Year 1 English: Instructions: planting a seed
Part of the Year 1 English facts and information chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Instructions: planting a seed
An instruction tells you how to do something, step by step. Instructions have steps in order, so you do the first step first. Each step often starts with a command word, which tells you what to do, such as fill, make, put or water.
Read the steps in the box. Then look at the pictures A to D. They show four of the steps.
How to plant a bean seed
- Ask a grown-up to help you.
- Fill a small pot with soil.
- Make a small hole in the soil with your finger.
- Put one seed in the hole.
- Cover the seed with soil.
- Water the soil a little.
- Put the pot on a sunny windowsill.
- Check the soil every day and keep it damp.
Key ideas
- An instruction tells you how to do something, step by step.
- Do the steps in order. Do the first step first.
- Command words tell you what to do: fill, make, put, water.
- Plants need water and light to grow.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.Which step comes first?
- Find the part of the text. The first step is always the one with number 1.Step 1 says: Ask a grown-up to help you.
- Write the answer. Ask a grown-up to help you.
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Read the steps from the top, starting with number 1.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.What do you do after you water the soil?
- Find the part of the text. Find step 6, then read the step after it.Step 7 comes after step 6: Put the pot on a sunny windowsill.
- Write the answer. Put the pot on a sunny windowsill.
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole sentence, not only the first word.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.Why do we put the pot on a sunny windowsill?
- Find the part of the text. Think about what a plant needs to grow.Step 7 tells us to do it. Plants need light to grow.
- Write the answer. Plants need light to grow.
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Also correct: plants need sunlight to grow.
Watch out
Watch out: do not skip a step, and do not change the order. Put the seed in the hole before you cover it, and cover it before you water it.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Plant a real bean seed together. Read each step out loud and let your child do it. Wash your hands after touching the soil. Keep the pot where your child can check it each day.
Exercise 10E Following instructions
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.What is the first step?
- Find the part of the text. Number 1 is the first step.Step 1 says: Ask a grown-up to help you.
- Write the answer. Ask a grown-up to help you.
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole sentence, not only the first word.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.How many seeds go in the hole?
- Find the part of the text. The instruction says one seed.Step 4 says: Put one seed in the hole. That is 1 seed.
- Write the answer. 1
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Also correct: one.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.Which step tells us to make a hole?
- Find the part of the text. Find the step with the word hole in it.Step 3 says: Make a small hole in the soil with your finger.
- Write the answer. Step 3
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole sentence, not only the first word.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.What do you do after step 4?
- Find the part of the text. The step after number 4 is number 5.Step 5 comes after step 4. It says: Cover the seed with soil.
- Write the answer. Cover the seed with soil.
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole sentence, not only the first word.
Method. Read the question first. Then find the part of the text that answers it.
- Read the question. Look for the key words in it.What is the last step?
- Find the part of the text. The last step has the biggest number.Step 8 is the last one: Check the soil every day and keep it damp.
- Write the answer. Check the soil every day and keep it damp.
Check. Read the text again and point to the words that answer it. ✓
Watch out. Also correct: check the soil every day.
Method. Look at the pictures. Find the one that shows the same thing as the step.
- Read the step. Think about what is happening in it.Put one seed in the hole.
- Look at the pictures. Each picture shows one thing from the instructions.A, B, C and D
- Choose the picture that matches. The picture shows the same thing as the step.C
Check. Read the step again and look at the picture. They match. ✓
Watch out. Look at what is in the picture, not at how big it is.
Method. Look at the pictures. Find the one that shows the same thing as the step.
- Read the step. Think about what is happening in it.Water the soil a little.
- Look at the pictures. Each picture shows one thing from the instructions.A, B, C and D
- Choose the picture that matches. The picture shows the same thing as the step.D
Check. Read the step again and look at the picture. They match. ✓
Watch out. Look at what is in the picture, not at how big it is.
Key words. An instruction tells you how to do something, step by step.
Method. Start with the step that happens first. Then put the other steps after it, in order.
- Find the first step. Filling the pot comes first, because the seed needs soil.Fill a small pot with soil.
- Put the rest in order. Each step happens after the one before it.Fill a small pot with soil. → Put one seed in the hole. → Water the soil a little.
- Write the order. Fill a small pot with soil; Put one seed in the hole; Water the soil a little.
Check. Read the steps in your new order out loud. It makes sense. ✓
Watch out. Check that no step is missing, and that no step is written twice.
Method. Think about what a plant needs.
- Read step 6. Step 6 tells us to water the soil.Step 6: Water the soil a little.
- Think about what a plant needs. A seed needs water to grow into a plant.Water helps the seed grow
- Write the answer. Plants need water to grow.
Check. Plants need water, light and soil to grow. ✓
Watch out. Also correct: so the seed can grow.
Method. Check what the instructions say about seeds.
- Read step 4. Step 4 is about the seeds.Put one seed in the hole.
- Compare with Tom. Tom put three seeds, but the step says one.Three is not one
- Write the answer. So Tom did not follow step 4.No. The instructions say one seed in the hole.
Check. Count again: the step says one, and Tom used three. ✓
Watch out. Always read the instruction again to check the number.