86 © Rising Stars UK Ltd 2017

SUMMER TEST 5: THE EYE POD ADvENTURE YEAR 3 NEW CURRICULUM READING COMPREHENSION TESTS

Unit summaryThe answers to the questions can be found in chronological order. Questions 1, 2 and 6 focus on straightforward information retrieval. The children are asked to use their inferential skills in questions 3–5, 7 and 9. Question 3 involves synthesising information from across the opening paragraph. Questions 4 and 5 focus on making inferences about word meaning by using clues in the text. Questions 8 and 10 ask the children to make predictions. In order to provide reasonable answers to questions 7, 8 and 10, the children will need to use clues from the text as well as making links with their own knowledge and experience.

The Eye Pod AdventureFiction

Content domain focus: 2b retrieve and record information/identify key details from fiction and non-fiction2d make inferences from the text/explain and justify inferences with evidence from the text2e predict what might happen from details stated and implied

Text summary This extract is the opening of a short story about a family who go to a theme park on a day out. The twins, Thomas and Marcy, are very excited about their visit and choose to go on the Big Eye. However, as their pod reaches the top of the Eye, it stops and they are told that there is a technical fault. What is going to happen? How will Thomas and Marcy get back down to their parents?

Teaching prompts • Activate the children’s knowledge of theme parks or fairgrounds by asking whether they have ever

been to such places. Discuss who they went with, when they went and what they did. Explore how they felt before they went and while they were there.

• Ask the children to remind you of the techniques they can use to find information efficiently and effectively. If necessary, suggest that they think about finding key words in the questions and visualising those as they skim the text.

• Focus on identifying questions that involve the children in making inferences, e.g. questions that use the phrase “Why/What do you think …?”. Ask the children what they can do to help them make inferences, e.g. looking for clues in the text, thinking about a time they have done/seen/read about, something similar.

Revisiting the textAsk the children to:

• work in small groups to prepare and present a dramatised version of the extract

• create a freeze frame of the moment the pod stops

• create thought and speech bubbles on A4 whiteboards to show how the passengers in the pod were feeling when it stopped

• draw the view over the theme park from the pod

• design posters advertising the theme park.

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87© Rising Stars UK Ltd 2017

YEAR 3 NEW CURRICULUM READING COMPREHENSION TESTS SUMMER TEST 5: THE EYE POD ADvENTURE

Answers

Links to content domain requirements are in brackets after the answer.

1. On the first day of the school holidays. [2b]

2.

The twins could hear The twins could smell The twins could feel The twins could see

[2d]excited screams of children

frying onions the heat of the sun the big wheel

3. hopping from foot to foot [2d]

4. They had a cup of tea. [2b]

5. snaked [2d]

6. glass [2b]

7. Because they knew who was in the car./They thought it was someone famous. [2d]

8. Any acceptable answer, e.g. There is going to be a performance/performing animals. [2e]

9. Because there are holes in the sides so that animals could breathe. [2d]

10. Any acceptable answer, e.g. Thomas and Marcy talk to the other people in the pod./ They call for help./The pod starts up again./ They are rescued. [2e]

Assessment

The children are able to locate and note down information effectively if they find and visualise key words in the questions to help them look for specific words and phrases.

The children are able to make inferences if they link clues in the text with their own experience and knowledge. Check that they can support their responses with evidence from the text and their own opinions. Establish whether they were able to draw information from across the paragraphs. Ask which sentence in the text gave the information about what the twins could feel (“the sun beat down”). Have the children used clues in the text about what could be seen, e.g. the various rides mentioned?

The children can make reasonable predictions if they draw on information given in the text and make connections with this and their own experiences and opinions.

Next steps Build up the children’s information-retrieval skills by showing a text extract on the IWB and asking them to skim it to get the general gist. Then ask specific information-retrieval questions and give the children a limited time to find the answers and write them on A4 whiteboards.

To develop the children’s inferential skills, use images from newspaper articles (online and in print) and ask the children what they think happened before the picture was taken. Encourage them to look at body language to help them interpret how people in the photos are feeling towards each other.

Focus on what the children think might happen after the picture was taken. Remind them to draw on clues in the photos, as well as their own experiences, to help them to make predictions.

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