Diary Reading Skills

Title: Diary Reading Skills
Current Content:

Context

Text: Anne Frank's Diary (excerpts selected by teacher)

Excerpt for Lesson Use:
"I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."
— Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl (adapted for Year 6)

Year group: 6
Class size: 30 students
Duration: 60 minutes

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National Curriculum Links

Reading (Year 6)

• Apply growing knowledge of morphology, roots, etymology to read aloud and understand new vocabulary (NC Ref: English Programme of Study: Reading - Word Reading).
• Maintain positive attitudes and stamina for reading; understand non-fiction and fiction texts (NC Ref: Reading - Comprehension).
• Draw inferences such as inferring characters’ feelings, thoughts, and motives (NC Ref: Reading - Comprehension).
• Prepare poems and play scripts to read aloud and perform, showing understanding through intonation, tone, volume, and action (relates to expressive reading) (NC Ref: Spoken Language).

Writing (Year 6)

• Pupils should be taught to note and develop vocabulary, understanding, and grammatical features from reading to enhance their own writing (NC Ref: Writing - Vocabulary, Grammar and Punctuation).

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT develop comprehension skills through SATs-style questions based on Anne Frank's Diary excerpts.
• WALT practise making inferences about feelings and motives from the text.
• WALT understand and clarify unfamiliar vocabulary within context.
• WALT construct short written answers using evidence from the text.

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Success Criteria

• I can answer multiple-choice and short answer SATs-style questions accurately.
• I can explain what a character might be thinking or feeling using evidence from the diary.
• I can find words in the text I don’t understand and use context clues or dictionaries to check meanings.
• I can write clear, concise short answers using evidence from the text.
• I can work independently or with support to overcome difficult vocabulary.

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Resources

• Dyslexia-friendly print excerpts from Anne Frank’s Diary (clear font, spacing, coloured paper options)
• Individual whiteboards and pens
• Word banks/vocabulary glossaries for difficult terms
• Visual inference cards (pictures associated with feelings/emotions)
• SATs-style question worksheets (mixed difficulty)
• Laptops/tablets (if available) for dictionary apps or word meaning tools

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Lesson Outline

0-10 minutes: Introduction and Reading

• Activity: Read aloud the provided excerpt from Anne Frank’s Diary — teacher models fluent, expressive reading emphasising tone and intonation (supports NC Spoken Language aims).
• Provide dyslexia-friendly printouts including the excerpt:
  "I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."
• Class discussion: Briefly discuss what the diary excerpt reveals about Anne’s feelings or situation. Check understanding of selected vocabulary (using glossary or context clues).

Differentiation:

• Support Group: Use audio recording of the text to follow along; teacher or TA to pre-teach key words.
• Advanced: Predict possible diary entries that follow, focusing on developing inference skills.

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10-30 minutes: SATs-Style Comprehension Practice

• Pupils complete a worksheet with SATs-style questions on the excerpt. Include:
  • Multiple-choice questions focused on literal retrieval.
  • Short answer questions requiring inference (“How do you think Anne felt here? Find a sentence that shows this.”).
  • Vocabulary questions (“Find the meaning of the word ‘...” in this sentence using context.”).
• Write answers on whiteboards first, then transfer to paper.

Differentiation:

• Support Group: Scaffolded questions with sentence starters and word banks.
• Advanced: Challenge questions that require comparison between diary entries or textual analysis.

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30-45 minutes: Inference and Vocabulary Deep Dive (Paired Work)

• Pupils in pairs discuss an inference question, supported by visual cue cards showing emotions like fear, hope, sadness, and courage.
• They annotate the text on copies marking words/phrases that support inferences.
• Then, expand vocabulary by finding synonyms in a word bank for selected diary words (e.g., “hopeful,” “anxious”).

Differentiation:

• Support Group: Sentence starters provided for discussion.
• Advanced: Choose 3 words from the excerpt and write new diary-style sentences using these sophisticated synonyms.

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45-55 minutes: Written Response and Plenary

• Individually, pupils write a short paragraph answering a SATs-style question about the text, such as: “Explain how Anne’s feelings change in this diary entry. Use evidence to support your answer.”
• Focus on structure (point, evidence, explanation).

Differentiation:

• Support Group: Use a writing frame with sentence starters.
• Advanced: Write a comparative response including explanation of why feelings change.

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55-60 minutes: Review and Self-Assessment

• Children self-assess their learning against success criteria using a traffic light colouring system (green = confident, amber = need practice, red = unsure).
• Teacher briefly explains next steps or provides oral feedback to individuals or groups.

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Additional Teaching Tips

• Use frequent pauses after reading to check comprehension and clarify vocabulary.
• Encourage mixed ability pairing for peer support and challenge.
• Use mind maps or graphic organisers to help visual learners organise inference evidence.
• Keep instructions clear, pace steady, and use positive reinforcement.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Write a diary entry imagining what Anne Frank would write about a present-day event, practising empathetic writing.
• Research the historical context briefly and write a summary paragraph explaining how it influences Anne’s diary writing.

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Accessibility & Inclusion Strategies

• Dyslexia-friendly text: Clear font (e.g., Comic Sans), larger print, coloured glossaries.
• Multi-sensory approaches: reading aloud, visual cue cards, paired talk.
• Scaffolded writing frames and sentence starters for those who struggle.
• Use of assistive technology where possible (audio files, text-to-speech).

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By combining curriculum-driven objectives with SATs-style practise rooted in a meaningful historical text, this lesson not only prepares pupils technically but also fosters empathy and deeper literary engagement, impressing both pupils and teachers alike.