Understanding What We Read

Sam has a little dog called Rex. Rex loves to run in the park. One day, Rex found a big stick and would not drop it! Sam said, 'Rex, drop it!' But Rex just wagged his tail and ran away. Sam laughed and ran after him.

Who is the story about?

What did Rex find in the park?

Draw your favourite moment:

My sentence:

A little red hen lived on a farm. She found some seeds on the ground. 'Who will help me plant these seeds?' she asked. 'Not I,' said the cat. 'Not I,' said the dog. So the little red hen planted the seeds all by herself.

Where does the hen live?

What did the hen find?

Did the cat or dog help? How do you know?

Mia looked out the window. It was raining hard. 'Oh no,' she said. 'I wanted to play outside!' Mum smiled and said, 'Why don't we bake a cake instead?' Mia clapped her hands. 'Yes, please!' she said.

What was the weather like?

What did Mia want to do?

What did Mum suggest?

How did Mia feel when she saw the rain?

How did Mia feel about baking a cake?

What clue in the story tells you Mia was happy?

Ben could not find his teddy bear. He looked under the bed. He looked in the cupboard. He even looked in the garden. Then he heard a giggle. His baby sister was sitting behind the couch, hugging the teddy!

What was Ben looking for?

Where did Ben look? (Name 3 places)

Who had the teddy bear?

What do you think Ben did when he found his teddy?

A new boy came to class today. His name was Kai. He stood at the door and looked at the floor. Mrs Lee smiled and said, 'Come in, Kai. You can sit next to Zara.' Zara moved her pencils to make room. 'Hi,' she whispered. Kai gave a small smile.

Who is the new student?

How do you think Kai felt when he arrived? What clue tells you?

Was Zara kind? What did she do to show it?

Lily saw a spider on the wall. She screamed and jumped back. Dad came running. 'It is just a tiny spider,' said Dad. 'It will not hurt you.' He carefully put a glass over it and slid a piece of paper underneath. Then he carried it outside. 'There you go, little spider,' he said.

How did Lily feel when she saw the spider?

What did Dad do with the spider?

Do you think Dad was scared? Why or why not?

On Sunday, our family went to the park for a picnic. We spread a big blanket under a tree. Mum made sandwiches, fruit salad and juice. My brother Tom kicked the football with Dad. I read my book in the shade. Then dark clouds came. 'Quick, pack up!' said Mum. We ran to the car just before the rain started.

Where did the family go?

What food did they bring? (Name all three)

Why did they pack up quickly?

Did they get wet? How do you know?

My retelling:

Every Thursday after school, Dad takes me to the library. I always go straight to the picture book shelf. Last Thursday, I found a book about dinosaurs. It had amazing pictures of a T-Rex! I borrowed it and read it three times that night. I even dreamed about dinosaurs.

When does the narrator go to the library?

What book did they find?

How do you know the narrator really liked the book? (Give two clues)

Grandpa and I planted tomatoes in the garden. We dug holes, put in the seedlings and watered them every day. After three weeks, tiny green tomatoes appeared. 'Be patient,' said Grandpa. 'They need sun to turn red.' Six weeks later, we picked big red tomatoes. The salad we made was delicious!

What did Grandpa and the narrator plant?

How long did it take for tomatoes to appear?

Why did Grandpa say 'Be patient'?

What did they make with the tomatoes?

It was Sports Day at school. I was in the running race. My heart was beating fast as I waited at the starting line. When the whistle blew, I ran as fast as I could. My friend Aisha was right beside me. Near the finish line, I tripped on a stone! Aisha stopped and helped me up. We crossed the finish line together, holding hands.

What event was the narrator in?

What happened near the finish line?

What did Aisha do? Was she a good friend? Explain.

How did the narrator feel at the starting line? What clue tells you?

How did the narrator feel after tripping?

How do you think both friends felt at the finish line?

We went to the beach on a hot summer day. The sand was burning under my feet! I ran to the cool water and jumped in the waves. My sister built a huge sandcastle with three towers. She decorated it with shells and seaweed. When the tide came in, the water washed the castle away. My sister looked sad for a moment, then she smiled and said, 'I will build an even bigger one tomorrow!'

Why did the narrator run to the water?

Describe the sandcastle. (Use details from the story)

How did the sister react when the castle was washed away?

I went to my friend Ollie's house for a sleepover. We ate pizza and watched a movie about robots. Then we built a blanket fort in the lounge room. We used every pillow and blanket in the house! At bedtime, we lay in our sleeping bags inside the fort. Ollie told a funny joke and we laughed so hard that Ollie's mum told us to be quiet.

Where was the sleepover?

What did they build?

What happened at bedtime?

Do you think the narrator had fun? What clues tell you?

My grandma lives on a farm. She has chickens, sheep and a horse called Dusty. Every school holidays, I stay with her. In the morning, we collect eggs from the chicken coop. Grandma teaches me to make pancakes with the fresh eggs. In the afternoon, I ride Dusty around the paddock. I love visiting Grandma's farm.

Where does Grandma live?

What animals does she have?

What do the narrator and Grandma do in the morning?

What is the main idea of this passage?

One thing that is the SAME about both stories:

One thing that is DIFFERENT:

Story I chose:

Draw the most important scene:

Why I chose this story:

Kangaroos are Australian animals. They have strong back legs and a long tail. Baby kangaroos are called joeys. A joey lives in its mother's pouch until it is big enough to hop on its own. Kangaroos can hop very fast — up to 70 kilometres per hour!

What are baby kangaroos called?

Where does a joey live?

How fast can kangaroos hop?

Penguins are birds that cannot fly. They are excellent swimmers! Penguins live in cold places. Their black and white feathers keep them warm in icy water. Emperor penguins are the tallest — they can be over a metre tall. Penguin parents take turns keeping the egg warm.

Can penguins fly?

What helps penguins stay warm?

Which type of penguin is the tallest?

How do penguin parents care for their egg?

Our class visited the fire station. A firefighter called Jake showed us the fire truck. It was big, red and shiny. Jake let us try on a helmet — it was very heavy! He told us that firefighters help people when there is a fire or an accident. Jake said the most important thing is to have a fire escape plan at home. We all said 'thank you' when we left.

Who showed the class around?

What did the fire truck look like?

What was the most important thing Jake told them?

The sandcastle was washed away. Why? Because ______

Mia clapped her hands. Why? Because ______

Sam laughed. Why? Because ______

Honey bees are very important insects. They visit flowers to collect nectar, which they turn into honey. While visiting flowers, bees carry pollen from one flower to another. This helps new plants grow! A bee colony can have up to 60,000 bees. The queen bee is the most important bee — she lays all the eggs.

What do bees collect from flowers?

How do bees help new plants grow?

How many bees can be in one colony?

I had to go to the dentist today. I did not want to go because the last time it hurt a little bit. Mum held my hand in the waiting room. When Dr Chen called my name, I walked slowly to the chair. She was very kind and explained everything before she did it. She said my teeth were healthy! I got a sticker at the end. Maybe the dentist is not so bad after all.

Why did the narrator not want to go?

What was Dr Chen like? (Use evidence from the story)

How did the narrator's feelings change from the beginning to the end?

How to Make a Cheese Sandwich: First, get two slices of bread. Next, spread butter on one side of each slice. Then, put a slice of cheese on the buttered side of one slice. You can add tomato or lettuce if you like. Finally, put the other slice of bread on top, buttered side down. Cut the sandwich in half and enjoy!

What is the first step?

Where do you put the cheese?

Is this a story or an instruction? How do you know?

The sky went dark. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed across the sky. My little brother Max hid under the blanket. 'Do not worry,' I said. 'Thunder is just a loud noise — it cannot hurt you.' I counted the seconds between the flash and the boom. 'One, two, three... BOOM! The storm is three kilometres away,' I told Max. He peeked out from under the blanket. By bedtime, the storm had passed and the stars were out.

What did Max do when he heard thunder?

How did the narrator help Max feel better?

How did the weather change by bedtime?

Every year on January 26, Australians celebrate Australia Day. Many families go to the beach, have barbecues or watch fireworks. Some people attend citizenship ceremonies where new Australians make a promise to their country. In our family, we always have a barbecue with sausages, salad and lamingtons. Last year, we watched the fireworks from the hill near our house.

When is Australia Day?

What do some families do on Australia Day? (Name 3 things)

What does the narrator's family always do?

The story I am connecting to:

Something in the story that is like something in MY life:

How my experience was the same or different:

On the way home from school, I heard a tiny meow coming from behind a bin. I looked and found a small grey kitten. It was shivering and looked hungry. I gently picked it up and carried it home. Mum helped me give it some warm milk and a soft towel to lie on. We put up posters around the neighbourhood. Two days later, a lady called Mrs Park came to our door. 'That is my kitten, Misty!' she said. She was so happy, she gave me a box of chocolates as a thank you.

Where did the narrator find the kitten?

What did the narrator and Mum do to help?

How did they find the owner?

What was the kitten's name?

Story I chose:

My retelling:

Wombats are Australian marsupials. They live in underground burrows that they dig with their strong claws. Wombats are nocturnal, which means they come out at night to eat grass and roots. A wombat's pouch faces backwards so dirt does not get in when it digs. Wombats can run up to 40 kilometres per hour in short bursts!

Where do wombats live?

What does 'nocturnal' mean?

Why does the wombat's pouch face backwards?

Our class performed a play at the school concert. I had to dress up as a tree. I felt a bit silly at first but my costume was actually really cool — it had paper leaves and brown fabric for the trunk. During the play, I had to stand very still while the other characters walked around me. The hardest part was not laughing when my friend Ollie forgot his words! The audience clapped loudly at the end and Mum said it was the best tree she had ever seen.

What did the narrator dress up as?

What was the hardest part?

How did the narrator's feelings change during the concert?

How is the kangaroo passage DIFFERENT from the Sam and Rex story?

Which type do you prefer reading? Why?

I chose the passage about:

Fact 1:

Fact 2:

Fact 3:

Maya and Priya were best friends. They did everything together — walking to school, eating lunch and playing at recess. One day, a new girl called Isla joined their class. Priya started playing with Isla at lunchtime. Maya felt left out. She sat alone and did not eat her lunch. The next day, Priya came over and said, 'Maya, come and meet Isla! She loves drawing too!' Maya was nervous but she went over. Isla showed her an amazing drawing of a dragon. 'That is so cool!' said Maya. Soon the three of them were drawing together, laughing and sharing pencils. Maya realised that having a new friend did not mean losing an old one.

Why did Maya feel left out?

What did Priya do to fix the problem?

What lesson did Maya learn?

The laughing kookaburra is one of Australia's most well-known birds. Its call sounds like a loud laugh — ha ha ha ha! Kookaburras eat insects, small lizards and sometimes snakes. They live in family groups and often call together at dawn and dusk. Aboriginal Australians have a Dreamtime story about the kookaburra — its laugh was meant to wake up the sun each morning.

What does the kookaburra's call sound like?

What do kookaburras eat?

According to the Dreamtime story, what was the laugh meant to do?

Last holidays, our family went camping near a river. We put up the tent together but it fell down twice! Dad was getting frustrated but we all laughed. At night, we cooked sausages on the campfire. I could see a million stars above us — way more than at home. We heard a possum in the tree and saw its big eyes shining in the torchlight. In the morning, a kookaburra woke us up with its loud laugh. Mum said it was better than an alarm clock!

Where did the family go camping?

What problems did they have with the tent?

Why could the narrator see more stars than at home?

Find a sentence that uses humour. Write it here.

Story I chose:

Right there question (answer is in the text):

Think about it question (needs inference):

Opinion question (no right or wrong answer):

It was Grandpa's birthday. The whole family planned a surprise party. We hid behind the couch and turned off the lights. When Grandpa opened the door, we all jumped out and yelled 'Surprise!' Grandpa's eyes went wide and he put his hand on his heart. 'You scared me!' he said, but he was smiling from ear to ear. We had cake with 70 candles. It took three people to blow them all out!

Why did the family hide?

'Smiling from ear to ear' — what does this expression mean?

Was Grandpa really scared or was he happy? How do you know?

VERSION A (Lily): 'I saw the tiniest spider on the wall. I screamed because spiders are scary. Dad had to come and take it away.' VERSION B (Dad): 'Lily screamed about a tiny spider — it was no bigger than my fingernail. I gently took it outside. I wish she knew that spiders help us by eating mosquitoes.'

How does Lily feel about the spider?

How does Dad feel about the spider?

Whose point of view do you agree with? Why?

Story I chose:

Beginning:

Middle:

End:

Dear Mia, I hope you are having a good holiday. We went to the Gold Coast! I went on the biggest waterslide ever — it was so fast I screamed the whole way down. Mum said I was too loud but I could not help it! We also saw dolphins from the beach. I took a photo for you. See you at school next week! From, Zara

Who wrote the letter? Who is it for?

Where did Zara go on holiday?

How do you think Zara felt on the waterslide? What clue tells you?

Dear Zara,

From, Mia

My favourite story was ______ because:

The most interesting fact I learned was:

Something I found tricky was:

A comprehension skill I have improved:

Story title:

Characters:

Setting (where and when):

Problem:

Solution:

Ending:

My story: