What is Reading Comprehension?

Reading comprehension means understanding what you read. It’s like being a detective! When you read a story, you want to find out what happens, who the characters are, and the main idea of the text.

Key Rules for Reading Comprehension

  1. Read Carefully: Pay attention to the words and sentences.
  2. Look for Clues: Pictures and titles can give hints about the story.
  3. Ask Questions: Think about what you don’t understand and ask for help.
  4. Summarise: After reading, try to tell someone what the story was about in your own words.
  5. Visualise: Imagine the characters and scenes in your head as you read.

Tips and Tricks

  • Highlight Key Information: Use a pencil or highlighter to mark important parts.
  • Make Connections: Think about how the story relates to your life or other stories you know.
  • Discuss: Talk about the story with friends or family to deepen your understanding.

A Short Story: “The Adventure of Bella the Brave”

Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a little girl named Bella. Bella was known for her bravery. One sunny morning, Bella decided to explore the mysterious woods near her home, a place where no one from the village dared to go.

Wearing her favourite red cape, Bella packed a small bag with some snacks, a water bottle, and her trusted flashlight. She waved goodbye to her mum and set off on her adventure. The woods were full of tall trees, chirping birds, and colourful flowers. Bella walked deeper and deeper until she heard a strange sound.

“Help! Help!” cried a tiny voice. Bella followed the sound and found a little rabbit stuck in a bush. “Don’t worry! I’ll help you!” she said. Carefully, she pulled the branches away, freeing the rabbit. “Thank you, Bella! I was so scared!” said the rabbit, twitching its nose.

Bella smiled. “What’s your name?” she asked. “I’m Benny! Let’s be friends!” replied the rabbit. Together, Bella and Benny explored the woods. They found a sparkling stream, where they played and splashed water at each other. Bella even shared her snacks with Benny.

As the sun began to set, Bella knew it was time to go home. “I had the best adventure today!” she said. Benny waved goodbye and promised to meet her again. Bella returned home with a big smile, excited to tell her mum about her new friend and the adventure they had.

Questions to Check Understanding

  1. What is the name of the girl in the story?
  2. Where did Bella go for her adventure?
  3. What did Bella pack in her bag?
  4. Who did Bella help in the woods?
  5. What did Bella and Benny find in the woods?
  6. How did Bella feel when she helped the rabbit?
  7. What did Bella share with Benny?
  8. How did the story end?
  9. Why do you think Bella is called brave?
  10. What would you do if you were in Bella’s situation?

Vocabulary Questions

  1. What does the word “brave” mean?
  2. What does “explore” mean?
  3. What is a “mysterious” place?
  4. What does “packed” mean in the story?
  5. What does “sparkling” describe?
  6. What does “chirping” refer to?
  7. What does “freed” mean?
  8. What does “adventure” mean?
  9. What is a “stream”?
  10. What does the word “twitching” mean?

Grammar Questions

  1. What is the subject of the sentence “Bella packed a bag”?
  2. Identify the verb in the sentence “Benny waved goodbye”.
  3. What is a noun in the story? Give an example.
  4. Find an example of an adjective in the story.
  5. Change “Bella is brave” to a question.
  6. Write a sentence using the word “help”.
  7. What tense is used in the story, past or present?
  8. Find a sentence that uses the word “and”.
  9. Combine these two sentences: “Bella went home. She was happy.”
  10. Make a negative sentence from “Bella is in the woods”.

Punctuation Questions

  1. Where does the story begin? (What punctuation is used?)
  2. Identify the punctuation at the end of this sentence: “What’s your name?”
  3. Where should commas be used in a list? Find an example in the story.
  4. What punctuation do we use to show excitement? Find an example in the story.
  5. How should we punctuate dialogue in the story?
  6. Where are capital letters used? Give examples.
  7. Identify a sentence that ends with a full stop.
  8. Write a sentence from the story and add the correct punctuation.
  9. Why do we use quotation marks in the story?
  10. How would you punctuate the sentence: “I had a great day” said Bella?

Answers

Understanding Answers

  1. Bella
  2. The mysterious woods
  3. Snacks, a water bottle, and a flashlight
  4. A little rabbit
  5. A sparkling stream
  6. Happy and proud
  7. Snacks
  8. Bella went home with a smile.
  9. Because she helped others and went on adventures.
  10. I would be brave like Bella!

Vocabulary Answers

  1. Brave means not afraid.
  2. Explore means to look around.
  3. Mysterious means something that is not easily understood.
  4. Packed means to put things in a bag.
  5. Sparkling describes something that shines.
  6. Chirping refers to the sound birds make.
  7. Freed means to be set free.
  8. Adventure means a fun and exciting experience.
  9. A stream is a small, flowing body of water.
  10. Twitching means moving quickly and lightly.

Grammar Answers

  1. Bella (subject)
  2. Waved (verb)
  3. Example: Bella
  4. Brave (adjective)
  5. Is Bella brave?
  6. I will help you.
  7. Past tense
  8. Bella and Benny played.
  9. Bella went home, and she was happy.
  10. Bella is not in the woods.

Punctuation Answers

  1. With a capital letter.
  2. Question mark (?)
  3. In a list: “snacks, a water bottle, and a flashlight.”
  4. Exclamation mark (!)
  5. With quotation marks around the spoken words.
  6. At the start of sentences, names, and places.
  7. Bella waved goodbye.
  8. I had a great day.
  9. To show when someone is speaking.
  10. “I had a great day,” said Bella.