Reading - Comprehension
KS2EN-Y5-D003
Advanced comprehension skills including wide reading across genres, inference, analysis of language and structure, evaluation of authorial choices, and formal discussion.
National Curriculum context
Reading comprehension in Years 5 and 6 builds directly on the skills introduced in Years 3 and 4, but the key shift is that pupils now apply those skills to significantly more complex texts and are expected to work with increasing independence. The curriculum stresses that the knowledge and skills needed to comprehend are very similar at different ages but that the complexity of the writing increases the challenge, meaning Year 5 comprehension is fundamentally about deepening rather than replacing earlier learning. New demands in this phase include evaluating how authors use language (including figurative language such as metaphor, simile, analogy and imagery) and considering impact on the reader — a more analytical stance than simply identifying features. Pupils are also expected to distinguish between statements of fact and opinion, to engage with a wider literary heritage including myths, legends and literature from other cultures, and to use formal presentations and debates to share their understanding. The non-statutory guidance explicitly names the technical terms pupils should learn at this stage: metaphor, simile, analogy, imagery, style and effect, signalling the expectation of increasingly disciplinary metalanguage. These skills form the foundation for GCSE and A-level analytical reading.
10
Concepts
4
Clusters
6
Prerequisites
10
With difficulty levels
Lesson Clusters
Read widely across genres and understand literary heritage and cultural diversity
introduction CuratedReading widely across genres and literary heritage/cultural diversity are the breadth-of-reading concepts that frame upper-KS2 comprehension; C015 lists C014 in its co_teach_hints.
Identify themes, literary conventions and make cross-text comparisons
practice CuratedIdentifying themes/literary conventions and cross-text comparison are the genre and comparative analysis skills that differentiate upper-KS2 from lower-KS2 comprehension; both require extended reading of complete texts.
Infer with evidence, evaluate authorial language and distinguish fact from opinion
practice CuratedAdvanced inference and evidence-based reasoning, authorial language analysis, and fact vs opinion are the critical reading skills; all three require close reading of both literary and non-fiction texts.
Predict, summarise and retrieve information across multi-paragraph texts
practice CuratedPrediction from stated/implied information, multi-paragraph summarisation, and information retrieval/presentation are the comprehension strategies applied to both fiction and non-fiction; frequently co-taught in the same lesson sequences.
Teaching Suggestions (1)
Study units and activities that deliver concepts in this domain.
Poetry: Classic and Contemporary Comparison
English Unit Creative ResponsePedagogical rationale
At Y5, poetry study introduces comparison across time periods and styles — a skill directly required for KS3 and GCSE. Comparing a classic poem with a contemporary response develops critical awareness that poetry exists in dialogue across time. The writing task (responding to a classic poem) gives pupils a scaffold while demanding original expression.
Prerequisites
Concepts from other domains that pupils should know before this domain.
Concepts (10)
Reading widely across genres
process AI DirectEN-Y5-C014
At upper KS2, reading widely means engaging with an increasingly diverse range of fiction (including myths, legends, traditional stories, modern fiction, literary heritage, and texts from other cultures), poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference materials. Mastery means pupils read for both pleasure and information, selecting texts purposefully and reading books structured in different ways.
Teaching guidance
Ensure the reading curriculum includes genuine breadth: whole class novels, class poetry anthologies, read-aloud sessions including literary heritage texts, independent reading time. Use guided reading to introduce texts pupils might not choose themselves. Discuss what different structural forms are used for (e.g., how a reference book differs from a narrative).
Common misconceptions
Some pupils equate 'reading' with fiction only and need explicit encouragement to engage with non-fiction, poetry and drama as equally valid reading forms. Pupils may avoid texts that appear challenging or unfamiliar.
Difficulty levels
Reading from a limited range of text types, typically fiction only, and showing some willingness to try new books when guided.
Example task
Choose a book from the class library that is a different type from the one you read last. If you last read a story, try a poetry book or a non-fiction book.
Model response: Last time I read a story about a dog. This time I picked a book about volcanoes because I want to learn how they erupt.
Reading across at least three different text types (fiction, non-fiction and one other) and beginning to discuss what makes each type different.
Example task
This term you have read a novel, a non-fiction book and a collection of poems. For each one, explain one thing that was different about how you read it.
Model response: With the novel I read from start to finish to follow the story. With the non-fiction book I used the contents page and index to find the parts I needed. With the poetry I read each poem more than once to think about what it meant.
Reading genuinely widely across fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference materials, selecting texts for both pleasure and information, and articulating why breadth of reading matters.
Example task
Create a reading log showing at least six different types of text you have read this term. For each, note the genre, why you chose it, and what you gained from reading it.
Model response: 1. Novel (The Borrowers): chosen for class reading, I learnt how an author builds a fantasy world from an ordinary setting. 2. Non-fiction (DK Eyewitness Space): chosen for my science project, I learnt about the planets. 3. Poetry (Michael Rosen collection): chosen because I liked his poems in Year 4, I enjoyed the humour and rhythm. 4. Play script (A Midsummer Night's Dream adapted): class drama, I learnt how stage directions work. 5. Newspaper article: current events display, I practised identifying fact and opinion. 6. Reference book (children's encyclopedia): to answer a question about Ancient Egypt, I practised using index and cross-references.
Delivery rationale
Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.
Literary heritage and cultural diversity
knowledge AI DirectEN-Y5-C015
Literary heritage refers to significant texts from Britain's literary tradition including myths, legends, traditional stories and classic fiction. Cultural diversity in reading means including texts from traditions beyond British literature. At upper KS2 mastery, pupils have encountered a range of texts from both the heritage canon and other cultural traditions, can discuss their characteristics and conventions, and understand that literature reflects cultural context.
Teaching guidance
Include texts from diverse traditions alongside British literary heritage. Discuss the conventions of myths and legends (e.g., heroes, quests, transformation) explicitly. When reading heritage texts, provide context about when and why they were written. Avoid presenting the literary heritage as a fixed, exclusive canon — discuss how understanding of 'heritage' itself is contested.
Common misconceptions
Pupils may assume that 'literary heritage' means only very old, difficult books. They may not recognise the conventions of genres such as myth and legend and therefore miss the significance of those conventions.
Difficulty levels
Engaging with a myth, legend or traditional story when it is shared by the teacher, and identifying basic features such as heroes, quests or magical elements.
Example task
After hearing the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, name the hero and describe the quest.
Model response: The hero is Theseus. His quest is to go into the labyrinth and kill the Minotaur to stop Athens having to send young people to be eaten.
Recognising conventions shared across myths and legends from different cultures (hero, quest, transformation, supernatural elements) and beginning to compare stories from different traditions.
Example task
Compare the Greek myth of Theseus with the story of Anansi the Spider from West African tradition. What do the two stories have in common and what is different?
Model response: Both have a main character who faces a challenge. Theseus uses strength and bravery to defeat a monster, while Anansi uses cleverness and trickery to solve problems. Theseus is a warrior hero, but Anansi is a trickster hero. Both stories were told to teach lessons, but they come from very different cultures.
Engaging with texts from both British literary heritage and other cultural traditions, discussing characteristics and conventions, and understanding that literature reflects cultural context.
Example task
You have read an extract from Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist and a chapter from Benjamin Zephaniah's Refugee Boy. Both feature children in difficult circumstances. How does each author's cultural context influence the story?
Model response: Dickens wrote in Victorian times when many children lived in poverty in workhouses. His writing shows what life was like for poor children in 19th century England. Zephaniah writes about a modern boy who is a refugee from Ethiopia and Eritrea. His cultural context includes the experience of being Black and British and understanding what it means to leave your homeland. Both authors write about children facing hardship, but the types of hardship reflect different times and cultures.
Delivery rationale
Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.
Identifying themes and literary conventions
skill AI DirectEN-Y5-C016
A theme is a central idea or concern that runs through a text (e.g., loss, heroism, justice, identity). A convention is a feature characteristic of a genre or form (e.g., the quest structure in an adventure, the first-person voice in autobiography). At upper KS2 mastery, pupils can identify and name themes and conventions in individual texts and compare them across multiple texts.
Teaching guidance
Explicitly name themes when discussing texts and ask pupils to provide evidence for their identification. Teach pupils to distinguish between a theme ('the story is about heroism') and a plot event ('the character rescues the child'). Use the same theme to compare across different texts read during the year. Teach genre conventions explicitly as part of reading and as models for writing.
Common misconceptions
Pupils often confuse themes with subjects or plot summaries. They may identify themes without providing textual evidence. Some pupils cannot distinguish between a convention of a genre and a feature of a specific text.
Difficulty levels
Beginning to identify what a story is 'about' beyond the plot, with teacher modelling of how to name a theme.
Example task
We have just read Charlotte's Web. The plot is about a spider who saves a pig. But what is the story really about? What bigger idea does it explore?
Model response: The story is really about friendship and loyalty. Charlotte is loyal to Wilbur even though she is very different from him.
Identifying themes in texts with supporting evidence and recognising common genre conventions.
Example task
Name one theme in the class novel and find two pieces of evidence from the text that support your choice.
Model response: A theme in Goodnight Mister Tom is the power of kindness to overcome harm. Evidence: Mr Tom is gruff at first but slowly shows William care, which helps William become confident. Also, when William draws pictures for the first time, it shows that a safe, kind environment has allowed him to express himself.
Identifying and discussing themes and conventions across a range of texts, providing textual evidence, and comparing how the same theme is treated differently by different authors.
Example task
The theme of 'belonging' appears in both The Arrival by Shaun Tan and Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo. How does each text explore this theme? What conventions does each use?
Model response: In The Arrival, belonging is shown through a man arriving in a strange country where he does not understand the language or customs. Tan uses the convention of a wordless picture book so the reader feels the same confusion as the character. In Kensuke's Kingdom, Michael is shipwrecked on an island and has to learn to belong in a completely unfamiliar place. Morpurgo uses the adventure genre convention of a survival story. Both explore belonging through displacement, but Tan focuses on cultural displacement while Morpurgo focuses on physical isolation.
Analysing how themes develop across a text and evaluating how authors use literary conventions to reinforce thematic ideas, using appropriate metalanguage.
Example task
Choose a novel you have read this year. Explain how the author develops a theme across the whole book, not just in one scene. How do they use character, setting or structure to build the theme?
Model response: In Street Child by Berlie Doherty, the theme of resilience develops across the book. At the start, Jim is helpless when his mother dies and he is sent to the workhouse. The dark, enclosed settings of the workhouse mirror his lack of freedom. As Jim escapes and meets new people, the settings become more open. By the end, Jim's resilience leads to the founding of a school for poor children. Doherty uses the convention of a historical novel to show that one person's resilience can change things for many. The structural pattern of repeated escapes and setbacks reinforces the idea that resilience means trying again after failure, not just being brave once.
Delivery rationale
Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.
Cross-text comparison
skill Guided MaterialsEN-Y5-C017
Cross-text comparison involves making substantiated links between characters, settings, themes, viewpoints or techniques across more than one text. At upper KS2 mastery, pupils can identify meaningful similarities and differences between texts, considering different accounts of the same event and multiple viewpoints, within texts and across more than one text.
Teaching guidance
Model comparative discussion explicitly: 'In Book A, the theme of loss is shown through ... whereas in Book B...' Provide structured scaffolding (Venn diagrams, comparison grids) initially, then reduce support. Ensure the reading curriculum includes multiple texts on similar themes or by the same author to make comparison meaningful.
Common misconceptions
Pupils often describe rather than compare: listing features of each text separately rather than identifying relationships between them. They may compare at a superficial level (both books have a main character) rather than analysing theme, technique or viewpoint.
Difficulty levels
Identifying a simple similarity or difference between two texts when guided by the teacher.
Example task
We have read two poems about the sea, one by a modern poet and one by a Victorian poet. What is one thing that is the same and one thing that is different?
Model response: Both poems are about the sea and how powerful it is. The modern poem uses short lines and everyday words, but the Victorian poem uses long sentences and old-fashioned words like 'thou'.
Making comparisons between two texts on the same topic or theme, noting similarities and differences in how the authors present ideas.
Example task
Compare how the Tudors are presented in your history textbook and in a historical novel set in Tudor times. What is different about how each text presents the same period?
Model response: The textbook presents facts about Tudor life in an organised way with headings and dates. It uses formal language and includes evidence from sources. The novel brings the period to life through a character's experiences. It uses descriptive language and dialogue to make you feel what it was like. The textbook tells you what happened; the novel makes you experience it.
Making substantiated comparisons across texts, considering viewpoint, theme, technique and authorial purpose, and structuring comparative discussion using appropriate language.
Example task
Compare how the character of a bully is presented in two different novels you have read. Consider what techniques each author uses and what viewpoint the reader is given.
Model response: In Wonder by R.J. Palacio, the bully Julian is mostly seen through Auggie's viewpoint, so the reader experiences his cruelty from the victim's perspective. Palacio uses dialogue to show Julian's nastiness directly. In There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar, Bradley starts as the class troublemaker but the reader sees things from his point of view, so we understand why he behaves badly. Sachar uses Bradley's internal thoughts to build sympathy. Both books feature bullying, but Palacio wants us to see its impact on the victim while Sachar wants us to understand what drives the bully.
Evaluating how different authors, genres or text types present the same subject matter, and explaining why the differences matter for the reader's understanding.
Example task
You have read a newspaper report about climate change, a speech by Greta Thunberg, and a poem about a melting glacier. How does each text try to make the reader care about climate change? Which is most effective and why?
Model response: The newspaper report uses facts and statistics to inform the reader logically. The speech by Thunberg uses direct address ('How dare you') and emotional language to make the audience feel guilt and urgency. The poem uses imagery of ice cracking and water rising to make the reader picture the destruction. I think the speech is most effective because Thunberg combines facts with emotion and speaks directly to the people who can make changes. However, the poem might stay in your memory longer because the images are vivid. Each text has a different strength depending on its purpose and audience.
Delivery rationale
Reading inference/discussion skill — benefits from guided discussion with prepared materials.
Advanced inference and evidence-based reasoning
skill Guided MaterialsEN-Y5-C018
Inference at upper KS2 involves not simply deducing what a character feels but explaining why, identifying the textual evidence for the inference, and considering multiple possible interpretations. Mastery means pupils can infer characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions and justify those inferences with specific evidence from the text, using the language of possibility ('this suggests...', 'this could imply...').
Teaching guidance
Teach the IPEE or similar frameworks (Inference, Point, Evidence, Explanation) to structure written responses. Model inference explicitly by thinking aloud about what is implied. Distinguish between inference (reading between the lines) and deduction (reading the lines). Practise with increasingly complex characters and ambiguous situations.
Common misconceptions
Pupils often confuse literal retrieval with inference. They may infer without providing textual evidence ('I think she is sad'), or provide evidence without explaining how it supports the inference. Some pupils over-read text and make inferences unsupported by evidence.
Difficulty levels
Making a simple inference about a character's feelings based on what happens in the story, with teacher prompting.
Example task
Read this extract: 'Mia stared at the empty chair where her grandmother always sat. She picked up the old knitting needles and held them tightly.' How do you think Mia feels?
Model response: I think Mia feels sad because her grandmother is not there any more and she is holding the knitting needles tightly, like she misses her.
Making inferences about characters' feelings, thoughts and motives, supported by specific evidence from the text.
Example task
Read this extract: 'Tom glanced at the clock for the third time. He rearranged the cutlery on the table and straightened the napkins again.' What can you infer about Tom? Use evidence from the text.
Model response: I think Tom is nervous or anxious because he keeps looking at the clock, which suggests he is waiting for someone and worried they might not come. He is rearranging things that are already neat, which shows he is fidgeting because he cannot settle.
Inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, justifying inferences with specific evidence, and considering multiple possible interpretations using tentative language.
Example task
Read this extract: 'When the teacher announced the test results, Priya smiled and slid her paper into her bag without showing anyone. Later, she found Aisha crying in the cloakroom and sat next to her without saying a word.' What can you infer about Priya's character? Consider more than one possible interpretation.
Model response: Priya hiding her results suggests she did well but did not want to show off, which implies she is sensitive to others' feelings. Finding Aisha and sitting with her without speaking could suggest Priya understands that sometimes being present is more comforting than words, or it could suggest she did not know what to say but still wanted to help. Either way, her actions imply she is empathetic. The text implies rather than states her kindness, which makes the reader infer it from her behaviour.
Making sophisticated inferences that consider authorial intent, explaining why the author chose to imply rather than state, and evaluating the reliability of inferences.
Example task
In a novel, the author never directly tells the reader that the main character is lonely. How might an author show loneliness without using the word? Find an example from a book you have read and explain how the author achieves this.
Model response: In Skellig by David Almond, Michael's loneliness is shown through the setting and his actions rather than being stated. He spends time alone in the crumbling garage, away from his worried parents and his sick baby sister. The author describes him talking to Skellig, a mysterious creature, which suggests Michael needs companionship he cannot find at home. Almond chose to show rather than tell because it makes the reader experience the loneliness alongside Michael. If the author simply wrote 'Michael was lonely', it would tell us a fact but would not make us feel it.
Delivery rationale
Reading comprehension (inference/evaluation) — interpretive skill benefits from discussion.
Prediction from stated and implied information
skill AI DirectEN-Y5-C019
At upper KS2, prediction extends beyond 'what happens next' to include using both explicitly stated and implied information to make reasoned predictions about plot, character development and outcome. Mastery means pupils can articulate what they predict and why, distinguishing between what the text states directly and what is implied.
Teaching guidance
Model prediction explicitly, thinking aloud about both the direct clues and the implied ones. After making predictions, return to them when reading reveals the outcome — discuss what clues were reliable and what were misleading. Teach pupils to use hedging language ('I think... because... the text implies...').
Common misconceptions
Pupils often predict based on personal preference or prior knowledge of genre conventions rather than specific textual evidence. They may not distinguish between 'the text says' and 'the text implies'.
Difficulty levels
Making a simple prediction about what will happen next based on what has been stated directly in the text.
Example task
The story says: 'Dark clouds gathered and the wind began to howl.' What do you think will happen next?
Model response: I think there is going to be a storm because the clouds are dark and the wind is howling.
Making predictions using both stated and implied information, distinguishing between the two types of clue.
Example task
Read: 'Raj packed his bag slowly, checking each item twice. He kept looking at the photograph on his bedside table. His mother called from downstairs, "The taxi will be here in ten minutes!"' What do you predict and what clues are you using?
Model response: I predict Raj is going away from home and he is not sure he wants to go. The stated clue is that a taxi is coming, so he is definitely going somewhere. The implied clue is that he keeps looking at the photograph, which suggests he will miss someone. He is packing slowly, which implies reluctance.
Making reasoned predictions about plot, character development and outcomes using both stated and implied information, articulating the evidence and using tentative language.
Example task
You are halfway through a class novel. The main character has just discovered that her best friend has been keeping a secret from her. Predict what will happen next, using evidence from what you have read so far. Explain which clues are stated and which are implied.
Model response: I predict the main character will confront her friend but then forgive her, because earlier in the book the author established that she values honesty above everything (she said 'I hate liars' in Chapter 3, which is stated). However, the author has also implied that the friend kept the secret to protect her, because the friend looked worried whenever the topic came up (implied through body language). The author might be building towards the idea that honesty is complicated and sometimes people keep secrets for good reasons. I think this because the theme of the book seems to be about trust.
Making predictions that consider genre conventions, authorial patterns and narrative structure, and evaluating the reliability of predictions by distinguishing between foreshadowing and red herrings.
Example task
In a mystery novel, the author has introduced three suspects, each with a motive. One suspect has been mentioned much more than the others. Predict who did it and explain how the genre conventions of mystery stories influence your prediction.
Model response: In a mystery novel, the most obvious suspect is usually not the guilty one because the genre convention is to mislead the reader. The author has mentioned one suspect frequently, which could be a red herring designed to distract us. I predict the quietest suspect, the one the author has barely mentioned, is the real culprit because mystery writers often hide the guilty character in plain sight. However, sometimes authors deliberately subvert this convention to surprise experienced readers. My prediction could be wrong if the author is playing a double bluff.
Delivery rationale
Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.
Multi-paragraph summarisation
skill AI DirectEN-Y5-C020
Summarisation at upper KS2 requires pupils to identify the main idea or ideas across more than one paragraph and articulate key supporting details, while omitting non-essential information. Mastery means pupils can produce concise, accurate summaries that preserve meaning without distortion, forming the foundation for précis writing and note-taking.
Teaching guidance
Teach pupils to identify the main idea of each paragraph first, then synthesise across paragraphs. Use traffic-light annotation: green for main ideas, amber for supporting details, red for less important information. Provide summary frames to scaffold ('The main idea is... This is supported by...'). Gradually increase the length and complexity of texts summarised.
Common misconceptions
Pupils often copy verbatim rather than summarising, or produce summaries that omit crucial information while retaining peripheral detail. They may confuse the main idea with the most interesting or dramatic detail.
Difficulty levels
Identifying the main idea of a single paragraph when prompted, distinguishing it from supporting details.
Example task
Read this paragraph about penguins. Underline the sentence that tells you the main idea. Circle two details that support it.
Model response: Main idea: 'Penguins have many features that help them survive in freezing conditions.' Supporting details: 'Their feathers are tightly packed to keep out wind and water.' 'They huddle together in groups to share warmth.'
Identifying the main idea of each paragraph in a multi-paragraph text and beginning to see how paragraphs connect to build an overall argument or explanation.
Example task
Read this three-paragraph text about deforestation. Write one sentence summarising the main idea of each paragraph.
Model response: Paragraph 1: Deforestation is happening at an alarming rate around the world. Paragraph 2: Cutting down forests destroys habitats for thousands of species. Paragraph 3: There are things governments and individuals can do to reduce deforestation.
Synthesising main ideas across multiple paragraphs into a concise, accurate summary that preserves the overall meaning without distortion, in own words.
Example task
Read this five-paragraph article about the water cycle. Write a summary of no more than four sentences that covers the key ideas from the whole text.
Model response: Water moves continuously between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere in a process called the water cycle. Heat from the sun causes water to evaporate from oceans and lakes, forming clouds through condensation. When clouds become heavy with moisture, precipitation falls as rain or snow. The water then flows back into rivers and oceans, and the cycle begins again.
Producing summaries of complex texts that distinguish between essential and peripheral information, preserve the author's argument structure, and demonstrate critical judgement about what to include.
Example task
Read this long article about whether homework helps primary school children learn. Summarise the arguments on both sides in no more than five sentences. Then explain what you chose to leave out and why.
Model response: Some researchers argue that homework reinforces classroom learning and builds independent study habits needed for secondary school. Others argue that homework increases stress, reduces time for play and family, and has little measurable impact on primary-age achievement. Most experts agree that short, focused tasks are more effective than lengthy assignments. The evidence is mixed, and the impact depends on the type of homework set. I left out the specific statistics and the names of individual studies because they supported the arguments but were not the arguments themselves.
Delivery rationale
Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.
Authorial language analysis
skill Guided MaterialsEN-Y5-C021
Language analysis at upper KS2 involves identifying how authors use language (including figurative language such as metaphor, simile, analogy and imagery), understanding the structural and presentational choices they make, and evaluating the impact of those choices on the reader. Mastery means pupils can name the technique, describe its effect and evaluate whether it is effective, using appropriate metalanguage.
Teaching guidance
Teach the technical terms: metaphor, simile, analogy, imagery, style, effect. Use short extracts for focused analysis. Practise the three-step process: identify (what is the technique?), describe (what does it do?), evaluate (how effective is it and why?). Distinguish between identifying a feature and explaining its impact — always push for the 'so what?'
Common misconceptions
Pupils often identify a technique without evaluating its effect. They confuse simile and metaphor, or use 'simile' as a catch-all for all figurative language. Some pupils evaluate effect vaguely ('it makes it more interesting') without specific analysis of how the language works.
Difficulty levels
Identifying a language feature in a text (such as a simile or descriptive word) when prompted by the teacher.
Example task
Read this sentence: 'The moon hung in the sky like a silver coin.' What language technique has the author used?
Model response: The author has used a simile. They compare the moon to a silver coin using the word 'like'.
Identifying language features and beginning to describe their effect on the reader, using some technical vocabulary.
Example task
Read this extract: 'The forest swallowed them whole. Branches clawed at their faces and roots grabbed at their ankles.' Name two techniques and describe what effect they have.
Model response: The author uses personification by saying the forest 'swallowed them' and the branches 'clawed'. This makes the forest seem alive and threatening, as if it is a creature trying to trap them. It makes the reader feel scared for the characters.
Analysing how authors use language including figurative language, explaining the impact on the reader using appropriate metalanguage, and evaluating whether the technique is effective.
Example task
Read this extract from a novel: 'Hope is a bird that perches in the soul, singing a tune without words that never stops at all.' Identify the technique, explain its effect, and evaluate whether it works.
Model response: The author uses an extended metaphor, comparing hope to a bird. The metaphor works because a bird perching suggests something small and light that could fly away at any time, which captures how fragile hope can feel. The idea of it singing 'without words' suggests hope is felt rather than explained logically. The phrase 'never stops at all' implies hope is persistent even in difficult times. I think the metaphor is effective because it gives the abstract concept of hope a physical, living image that the reader can picture.
Analysing authorial language choices with precision, comparing how different authors achieve similar effects through different techniques, and evaluating effectiveness with reference to purpose and audience.
Example task
Compare how two authors create a sense of danger. Author A writes: 'The ice cracked beneath her feet like breaking glass.' Author B writes: 'Each step was a question. The ice had no answer.' Which is more effective and why?
Model response: Author A uses a simile comparing cracking ice to breaking glass. This is direct and visual, and most readers know the sound of breaking glass so it creates an instant sensory image. Author B uses a metaphor that personifies the ice and turns walking into a conversation. This is more subtle and creates tension through uncertainty rather than sound. Author A is more effective for a younger audience because the comparison is concrete and immediate. Author B is more effective for an older reader because it builds psychological tension and makes the reader think. Both achieve danger, but through different means: A through sensory impact, B through suspense.
Delivery rationale
Reading comprehension (inference/evaluation) — interpretive skill benefits from discussion.
Fact versus opinion
skill Guided MaterialsEN-Y5-C022
The ability to distinguish statements of fact (which are verifiable and can be shown to be true or false) from statements of opinion (which express a view, judgement or belief) is a critical literacy skill. At upper KS2 mastery, pupils can identify fact and opinion in non-fiction texts reliably, including in cases where opinion is expressed as if it were fact, and understand how this distinction relates to the reliability and bias of a source.
Teaching guidance
Provide texts that blend fact and opinion and ask pupils to annotate. Teach signal words for opinion (I think, probably, appears to, should, in my view) and discuss how some opinion is presented without such markers. Connect to news literacy and source evaluation. Discuss why writers present opinion as fact and what effect this has on readers.
Common misconceptions
Pupils often classify surprising or counterintuitive facts as 'opinions' because they find them hard to believe. They may assume that all statistics are facts, not recognising that statistics can be selectively chosen to support a viewpoint. Some pupils cannot identify opinion that is presented without explicit markers.
Difficulty levels
Distinguishing between an obvious fact and an obvious opinion when the two are presented separately.
Example task
Which is a fact and which is an opinion? A: 'London is the capital of England.' B: 'London is the best city in the world.'
Model response: A is a fact because it can be checked and proved true. B is an opinion because 'best' is a personal judgement that different people would disagree about.
Identifying fact and opinion when they are mixed together in the same text, recognising signal words for opinion.
Example task
Read this paragraph and highlight the facts in one colour and the opinions in another: 'The Amazon rainforest covers 5.5 million square kilometres. It is arguably the most important ecosystem on Earth. Over 10 million species live there. Sadly, thousands of hectares are destroyed every year.'
Model response: Facts: The Amazon covers 5.5 million square kilometres. Over 10 million species live there. Thousands of hectares are destroyed every year. Opinions: 'arguably the most important ecosystem' (the word 'arguably' signals this is a view, not a proven fact). 'Sadly' is also an opinion word because it shows the writer's feelings.
Identifying fact and opinion reliably in non-fiction texts including cases where opinion is presented without explicit markers, and explaining how this relates to bias and reliability.
Example task
Read this product review: 'This tablet has a 10-inch screen and 64GB of storage. It is perfect for children and the screen quality is outstanding. Battery life lasts up to 8 hours.' Identify the facts and opinions. Is this review reliable? Why or why not?
Model response: Facts: 10-inch screen, 64GB storage, battery life up to 8 hours (these can be measured and verified). Opinions: 'perfect for children' (different children have different needs), 'outstanding screen quality' (this is a judgement). The review mixes facts and opinions, which could mislead a reader into thinking the opinions are also facts. It is only partly reliable because it does not mention any drawbacks, which suggests bias.
Evaluating how writers deliberately blur the boundary between fact and opinion to persuade, and explaining the strategies they use to make opinion appear factual.
Example task
Read this extract from an advertisement: 'Studies show that 9 out of 10 dentists recommend BrightSmile toothpaste.' Is this a fact or an opinion? What strategies does the writer use to make it seem factual?
Model response: This looks like a fact because it uses a statistic and refers to 'studies', which suggests scientific evidence. However, it could be misleading: it does not say which studies, how many dentists were asked, or what question they were asked. '9 out of 10' sounds precise but might come from a very small or biased sample. The writer uses the language of fact (numbers, 'studies show') to present what may be a carefully constructed opinion. This is a common persuasion technique: dressing opinion in the language of evidence to make it seem objective.
Delivery rationale
Reading inference/discussion skill — benefits from guided discussion with prepared materials.
Information retrieval and presentation
skill AI DirectEN-Y5-C023
Retrieving, recording and presenting information from non-fiction involves locating specific information efficiently using contents pages, indexes, headings and skimming/scanning, selecting and recording relevant information, and presenting it in an appropriate format. At upper KS2 mastery, pupils can plan a research task, locate information across multiple sources, take effective notes and present findings coherently.
Teaching guidance
Teach pupils to identify their research question before beginning. Model how to use contents pages, indexes and heading structures to navigate non-fiction texts efficiently. Practise note-making (not copying) using bullet points or concept maps. Show how retrieved information can be presented in different formats (table, report, presentation) for different purposes.
Common misconceptions
Pupils often read non-fiction from cover to cover rather than using navigation features to locate relevant information. They frequently copy text verbatim rather than making notes in their own words. Some pupils include all retrieved information in their presentation rather than selecting what is relevant.
Difficulty levels
Locating a specific piece of information in a non-fiction text using a contents page or index.
Example task
Use the index in this reference book to find out what temperature water boils at. Write down the answer and the page number where you found it.
Model response: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. I found it on page 47 by looking up 'boiling point' in the index.
Planning a simple research question, locating relevant information using navigation features, and recording it in note form rather than copying verbatim.
Example task
Your research question is: 'How do volcanoes form?' Use the non-fiction book to find the answer. Write notes in your own words, not copied sentences.
Model response: Notes: Volcanoes form where hot melted rock (magma) pushes up through cracks in the Earth's surface. The magma comes from deep underground where it is very hot. When it reaches the surface it is called lava. Over time, layers of cooled lava build up to form the volcano shape.
Planning research questions before beginning, locating information efficiently across multiple sources, taking selective notes, and presenting findings in an appropriate format.
Example task
You are researching 'What were the main causes of the Great Fire of London?' Use at least two sources. Plan your research questions, take notes, and present your findings as a short report.
Model response: Research questions: 1. How did the fire start? 2. Why did it spread so quickly? 3. Could it have been prevented? From the textbook: fire started in a bakery on Pudding Lane, September 1666. From the website: houses were timber-framed and close together, wind was strong. Report: The Great Fire of London began on 2 September 1666 in Thomas Farriner's bakery on Pudding Lane. It spread rapidly because the houses were made of wood and built very close together, and a strong east wind fanned the flames. The fire could have been stopped sooner if the Lord Mayor had ordered firebreaks earlier.
Conducting independent research across multiple sources, evaluating the reliability of sources, synthesising information, and presenting findings in a format chosen to suit the audience and purpose.
Example task
Research whether school uniform should be compulsory. Use at least three different types of source. Present your findings as a balanced report that includes your evaluation of which sources were most reliable.
Model response: I used a newspaper article, a school's website, and the results of a parent survey. The newspaper article argued against uniform using emotional language but few facts, so it was the least reliable. The school website gave practical reasons for uniform but was biased because the school had already decided to require it. The parent survey gave a range of views with percentages, which was most reliable because it showed real opinions rather than one person's argument. My report: Evidence is divided on school uniform. Supporters argue it reduces bullying and creates equality. Critics argue it is expensive and limits self-expression. The most reliable evidence suggests parents are split roughly evenly on the issue.
Delivery rationale
Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.