to love nature; that he be given lots of fresh
air so that he might enjoy being outdoors; that he be encouraged to believe in a God.

Further Refer the children to the previous text for more information about Scott.
activities Discuss the mixed emotions that Captain Scott’s widow must have felt on hearing of
her husband’s death and on receiving his last letter to her (pride; sadness; disbelief; a
degree of anger; sorrow; determination). Invite the children to imagine that they are
Captain Scott’s widow. They are going to write a last letter to Captain Scott in the
persona of his wife, telling him how they feel on receiving his personal effects and the
diary of letters for her to read and distribute. Clearly, her husband will never read this
letter; she is writing it for herself to ease her grief. What promises, hopes and fears
might she express? What words of praise has she to pass on?
Obtain a recording of Sinfonia Antarctica by Ralph Vaughan Williams and play an
excerpt to the children. This is Vaughan Williams’ seventh symphony and is based on
his music for the film Scott of the Antarctic. While the children are listening to the music,
challenge them to write, as poetry or prose, a few lines describing Scott’s impressions of
the landscape around him.
Ask one group of children to research the Norwegian explorer, Roald Amundsen. How
would the Norwegians have reacted to the news that their flag was the first to fly at
the South Pole? Challenge the children to write a contemporary-sounding Norwegian
newspaper report on his success. How might they pay respect to Scott without
diminishing their pride in Amundsen’s achievement? Remind the children to make use of
emotive adjectives, such as ‘perilous’, ‘brave’, ‘valiant’, ‘courageous’.
Ask a second group of children to research the naturalist and conservationist Peter
Scott, son of Robert Scott. Ask them to imagine how he might have felt when he learnt
for the first time about his father’s bravery during the expedition to the South Pole. How
might Peter Scott’s understanding of his father’s experiences have influenced his own
personal and working life?
Invite both groups of children to present their work to the class.

70 Teaching notes Book 4 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 70 11/11/2019 11:00

 Carried with a mighty force
Contained in: Book 4 (page 34) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: Robinson Crusoe Author: Daniel Defoe

Introduction Many children will have heard of Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday but are unlikely to have
read the original book. It was first published in 1719 and is one of the first novels ever
written. This extract gives an evocative description of Crusoe’s near-drowning experience.
The lengthy sentences will hone the children’s concentration skills. Use the pointer in the
pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading. As an extension
activity, invite the more able children to write a review of the text; space is provided in the
box below the questions. Discuss the reviews in class later.

Answers 1. panic-stricken 2. could not get out of the sea/water 3. used up its energy 4. the sea’s
speed and strength were stronger than Crusoe’s and the wave’s height held him underwater,
dragging him away from the shore as fast as it had carried him towards it 5. ‘as furious as an
enemy’ 6a. ‘pilot’ 6b. ‘endeavoured’ 6c. ‘swiftness’ 7. (accept any reasoned answer)
8. the long sentences leave the reader breathless, reinforcing the narrator’s experience; the long
sentences, unbroken by shorter ones, echo the constant, relentless movement of the waves.

Further The height of the waves is described as ‘twenty or thirty feet’. Translate this into metric
activities measures as a wall of water that is between six and nine metres deep.
Draw attention to the length of sentences in this passage and discuss the effect this has
on the tone and mood. Note how the long sentences reflect the unremitting power of
the waves, leaving the reader almost as breathless as the character. Point out that the
use of commas between clauses makes the sentences easier to read. Show the children
that the second paragraph begins with the onslaught of a fresh wave.
Ask for volunteers to each read a short excerpt from the passage as if they were
Crusoe himself. They should concentrate first on enunciating all the words carefully so
that they can be clearly heard, and second on putting expression into the recount.
The descriptive passage reads almost like a battle between unequal opponents – a
tired, confused man and the force of the mighty ocean. Invite the children to consider
other elements of nature that people might face. For example, they might think about
the severe cold of an Antarctic wind, climbing a sheer mountain face, pot-holing in
underground caves with narrow crevices and the risk of falling rock, deep-sea diving
and facing sharks or barracuda.
Ask the children to choose one extreme climate and activity and research it, making notes
on terrain, temperatures and what hazards apply. Then challenge them to write a passage
of their own, imagining they were in a terrifying situation and describing their feelings.

Victorian Christmas
Contained in: Book 4 (page 36) Genre: Classic fiction
Source: A Christmas Carol Author: Charles Dickens

Introduction Of Dickens’s many novels, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his visits from the ghosts
of Christmases past, present and future is one of the most accessible. So famous is the

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 4 71

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 71 11/11/2019 11:00

 story that this character’s surname has become a byword for meanness. Many children
will be familiar with The Muppets’ Christmas Carol, which retains many elements of the
original story, albeit in a light-hearted, humorous way. Use the pointer in the pupil book to
introduce the text to the children before they start reading. As an extension activity, invite
the more able children to write a review of the text; space is provided in the box below the
questions. Discuss the reviews in class later.

Answers 1. going ahead of carriages with lights to guide them 2. the church tower 3. ‘as if its teeth
were chattering in its frozen head’ 4. ‘brazier’ 5. disliking people; hating mankind
6. cheerful and optimistic: (any of:) ‘a splendid joke’, ‘a glorious pageant’, ‘stirred up
tomorrow’s pudding’, ‘gave orders to his fifty cooks…’ 7. ‘God bless you, merry
gentlemen’ 8. Scrooge grabbed a ruler (and the carol singer expected to be hit).

Further Run through the Glossary and explain any other unfamiliar terms used, for example:
activities ‘proffering’ (line 2): holding out, offering; ‘gruff’ (line 3): stern, bad-tempered; ‘Gothic
window’ (line 4): a window with a pointed top, as would have been seen in medieval
times; ‘tremulous’ (line 5): shaking, trembling; ‘poulterers and grocers’ (line 12):
merchants of poultry, such as chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks, and sellers of general
foodstuffs, respectively; ‘stronghold’ (line 14): strongly built place.
Having told the children to listen carefully, making notes if they wish, read the first
paragraph aloud, twice. Then ask the children to retell the content orally, using their
own words. Make sure that, between them, the children mention the fog, the cold,
the fire in the street, the ice, the shops and the preparations for the banquet.
Moving on to the second paragraph, explain the reference to St Dunstan and his
‘familiar weapons’ (or tools) in lines 20–22. St Dunstan was a metal worker and a skilled
musician. One day, when he was at work in his forge, the Devil paid him a visit, disguised
as a beautiful woman. St Dunstan spotted the cloven hooves beneath the dress and
grabbed the Devil's nose with his red-hot tongs. The Devil escaped by leaping in one
bound as far as Tunbridge Wells. There he plunged his burnt nose into the spring. The
‘Chalybeate Waters’ (meaning ‘waters containing iron’) remain in the town to this day.
Invite the children to look up the text and tune of the carol ‘God rest you
merry, gentlemen’. Role-play the scene of their singing at Scrooge’s door and his
ferocious response.

From father to son

Contained in: Book 4 (page 38) Genre: Playscript
Source: Hamlet Author: William Shakespeare

Introduction This is a challenging read, which will stretch the children’s levels of reading comprehension.
First, before you read the text aloud as the character Polonius, ask for a volunteer to join
you at the front in the role of his son, Laertes. Explain to the children that Laertes is about to
go abroad and before he goes his father wants to give him some advice. As you read, speak
directly to Laertes, using both your voice and your body to help make the meaning clear. Use
the pointer in the pupil book to introduce the text to the children before they start reading.
Another text by William Shakespeare appears in Key Stage 2 Comprehension Book 3
(page 36, ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’, which is an extract from A Midsummer Night’s Dream).

72 Teaching notes Book 4 Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 72 11/11/2019 11:00

 Answers 1. friend; position in society; management of money 2a. don’t share all your thoughts 2b. don’t
get too close, too soon, to new acquaintances 2c. hang on to your close friends that you’ve known
through good times and bad 2d. avoid quarrels, but if you find yourself involved in one, make
sure you state your case strongly 2e. only buy clothes you can afford: they should be of good
quality but not showy 2f. never borrow money (it stops you living within your budget) and
never lend money (you may lose both your money and the friend who borrowed it) 2g. be
honest/true to yourself – that way you’ll be honest with others too 3. (look for relevance,
justification and clear reasoning).

Further Run through the Glossary and explain any other unfamiliar terms used, for example:
activities ‘the opposed’ (line 9): those having a different opinion; ‘gaudy’ (line 13): flashy, over-
bright and garish; ‘season’ (line 23): to make or become an ingrained habit, to mature
and strengthen.
Read the text aloud, with expression, as suggested in the Introduction above. This
will help the children to unravel the meaning.
Then encourage the children to read it all the way through themselves, with a partner,
to try to understand the gist of the speech, before taking a sentence at a time. Give
hints before they begin. For example, tell the children that in the first two lines thoughts
are personified as creatures which (line 1) should not be given the opportunity to speak
out of turn and (line 2) should not be acted upon without careful consideration. Also tell
them that ‘thou’ and ‘thy’ in present-day language are the same as ‘you’ and ‘your’.
Point out the use of apostrophes in the past participles ‘hatch’d’ (line 7) and ‘express’d’
(line 13). Ask what letter is missing. What does this abbreviation tell us about how
the word would have been pronounced normally in Shakespeare’s day? Compare
the frequent pronunciation, even today, of the past participle of the verb ‘to bless’
(‘blessèd’). Discuss how Shakespeare would have written this word if he had wanted it
to be read as one syllable (‘bless’d’).
Run through the text sentence by sentence. As you go, write on the board a brief
present-day paraphrase.
Initiate and lead a discussion on what makes a good friend. What qualities would
make the children want to ‘grapple [their friend] unto [their] soul with hoops of steel’
(line 5)? Can they think of or invent a modern metaphor with a similar meaning. (Hang
on to them for dear life? Chain them to your heart?)
Explain that the quotation from this passage, ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be’
(line 17) has become an oft-quoted maxim. Have half the children prepare a debate in
agreement and half in disagreement, thinking up supportive scenarios for each side.
Conduct a formal debate, with proposers, seconders and a chairperson, listeners voting
for the team that presents their argument most convincingly.
Ask the children what advice they think their own parent or carer might give to them.
What might they say? How would their advice be similar to or different from the advice
given by Polonius?

Schofield & Sims Key Stage 2 Comprehension Teacher's Guide Teaching notes Book 4 73

KS2_Comprehension_TG_Inners_Update November 2019.indd 73 11/11/2019 11:00