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Primary English · Year 2Chapter 8 · Reading stories
Year 2 · Chapter 8

Reading stories

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Talk about a story: who it is about, where and when it happens, and what I think of it
  • Put the events of a story in order, using words like first, next, then and at the end
  • Ask and answer why and how questions about a story, and find the answer in the text
  • Work out how a character feels from what they say and do
  • Predict what might happen next, using a clue from the story
  • Retell a traditional tale in my own words, keeping the events in order

You should already know

  • Capital letters, full stops and the four kinds of sentence (Chapters 6 and 7)
  • Describing words and action words in a sentence (Chapters 5 and 6)
  • Reading aloud, and talking about the pictures in books

Where this leads

  • Reading poems (Chapter 9)
  • Reading non-fiction (Chapter 10)
  • Writing stories with a beginning, middle and end (Chapter 11)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 1 English, Year 2. Content: Listen to, discuss and express views about a range of stories, Discuss the sequence of events in a story, and how the events are related, Retell stories, fairy stories and traditional tales in my own words, Name the characters and the setting of a story, Answer and ask questions, including why and how questions, Make inferences about feelings and actions from what is said and done, Predict what might happen next from what has been read so far.

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FAdd the correct end mark: Where is the park
2
FWhich word is a describing word in: The big dog ran home.
3
FWrite the past tense of run.
4
FWrite the plural of baby.
5
FWhich kind of sentence is this? Please close the door. Choose statement, question, exclamation or command.
8.1

Talking about a story: characters and settings

Year 2
Listen to, discuss and express views about a story, Name the characters and the setting of a story, Make inferences about feelings from what a character says and does
Video lesson: Talking about a story: characters and settingsComing soon
A park with grass and a big hill, on a sunny day.

When we talk about a story, we can say who it is about, where and when it happens, and how the characters feel.

The main character is the one the story is mostly about. The setting is where and when the story happens.

Read Oliver’s Hill with a grown-up. Then talk about it together. Do you like the story? Why?

Oliver's Hill

Oliver had a new blue bike. He was very proud of it.

On Saturday morning, he rode it to the park with his dad. The grass was wet and green.

At the top of the big hill, Oliver stopped. He looked down the hill. His tummy felt funny.

“I cannot do that,” he said quietly.

His dad came over and stood beside him. “Shall we walk down together?” he asked.

Oliver nodded. They walked down the hill side by side, and Oliver held the handles tight.

At the bottom, Oliver grinned. “I did it!” he shouted.

“You did!” said his dad. “Next time, we can try the hill again.”

Oliver smiled. He could hardly wait.

Key ideas

  • The main character is the one the story is mostly about.
  • The setting tells us where and when the story happens.
  • A feeling can be shown by what a character says and does.
  • Talk about a story: who is it about, where and when, what happened, and what do you think of it?
Worked example 8.1.1
Name the main character, and one other character in the story.

Method. The main character is the one the story is mostly about. Other characters are in only some parts.

  1. Find the main character. The story is mostly about Oliver and his bike.
    Oliver
  2. Find another character. His dad came over and stood beside him.
    Oliver’s dad
  3. Write the answer.
    Oliver (the main character) and his dad

Check. Also accept: Oliver and his dad. ✓

Watch out. The main character is in most of the story. Other characters are in only some parts.

Worked example 8.1.2
Where and when does the story happen? Give both.

Method. The setting has two parts: where the story happens, and when it happens.

  1. Find the place. The words to the park tell us where.
    “he rode it to the park”
  2. Find the time. The words On Saturday morning tell us when.
    “On Saturday morning”
  3. Write the answer. Put the place and the time together.
    In the park, on Saturday morning.

Check. Both parts are in the story: the park and Saturday morning. ✓

Watch out. The setting has both where and when. A time is not a place.

Worked example 8.1.3
How did Oliver feel at the bottom of the hill? How do you know?

Method. A feeling is not always written down. Use what the character says and does to work it out.

  1. Find what the character says or does. The words and actions show how a person feels.
    “At the bottom, Oliver grinned”
  2. Think about how a person would feel. Grinning and shouting that he did it show that Oliver is happy and proud of himself.
  3. Write the answer. Use a feeling word, then say how you know.
    Happy and proud.

Check. Also accept: pleased; excited; glad. It fits the story. ✓

Watch out. Say how you know: point to the words in the story that show the feeling.

Watch out

Watch out: the setting is not the same as the characters. In the park tells us where. Oliver tells us who.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Read the story aloud, and point to each character as they appear. Ask: “Who is this story about? Where and when does it happen? How do you think Oliver felt?” Then ask your child to tell you one story from a book at home, and who was in it.

Exercise 8A  Talking about Oliver’s Hill

1
FWhere does the story happen?
2
FWhen does the story happen?
3
FWhat colour is Oliver’s new bike?
4
FWhat was the grass like?
5
FWho came over and stood next to Oliver?
6
FWhere did Oliver stop?
7
FWhat did Oliver say at the top of the hill?
8
RHow do you know that Oliver was not sure he could ride down the hill? Explain.
9
RWhy did Oliver’s dad suggest walking down together?
10
PSLook at the picture. What did Oliver hold tight as they walked down the hill?
OliverDad
11
RWrite one question you would ask Oliver about the hill. Start with why or how.
12
RDo you think Oliver was brave? Explain, using the story.
8.2

Putting events in order

Year 2
Discuss the sequence of events in a story, Retell a story with its events in order
Video lesson: Putting events in orderComing soon
A garden with a tree and a bench, on a sunny day.

A story is made of events. An event is something that happens. The events come in an order: the first one happens before the next, and so on.

Words like first, next, then, after that and at the end help us put events in order.

Read Ella’s Picnic. Then look at the picnic in the picture.

Ella's Picnic

On Sunday, Ella and her gran packed a picnic. First, they put in cheese sandwiches and red apples.

Then Gran filled a bottle with lemon juice. Ella found two cups and a rug.

They walked to the park and found a shady tree. Gran spread the rug on the grass.

Ella was just about to eat her sandwich when a big gust of wind blew. Whoosh! Her hat flew off into the air.

Ella ran after her hat. She picked it up from the grass, and then she hurried back to the rug.

A brown duck waddled close to the sandwiches. “Shoo!” laughed Gran. “Let us share our apples with the duck.”

After lunch, they packed up the rug and walked home. Ella was tired, happy and full.

The picnic before the wind: two sandwiches, two red apples, a bottle, two cups and a rug.

Key ideas

  • An event is something that happens in a story.
  • Events happen in an order. Each event comes after the one before it.
  • Words like first, next, then and after that show the order.
  • When you retell a story, keep the events in order.
Worked example 8.2.1
Put these in the order they happen in the story: They walked home. / They packed a picnic. / Her hat flew off into the air.

Method. Find each event in the story, then put them in the order they happen.

  1. Find event 1 in the story. Find the words that tell us this event.
    “packed a picnic”
  2. Find event 2 in the story. Find the words that tell us this event.
    “Her hat flew off into the air”
  3. Find event 3 in the story. Find the words that tell us this event.
    “walked home”
  4. Write the events in order. Put them in the same order as the story.
    They packed a picnic. / Her hat flew off into the air. / They walked home.

Check. Read the events in your order. Does the story go the same way? ✓

Watch out. Look for the words that show time: first, next, then, after that and at the end.

Worked example 8.2.2
What did Ella do after the wind blew her hat away?

Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.

  1. Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.
    “Ella ran after her hat”
  2. Think about what the clue tells us. After the wind blew her hat away, Ella ran after it.
  3. Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the words from the story.
    She ran after her hat.

Check. Also accept: she chased her hat. It fits the story. ✓

Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.

Worked example 8.2.3
What did Ella do just before the duck came close?

Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.

  1. Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.
    “then she hurried back to the rug”
  2. Think about what the clue tells us. The word then shows what happened next, after she picked up her hat.
  3. Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the words from the story.
    She hurried back to the rug.

Check. Also accept: she went back to the rug. It fits the story. ✓

Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.

Watch out

Watch out: the order of a story is the order in which things happen, not the order in which the words are written on a list.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to tell the picnic story in their own words. Help them with the order: “What happened first? What happened next? What happened at the end?” Praise every time they use first, next or then.

Exercise 8B  Putting Ella’s Picnic in order

1
FWhat did they pack first?
2
FWhat did Gran fill a bottle with?
3
FWhere did they walk to?
4
FWhat flew off into the air?
5
FWhere did Ella find her hat?
6
FWhat did Gran say when the duck came close?
7
FWhich animal came close to the sandwiches?
8
PSPut these in the order they happen in the story: They packed up the rug and walked home. / Her hat flew off into the air. / A brown duck came close to the sandwiches.
9
PSPut these in the order they happen in the story: A brown duck waddled close. / Gran spread the rug on the grass. / Ella was about to eat her sandwich.
10
PSPut these in the order they happen in the story: Ella hurried back to the rug. / Ella ran after her hat. / Gran said, Shoo!
11
RHow do you know it was a windy day? Explain.
12
RRetell the picnic in three sentences: one for the beginning, one for the middle and one for the end.
8.3

Asking and answering questions: why and how

Year 2
Answer and ask questions, including why and how questions, Find the answer to a question in the text
Video lesson: Asking and answering questions: why and howComing soon
Tall trees in a winter wood.

Good readers ask questions as they read. A why question wants a reason. A how question wants to know the way something happened. The answer is often in the story.

Read Nina’s Lost Mitten. Then answer the questions. Can you think of a question of your own?

Nina's Lost Mitten

It was a cold, snowy day. Nina wore her red mittens to the park.

She rolled big balls of snow with her friend, Jo. Together, they built a snowman. Nina was warm and happy.

Then Nina looked at her hands. Her left mitten was gone!

She looked under the bench. She looked by the slide. The mitten was not there.

“Oh no,” said Nina. “I must find it before we go home.”

Jo had an idea. “We walked past the hedge by the gate,” she said. “Let us look there.”

Something red was poking out of the hedge. It was Nina’s mitten, and a little bird was hopping near it.

Nina ran to the hedge and picked up her mitten. “Thank you, Jo!” she said.

The two friends walked home together. Nina put her mitten back on, and her hand felt warm again.

hedge
The hedge by the gate, with something red poking out of it.

Key ideas

  • A why question asks for a reason.
  • A how question asks how something happened, or the way it was done.
  • Find the clue in the story to answer a question.
  • You can ask your own questions about a story, too.
Worked example 8.3.1
Why did Nina look under the bench?

Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.

  1. Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.
    “She looked under the bench”
  2. Think about what the clue tells us. Nina had lost her mitten, so she looked in places where it might be.
  3. Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the words from the story.
    To look for her mitten.

Check. Also accept: because she had lost her mitten; she was looking for it. It fits the story. ✓

Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.

Worked example 8.3.2
How did Jo help Nina find her mitten?

Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.

  1. Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.
    “Jo had an idea”
  2. Think about what the clue tells us. Jo had an idea, and she told Nina where they had walked.
  3. Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the words from the story.
    She reminded Nina of the hedge by the gate, and they looked there.

Check. Also accept: she told Nina to look by the hedge; she remembered the hedge by the gate. It fits the story. ✓

Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.

Worked example 8.3.3
Which question can the story answer? (a) What colour were Nina’s mittens? (b) What did Nina have for her tea?

Method. Read each question. Only one of them can be answered from the story.

  1. Read question (a). The story tells us what colour Nina’s mittens were.
    “Nina wore her red mittens”
  2. Read question (b). The story does not say what Nina had for her tea.
    The story does not say
  3. Write the answer. Question (a) is in the story, so the story can answer it.
    (a) What colour were Nina’s mittens?

Check. The story says red, so question (a) is the one the story can answer. ✓

Watch out. A question about something the story does not mention cannot be answered from the text.

Watch out

Watch out: a why question needs a reason, not a yes or no. Start with why to ask for a reason, and how to ask for the way something happened.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Read the story with your child. Stop at each event and ask: “Why do you think that happened? How did they do that?” Let your child answer, and then find the clue together in the text.

Exercise 8C  Answering and asking questions about Nina’s Lost Mitten

1
FWhat colour were Nina’s mittens?
2
FWhat did Nina and Jo build?
3
FWhich mitten was lost?
4
FWhere did Nina look first?
5
FWho had an idea to help Nina find her mitten?
6
FWhat did Jo remember?
7
RWhy did Jo want to look by the gate?
8
RHow did Nina feel when she found her mitten? How do you know?
9
PSWhat did Nina do when she reached the hedge?
10
FWhat was the weather like that day?
11
RWrite a why question you would ask Nina. Start with why.
12
RWhy did Nina’s hand feel warm again at the end?
8.4

Predicting what happens next

Year 2
Predict what might happen next, from what has been read so far, Retell a traditional tale in my own words, in order
Video lesson: Predicting what happens nextComing soon
A kitchen with an oven and a table.

A prediction is a sensible guess about what will happen next. To predict, we use clues from the story, and what we know about how stories and people usually behave.

The Gingerbread Man is a traditional tale. It has been told for a long time. The story below is my own retelling, in my own words. It stops before the end. What do you think will happen next?

The Gingerbread Man (my own retelling)

Once upon a time, an old woman and an old man lived in a little cottage.

One day, the old woman made a gingerbread man. She put him in the oven to bake.

When she opened the oven door, the gingerbread man jumped out! He ran across the kitchen and out of the door.

“Run, run, as fast as you can!” he sang. “You cannot catch me, I am the gingerbread man!”

He ran past a cow, a horse and a farmer. They all ran after him, but none of them could catch him.

Then he met a sly fox, who was sitting by a river. “You are very fast,” said the fox. “I can help you cross the river.”

The gingerbread man looked at the deep, cold river. He did not know what to do.

The fox smiled a sly smile. “Jump on my back, and I will carry you across.”

river
The river: the fox is sitting by it, and the gingerbread man is on the bank.

Key ideas

  • A prediction is a sensible guess about what will happen next.
  • A good prediction uses a clue from the story.
  • More than one prediction can be sensible, if it fits the clues.
  • Sly means clever and tricky. A sly character may have a plan.
Worked example 8.4.1
Predict what happens next. The sky went very dark, and thunder rumbled.

Method. A prediction is a sensible guess. Use the clue, and what usually happens.

  1. Find the clue. Dark clouds and thunder are clues to what might come next.
    the sky went very dark
  2. Think about what usually follows. Dark skies and thunder often come before rain.
    dark sky + thunder = rain
  3. Write the prediction. It must fit the clues.
    It might rain.

Check. Also accept: it may rain soon; there might be a storm. ✓

Watch out. A good prediction fits the clues. You cannot be sure, but a sensible guess is right.

Worked example 8.4.2
Which prediction fits the story best so far? A: The fox will sing him a song. B: The fox may have a sly plan.

Method. The story says the fox is sly. Which prediction fits that clue?

  1. Read choice A. A sly fox is not likely to sing a song to the gingerbread man.
    A: The fox will sing him a song.
  2. Read choice B. Sly means tricky, so B uses the clue.
    B: The fox may have a sly plan to trick him.
  3. Write the answer. B fits the clue that the fox is sly.
    B

Check. Also accept: B, the fox may have a plan. ✓

Watch out. A prediction must fit the clues. Read both choices and compare each one with the story.

Worked example 8.4.3
Find the clue that helps you predict what the fox might do.

Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.

  1. Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.
    “The fox smiled a sly smile”
  2. Think about what the clue tells us. Sly means clever and tricky, so this smile is a clue that the fox may have a plan.
  3. Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the words from the story.
    The fox smiled a sly smile.

Check. Also accept: he smiled in a sly way. It fits the story. ✓

Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.

Watch out

Watch out: a prediction must fit the story so far. A guess that uses no clue does not fit the story.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Stop before the end and ask: “What do you think will happen? What clue made you think that?” Let your child be wrong sometimes. Then read on and find out together.

Exercise 8D  Predicting and retelling The Gingerbread Man

1
FWho lived in the little cottage?
2
FWhat did the old woman make?
3
FWhat did she do with him next?
4
FWhere did the gingerbread man run?
5
FWhat did he sing as he ran?
6
FWho did he run past?
7
FWho did the gingerbread man meet by the river?
8
FWhat does sly mean? Use the story to help you.
9
RWhat do you think happens next? Use a clue from the story.
10
FWhat did the fox offer to do?
11
RWhy did the cow, the horse and the farmer not catch him?
12
RIs the fox a good friend to the gingerbread man? Explain, using the story.
8.5

Retelling a traditional tale

Year 2
Retell a traditional tale in my own words, Put the events of a story in order
Video lesson: Retelling a traditional taleComing soon
A farm with fields, a barn and a tree.

A traditional tale is an old story that has been told for a long time, from one person to the next. The Enormous Turnip below is my own retelling, in my own words.

To retell a story, tell its main events in order, in your own words. Use first, next, then and at last to keep the order clear.

Read The Enormous Turnip with a grown-up. Then retell it together.

The Enormous Turnip (my own retelling)

Once upon a time, an old man planted a small turnip seed in his garden.

He watered it and waited. The turnip grew and grew until it was enormous!

One sunny morning, the old man tried to pull it up. He pulled and pulled, but the turnip did not move.

He called his wife, and she held on to his waist. They pulled together, but the turnip still did not move.

Next, his granddaughter held on to his wife. Then the dog held on to the granddaughter.

The cat held on to the dog. At the very end, a tiny mouse held on to the cat.

“One, two, three, PULL!” they all shouted. At last, the enormous turnip came out of the ground, and they all fell over in a heap.

old manwifegranddaughter
The enormous turnip, and the old man, his wife and the granddaughter, ready to pull.

Key ideas

  • A traditional tale is an old story that has been told for a long time.
  • To retell a story, tell the main events in order, in your own words.
  • Leave out the tiny details. Keep the main events.
  • In this tale, each new helper joins the line to pull the turnip.
Worked example 8.5.1
Retell this in your own words: Once upon a time, an old man planted a small turnip seed in his garden.

Method. Find the main idea of the sentence. Then say it in new words.

  1. Find the main idea. The sentence says who planted a seed, and where.
    an old man planted a small turnip seed in his garden
  2. Say it in your own words. Keep the same idea, and change the words.
    an old man put a little turnip seed in his garden
  3. Write the answer. Your words keep the same idea.
    An old man put a little turnip seed in his garden.

Check. Read your sentence aloud. It keeps the same idea in new words. ✓

Watch out. You do not have to copy the words. Keep the idea and say it your way.

Worked example 8.5.2
Put these in the order they happen in the story: He pulled and pulled, but the turnip did not move. / He called his wife. / The turnip grew and grew.

Method. Find each event in the story, then put them in the order they happen.

  1. Find event 1 in the story. Find the words that tell us this event.
    “The turnip grew and grew”
  2. Find event 2 in the story. Find the words that tell us this event.
    “He pulled and pulled”
  3. Find event 3 in the story. Find the words that tell us this event.
    “He called his wife”
  4. Write the events in order. Put them in the same order as the story.
    The turnip grew and grew. / He pulled and pulled, but the turnip did not move. / He called his wife.

Check. Read the events in your order. Does the story go the same way? ✓

Watch out. Look for the words that show time: first, next, then, after that and at the end.

Worked example 8.5.3
Who held on to whom at the very end of the line?

Method. Look back at the story and find the words that answer the question.

  1. Find the clue in the story. The answer is in the box, or we can work it out from it.
    “a tiny mouse held on to the cat”
  2. Think about what the clue tells us. The mouse was the last helper in the line.
  3. Write the answer. Answer with a short sentence or the words from the story.
    The mouse held on to the cat.

Check. Also accept: a tiny mouse held on to the cat. It fits the story. ✓

Watch out. The answer is in the story. Do not guess from what you think might happen.

Watch out

Watch out: when you retell a story, use your own words. You do not need to learn the story word for word.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Use a toy old man, a toy wife and some toy animals to act out the line. Let your child tell the story first, and help with the order: first, next, then and at last. Praise each new word your child uses.

Exercise 8E  Retelling The Enormous Turnip

1
FWho planted the turnip seed?
2
FWhat did the old man grow in his garden?
3
FWho did the old man call first to help?
4
FWho held on to the granddaughter?
5
FWho was at the very end of the line?
6
FHow many helpers pulled the turnip, including the old man? Count each one once.
7
FDid the turnip move when the wife held on?
8
PSPut these in the order they happen in the story: At last, the enormous turnip came out of the ground. / He pulled and pulled, but the turnip did not move. / His granddaughter held on to his wife.
9
PSWhat did the old man do first, before he called anyone to help?
10
RWhy did it take all of them to pull the turnip out?
11
RHow do you think the old man felt when the turnip did not move? How do you know?
12
RRetell the story in three sentences: one for the beginning, one for the middle and one for the end.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
Characters and settingThe main character is the one the story is mostly about. The setting is where and when it happens.
FeelingsLook at what a character says and does. Those clues show how they feel.
Events in orderUse the words first, next, then, after that and at the end to put events in order.
QuestionsA why question asks for a reason. A how question asks for the way something happened. Find the clue in the story.
PredictingUse a clue from the story and what usually happens. A good guess fits the story so far.
RetellingTell the main events in order, in your own words. Leave out tiny details.

Can you…?

  • I can say who a story is about, and where and when it happens
  • I can put the events of a story in order
  • I can answer why and how questions, and find the clue in the story
  • I can work out how a character feels from what they say and do
  • I can predict what might happen next, using a clue
  • I can retell a traditional tale in my own words, in order

Key terms

character
a person or an animal in a story
main character
the character the story is mostly about
setting
where and when a story happens
event
something that happens in a story
clue
a word or idea in the story that helps you find an answer or guess what comes next
prediction
a sensible guess about what will happen next, using a clue
inference
an idea about a character that you work out from what they say and do
traditional tale
an old story that has been told for a long time, from one person to the next
retell
to tell a story again, in your own words, keeping the events in order
sly
clever and tricky

Exercise 8Z  Check-up

1
Who is the main character in The Gingerbread Man?
2
What was the little bird doing near the mitten?
3
Put these in the order they happen in the story: Her left mitten was gone. / Something red was poking out of the hedge. / They built a snowman.
4
What did the cow, the horse and the farmer do?
5
Why did Gran say Shoo?
6
Oliver rode down the hill with his dad. What might he do next time? Use a clue.
7
Which animal did the cat hold on to?
8
Why did Nina say thank you to Jo?
9
Write a how question about The Enormous Turnip. Start with how.
10
Who is the main character of The Enormous Turnip?

Total 14 marks. Allow about 14 minutes.

Exercise 8X  End-of-chapter quiz

1
FWhat is a character? Choose: A: a person or an animal in the story; B: the place where the story happens.[1 mark]
2
FWhich one is the setting of a story? Choose: the park or Oliver.[1 mark]
3
FWhich happened first in Ella’s Picnic: the wind blew, or they packed a picnic?[1 mark]
4
FWhat did Nina lose?[1 mark]
5
RNina says, Oh no. How does she feel? Explain how you know.[2 marks]
6
PSWhich prediction fits the story best so far? A: The fox will sing him a song. B: The fox may trick him.[1 mark]
7
PSPut these in the order they happen in the story: A tiny mouse held on to the cat. / The turnip grew and grew. / He pulled and pulled.[2 marks]
8
RWrite a why question about The Enormous Turnip, and answer it from the story.[2 marks]
9
RRetell how Nina found her mitten, in two or three sentences.[2 marks]
10
RGive one clue that shows the fox is sly.[1 mark]
← Chapter 7: PunctuationChapter 9: Reading poems →

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