Drawing Inferences from Classic Fiction

Year 6 EnglishReading Comprehension4 pages

About this worksheet

Four pages of inference work for Year 6 English, set in a candlelit library with a boy called Silas and the fearsome Miss Agatha. Pupils read the extract and a short glossary (summoned, repute, commence), then answer seven questions in three parts. The questions move from simple retrieval to an evidence table, then to a reasoned view on why the West Corridor is out of bounds. The answer key gives quotes for each question and a 3-mark model answer. The sheet follows England National Curriculum reading comprehension objectives.

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Curriculum objectives covered

Reading - comprehension

โ€œIncreasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including myths, legends and traditional stories, modern fiction, fiction from our literary heritage, and books from other cultures and traditionsโ€

The velvet armchair, the parchment and the formal speech give pupils a taste of older fiction.

Reading - comprehension

โ€œChecking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of words in contextโ€

Question 3 depends on reading the old-fashioned time phrase correctly, and the glossary covers summoned, repute and commence.

Reading - comprehension

โ€œDrawing inferences such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidenceโ€

The Part 2 table and question 5 ask pupils to read Miss Agatha's nerves from her trembling fingers and white knuckles.

Reading - comprehension

โ€œProvide reasoned justifications for their views.โ€

Questions 6 and 7 both ask for a view that is supported with evidence from the extract.

What's inside this worksheet

Extract and Glossary

Miss Agatha burns a crumpled parchment, tells Silas he is late and forbids him from the West Corridor. A glossary defines three harder words.

Part 1: Retrieval and Simple Inference

Three questions: the room, what happens to the parchment, and whether Silas really is late when the clock "wanted ten minutes to the hour".

Part 2: Reading Between the Lines

Pupils find evidence for three inferences in a table, including that Miss Agatha is secretly nervous and that Silas is observant.

Part 3: Deep Evaluation

Pupils copy a phrase that shows Miss Agatha trying to compose herself, give their impression of her with two pieces of evidence, and explain the West Corridor rule.

How teachers use it

Guided reading groups

Give each group one row of the Part 2 table, then pool the evidence as a class.

Before a classic novel

Use it as a lead-in to longer heritage texts. Pupils get used to formal dialogue before they meet a full chapter of it.

Written answer practice

Set question 6 on its own and mark it against the 3-mark model answer in the key.

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