Comprehension Focus Worksheet

Name:

Date:

📚 Part 1: Reading & Multiple Choice

WALT: We are learning to read a short passage carefully and answer questions about meaning, detail and inference.

Success criteria: I can identify the main idea, explain the meaning of key words from context, locate evidence in the text and make simple inferences.

Dyslexia-friendly reading options: Read aloud once, use a coloured overlay if helpful, place a ruler under the current line and take breaks after each paragraph.

Passage:

On a wet October morning, Mara walked along the river path with her dog, Tori. The sky was low and grey, and small waves tapped the bank like fingers. Mara had a letter in her pocket that she had not yet opened. She kept telling herself it could wait until she reached the bench beneath the old willow. As she sat, a child on a bicycle raced past, laughing, and the sound made Mara smile despite her worries. Before she read the letter, she watched the river move and felt a little braver.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

A woman enjoys a sunny day by the sea.

Someone feels better after pausing to watch the river.

A family moves house by the river.

A dog learns to swim in autumn.

2. In the sentence "small waves tapped the bank like fingers", the phrase "like fingers" is used to:

describe the colour of the waves.

compare the movement of the waves to something familiar.

explain why the bank was dry.

show that the waves were very loud.

3. Which detail shows Mara was worried before opening the letter?

She walked along the river path with her dog.

She kept telling herself it could wait.

A child on a bicycle raced past.

The sky was low and grey.

4. Check all that apply: Which sentences give clues about the setting?

"On a wet October morning"

"She had a letter in her pocket"

"The sky was low and grey"

"A child on a bicycle raced past"

Extension (advanced learners): Re-write the passage from Tori the dog's point of view in two short paragraphs, focusing on sensory details.

✏️ Part 2: Short Answers & Written Response

WALT: We are learning to use evidence from the text to support answers and to infer characters' feelings.

Success criteria: I can write a one-sentence summary, quote a line as evidence, explain a character's emotion using text clues and create a short alternative ending.

Dyslexia-friendly options: Use bullet notes to plan your answer, write key words first, then expand. Try speaking your answer before writing.

5. One-sentence summary: Summarise the passage in one sentence (use the space below).

6. Find one line from the passage that suggests Mara felt nervous. Write the exact words:

7. Explain: How did watching the river and the child help Mara feel braver? Use two brief points and support each with a word or phrase from the text.

8. Inference: What might be inside the letter? Give one logical possibility and explain your reason in one sentence.

9. Vocabulary: Replace the word "low" in "The sky was low and grey" with a different word that keeps the same mood. Write the new sentence.

10. Creative ending: Write one short paragraph (3–4 lines) showing what Mara does after she reads the letter.

Extension activity (advanced learners): Identify two writing techniques the author used (for example, simile, sensory detail). Explain how each technique affects the reader.