Gothic Story Reading Comprehension

Year 6 EnglishReading Comprehension3 pages

About this worksheet

A three-page Year 6 reading comprehension built around The Whispering Manor, a short gothic passage. Leo pushes open rusty iron gates, faces Blackwood Manor and grips a strange, humming key he dug up in his grandfather's allotment that morning. Five questions follow, split into language and meaning, then inference and prediction. Pupils name the figurative language in "hollow eyes", pick out a single verb, read Leo's feelings, predict what happens at the oak front door and sum up the passage in one sentence. The questions map to the England National Curriculum reading comprehension objectives.

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Gothic Story Reading Comprehension: Reading Comprehension - page 1

Gothic Story Reading Comprehension: Reading Comprehension - page 2

Curriculum objectives covered

Reading - comprehension

“Checking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of words in context”

Question 2 asks pupils to find the one word that shows how the wind moved.

Reading - comprehension

“Drawing inferences such as inferring characters' feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions, and justifying inferences with evidence”

Question 3 asks how Leo feels, with evidence such as his heart hammering like a trapped bird.

Reading - comprehension

“Predicting what might happen from details stated and implied”

Question 4 asks for a prediction built on clues like the key that seems to pull Leo towards the door.

Reading - comprehension

“Summarising the main ideas drawn from more than one paragraph, identifying key details that support the main ideas”

Question 5 limits pupils to a single sentence for both paragraphs.

Reading - comprehension

“Identifying how language, structure and presentation contribute to meaning”

Question 1 links the hollow eyes image to the mood it creates.

Reading - comprehension

“Discuss and evaluate how authors use language, including figurative language, considering the impact on the reader”

Question 1 asks pupils to name the figure of speech and say what it does to the reader.

Reading - comprehension

“Provide reasoned justifications for their views.”

Questions 3 and 4 both ask pupils to back their answer with details from the text.

What's inside this worksheet

The Whispering Manor

Two paragraphs of gothic description: groaning gates, windows like hollow eyes, and a wind that makes dead leaves dance a frantic waltz.

Language and Meaning

Pupils identify the figurative language in "Its broken windows looked like hollow eyes" and explain its effect. Then they copy one word that shows the wind moving in a twisting, sinister way.

Inference and Prediction

Three questions: how Leo feels as he approaches (with evidence), what might happen at the oak front door, and a one-sentence summary of the whole passage.

How teachers use it

Guided reading

Read the passage aloud together, then let groups argue over question 1 before anyone writes an answer.

Gothic writing unit

Use the passage as a model before pupils write their own spooky setting. The hollow eyes image and the frantic waltz of leaves are worth borrowing.

Short assessment

Set the five questions as a quick inference check. Question 5 shows you who can summarise without retelling every detail.

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