Reading activities

Choose one activity. Each opens on its own page.

Scaffold labels describe the support built into an activity, not a fixed learner level.

Caption First

Give pairs a diagram caption. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

Title and Prediction

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a new chapter heading; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

7 min

Three-Pass Text

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in one short subject paragraph, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

9 min

Read the Axes

Before reading a graph with two labelled axes, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

11 min

Trace the Pronoun

Give pairs a paragraph with it, they or this. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

3 min

Find the Claim

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a short argument or explanation; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

5 min

Evidence Hunt

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in a paragraph that answers one question, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

7 min

Text and Image Match

Before reading a textbook image with its explanation, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

9 min

Glossary Race

Give pairs six terms from the current unit. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

11 min

Chunk and Retell

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in one dense paragraph; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

3 min

Read the Key

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in a map or chart legend, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

5 min

Pre-teach Two Words, Then Find Evidence

Before reading a short source and one question, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

7 min

Gist in Five Words

Give pairs a brief passage. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

9 min

Cause Connector Hunt

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a text containing because, so or therefore; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

11 min

Compare Two Sources

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in two short accounts of the same event, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

3 min

Read a Worked Example

Before reading a solved subject problem, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

5 min

Find the Instruction Verb

Give pairs a worksheet task. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

7 min

Diagram Walk

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a labelled process diagram; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

9 min

Fact or Viewpoint

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in a short informational text, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

11 min

Jigsaw Reading

Give each group one section; experts identify its key idea and one useful detail.

3 min

Read the Units

Give pairs a data table with quantities. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

5 min

Follow the Sequence

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a method or process description; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

7 min

Find the Exception

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in a rule with one qualifying sentence, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

9 min

Heading Sort

Before reading section headings from a topic text, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

11 min

Read for a Number

Give pairs a word problem with extra information. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

3 min

Annotate the Photograph

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a subject image with visible details; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

5 min

Notice the Comparison

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in a paragraph comparing two cases, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

7 min

Source Point of View

Before reading a short historical or media source, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

9 min

Read the Formula Words

Give pairs a formula alongside its explanation. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

11 min

Find the Definition

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a paragraph introducing a concept; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

3 min

Track the Topic Word

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in a text where one concept recurs, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

5 min

Read the Footnote

Before reading a short source with a note or key, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

7 min

Choose Supporting Evidence

Give pairs three extracts and one claim. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

9 min

First and Second Read

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in one short scientific explanation; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

11 min

Link Diagram Labels

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in a flow chart and its caption, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

3 min

Spot the Contrast

Before reading a text using although or however, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

5 min

Map Question to Paragraph

Give pairs a multi-part question and short text. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

7 min

Read a Table Row

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a data table with categories; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

9 min

Notice the Passive Voice

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in a method or report sentence, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

11 min

Source Reliability Check

Before reading two sources with dates and authors, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

3 min

Read the Scale

Give pairs a map or measured diagram. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

5 min

Find the Implied Step

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a worked solution with one hidden inference; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

7 min

Gallery Walk for Reading

Post one source per station. Pairs rotate, record one detail at each stop and answer a shared question.

9 min

Read the Conclusion

Before reading a short investigation report, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

11 min

Match Summary to Section

Give pairs three summaries and a short text. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

3 min

Identify the Referent

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a paragraph with several technical nouns; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

5 min

Read the Command Word

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in a test question and model answer, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

7 min

Silent Mark and Share

Before reading a short subject text, pre-teach at most two essential terms. Learners annotate one useful detail and write a one-sentence takeaway.

9 min

Read Around an Unknown Word

Give pairs a paragraph with useful context clues. Read the question first, then mark only the detail that helps answer it.

11 min

Spot the Generalisation

Ask learners to predict one thing they will find in a passage containing a broad claim; read once for the main idea and again to check the prediction.

3 min

Compare Caption and Body

Learners work in pairs: one points to evidence in a figure and its surrounding paragraph, the other explains how it answers the task. Swap roles.

5 min

Reading Race for Evidence

Set a short time to locate one piece of evidence, not to finish the reading. Learners point to the line, then explain why it fits.

4 min

Read the Source Backwards

Start with the question and final paragraph, then work backwards to locate the supporting evidence.

5 min

Four Corners of a Text

Assign a reading purpose to each corner of a page: topic, evidence, connection and question.

6 min

Visual Clue, Text Clue

Pair one visual feature with the sentence that explains it; ask learners to justify the match.

7 min

Paragraph Puzzle

Cut a short explanation into sections and use cohesion clues to restore the order.

8 min

Read, Cover, Reconstruct

Read a small section, cover it, and reconstruct its main idea from memory before checking.

9 min

Question Trail

Follow a sequence of questions that move from locating information to interpreting it.

4 min

Evidence Sorting Mats

Sort quotations or data statements into supports, challenges and does not answer.

5 min

Read the Caption, Test the Claim

Use a caption as a hypothesis and check whether the main source supports it.

6 min

Vocabulary in the Margin

Mark a word, its clue, and a provisional meaning in the margin while reading.

7 min

Two Texts, One Question

Read both sources with the same question in mind. Record one shared idea, one difference and the evidence for each.

8 min

Read for the Relationship

Trace how one idea relates to another: cause, condition, contrast or consequence.

9 min

Silent Reading Carousel

Move between short texts, adding one new note or question at each station.

4 min

The Missing Sentence

Choose which of three sentences best fits a gap and defend the choice using cohesion clues.

5 min

Read the Method, Find the Risk

Read a procedure to identify the step most likely to affect the result.

6 min

Headline to Evidence

Match a headline claim to the source detail that supports, qualifies or contradicts it.

7 min

Read and Rank the Clues

Gather details from a text and rank them by how strongly they answer the question.

8 min

Margin Question Exchange

Readers write a genuine question beside a paragraph and exchange it for another reader to answer.

9 min

Source Feature Scavenger Hunt

Locate a feature such as a key, footnote or axis before using it to answer a content question.

5 min

Skim the Shape

Learners skim headings, first lines and visuals for 45 seconds, then choose the best one-sentence summary.

7 min

Scan for the Number

Set one precise question and ask learners to locate a number, date or named term without reading every line.

9 min

One-Sentence Gist

Read once without stopping; learners write a gist in twelve words, then compare which ideas they kept or left out.

11 min

Detail Detective

Learners answer three questions by highlighting the exact phrase that supports each answer.

13 min

Read Between the Lines

Learners infer a person’s view or a likely cause, then sort the clue from the inference.

5 min

Follow the Reference

Learners draw arrows from this, they, it and these to the words or ideas each one refers to.

7 min

Paragraph Map

Groups give each paragraph a short job label, then arrange those labels into the text’s overall structure.

9 min

Meaning from Neighbours

Learners use nearby examples, contrasts and word parts to predict a word’s meaning before checking it.

11 min

Compare Two Accounts

Pairs mark one shared fact, one difference in emphasis and one question about each source.

13 min

Caption, Key, Scale

Learners read the title, caption, key and scale before using one feature to answer a question.

5 min

Question Before Text

Learners predict what evidence could answer a question, read to find it and revise their first idea.

7 min

Reread for the Link

Learners circle linking words, name the relationship and explain how one changes the meaning.

8 min

Title Trail

Preview the title, headings and first sentence of each section. Predict the route the text will take, then read to check.

5 min

Find the Main Claim

Underline the writer’s main claim in one colour and the evidence offered for it in another. Say how each piece of evidence connects.

7 min

Fact, View or Inference?

Label each selected sentence fact, viewpoint or inference. Compare labels and point to the wording or source clue that supports them.

8 min

Read the Diagram in Layers

Read the title, key and labels before tracing one arrow or sequence. Answer the question with a detail from the diagram.

7 min

Context Clue Triad

Mark the unfamiliar word, its surrounding clue and a likely meaning. Check the guess against a definition or image.

8 min

Cause and Consequence Chain

Highlight cause language, then draw arrows from each cause to its stated result. Add a question mark where the link is implied.

5 min

Pronoun Trail

Circle this, they, it and these. Draw each one back to the idea it refers to, then reread for sense.

7 min

Signal Word Sort

Sort linking words into cause, contrast, example and sequence. Reread each sentence to check the relationship.

8 min

Read, Cover, Recall

Read a short section, cover it, and note its key ideas from memory. Reopen the source and add any missed point in a second colour.

5 min

Evidence Line-Up

Rank three details from strongest to weakest support for a question. Return to the source and explain the ranking.

7 min

Margin Question Marks

Pause after each paragraph and write one question: clarify, connect or challenge. Choose one question the group can answer from the source.

8 min

Sequence Without Numbers

Remove the numbered steps. Learners underline sequence signals and rebuild the order, explaining each decision.

5 min

What the Caption Adds

Read the image first, then the caption, then the paragraph. Record what each source adds that the others do not.

7 min

Definition in Your Own Words

Read one definition, cover it, then explain the term in plain language while keeping the essential meaning. Check against the original.

8 min

Read for the Exception

Find the rule, then scan for unless, except, although or a stated condition. Explain how the exception changes the rule.

5 min

Heading Match

Match each paragraph to a heading. Reject headings that are too narrow or too broad and justify the best fit.

7 min

Source Clue Check

Inspect who made the source, when, and for what audience. Identify one reason it may be useful and one question to check.

8 min · new

Source Claim Audit

Compare a claim with the source before accepting it.

8 min · new

When the Footnote Matters

Use a footnote, key or caption to revise the interpretation.

8 min · new

Follow the Condition Words

Track conditions that change the meaning of a statement.

8 min · new

Prose and Table Together

Combine written information with data to answer one question.

8 min · source-linked

Trace a Heat-Map Claim

Connect a short explanation to a map key before accepting a claim.

8 min · source-linked

Resolve a Place Reference

Track a reference word through a short geographical explanation.

8 min · source-linked

Build a Margin Evidence Trail

Annotate one claim with relevant evidence and a remaining question.

8 min · source-linked

Recover the Missing Comparison

Use a paragraph’s meaning to choose a missing comparison.

8 min · new activity

Focus: Conditions and qualificationScaffold: More scaffold

Read the Qualification

Underline the condition word, state the limit it sets and rewrite a conclusion so it does not go beyond the evidence.

8 min · new activity

Focus: Cohesion and referenceScaffold: Some scaffold

Track a Cross-Reference

Trace this, these, it and they back to the place, process or feature each refers to; replace one reference with its noun and check the meaning.

8 min · new activity

Focus: Cross-source evidenceScaffold: Less scaffold

Two Sources, One Claim

Compare one claim with two sources, record where they agree or differ and decide what the combined evidence can support.

8 min · new activity

Focus: Reading visual informationScaffold: More scaffold

Examine the Diagram Margin

Read the title, key, labels and scale before using a diagram detail to answer a question; state what the diagram cannot show.

8 min · new activity

Focus: Text structureScaffold: Some scaffold

Paragraph Purpose Sort

Match each paragraph to a purpose—claim, evidence, counterpoint or conclusion—and justify the choice with a linking phrase.

8 min · new activity

Focus: Inference and evidenceScaffold: Less scaffold

Build an Inference Chain

Connect an observation to a possible explanation through an explicit reasoning step, marking where the explanation remains tentative.