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Primary English · Year 6Chapter 11 · Reading poetry and non-fiction, and comparing texts
Year 6 · Chapter 11

Reading poetry and non-fiction, and comparing texts

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Name a figurative device in a poem, and explain its effect on the reader
  • Count the stanzas and lines of a poem, and plan how to perform it
  • Summarise the main idea of a text in fewer words, keeping the key details
  • Sort sentences into fact and opinion, and explain the difference
  • Compare two texts of different types, and justify a view with a reason

You should already know

  • Figurative language, poems and stanzas (Year 4 Chapter 9 of this series)
  • Retrieving facts and using evidence from a text (Chapter 10 of this book)

Where this leads

  • Writing for purpose, including persuasive and discursive texts (Chapter 12 of this book)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 2 English, Year 6. Content: Learn a range of poems by heart, and plan how to perform one with intonation, volume and action (Y5-6 reading, written planning), Explain how figurative language, such as metaphor, simile, personification and alliteration, affects the reader (Y5-6 reading), Summarise the main ideas from more than one paragraph, identifying the key details (Y5-6 reading), Distinguish fact from opinion, and retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction (Y5-6 reading), Compare, contrast and discuss different texts, and justify a view with reasons (Y5-6 reading, speaking through written planning).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FWrite the word that means a comparison that uses like or as. Write the word only.
2
FWrite the word that means a group of lines in a poem. Write the word only.
3
FWhich word is an adverb in The owl called softly.? Write the word only.
4
FWrite the word that means the main points of a text, in fewer words. Write the word only.
5
FWrite the word that means a statement that can be checked as true or false. Write the word only.
11.1

Figurative language in a poem

Year 6
Explain how figurative language, such as metaphor, simile, personification and alliteration, affects the reader (Y5-6 reading)
Video lesson: Figurative language in a poemComing soon
Story. A poem describes a farm at night. Read it slowly, and notice the words that compare, give life to things, and repeat sounds.

Figurative language is language that goes beyond the literal meaning. A metaphor says one thing is another. A simile compares with like or as. Personification gives human actions to things. Alliteration repeats the same sound at the start of words close together.

Harvest Moon

The field lies silver, wide and still,
a quiet sea of ripened wheat,
and every stalk bends low to listen
to the owl's slow and patient call.

The farmer's cottage, dark and small,
keeps one lamp burning at its door,
as if the night could not be trusted
to bring the tired fields home.

By dawn the sun will climb the hill
and paint the stubble gold once more,
and the wheat, which whispered all night long,
will rest until the harvest comes.

Key ideas

  • A metaphor says one thing is another.
  • Personification gives human actions or feelings to something that is not human.
  • Alliteration repeats a sound, and can make a line feel smooth or sharp.
Worked example 11.1.1
Which device is a quiet sea of ripened wheat? Name it, then explain the effect.

Method. Look for a comparison that does not use like or as.

  1. Find the comparison. The wheat is called a sea, with no like or as.
    a quiet sea
  2. Name the device. A comparison without like or as is a metaphor.
    metaphor
  3. Explain the effect. The reader pictures the wheat moving like waves, calm and wide.
    calm and wide
  4. Write the answer.
    metaphor

Check. The metaphor makes the wheat seem like the sea. ✓

Worked example 11.1.2
Which device is every stalk bends low to listen? Name it.

Method. Look for a human action given to a thing.

  1. Find the action. Stalks cannot listen, but the poem says they do.
    listen
  2. Name the device. Giving a plant a human action is personification.
    personification
  3. Explain the effect. The reader feels the field is quietly alert to the owl.
    quietly alert
  4. Write the answer.
    personification

Check. The stalks are given a human action. ✓

Worked example 11.1.3
Which device is slow and patient, with the repeated s sound? Name it.

Method. Look for the same sound at the start of words close together.

  1. Find the repeated sound. Slow and sound begin with the same letter.
    slow, sound
  2. Name the device. Repeating the same sound at the start of words is alliteration.
    alliteration
  3. Explain the effect. The sound makes the line calm and slow, like the owl.
    calm and slow
  4. Write the answer.
    alliteration

Check. The repeated sound is alliteration. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a metaphor does not use like or as. A simile does. Check whether the comparison has like or as before you name it.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to read the first stanza aloud, and to point to one metaphor, one personification and one alliteration.

Exercise 11A  Practice: figurative language in a poem

1
FWhich device is the field lies silver? Write the device only.
2
PSWhat is the effect of a quiet sea of ripened wheat? Explain it in one sentence.
3
FWhich line in the first stanza compares the field to a sea? Write the words only.
4
PSWhich word in the line the wheat, which whispered all night long is an example of personification? Write the word only.
5
FName the device in and the wheat, which whispered all night long, where the w sound repeats. Write the device only.
6
RWhat effect does as if the night could not be trusted have on the reader? Explain it in one sentence.
7
PSWhich device gives a human quality to the owl's call? Write the two words of the phrase that show it.
8
RWhat is the effect of keeps one lamp burning at its door? Explain in one sentence.
9
RChoose one line from the poem and name a figurative device in it. Explain its effect in one sentence.
10
PSWrite a metaphor of your own about a night sky, and say what it describes.
11
RExplain why the poet uses several figurative devices in one poem, in one sentence.
11.2

Learning and performing a poem

Year 6
Learn a range of poems by heart, and plan how to perform one with intonation, volume and action (Y5-6 reading, written planning)
Video lesson: Learning and performing a poemComing soon
Story. Ruby is learning Harvest Moon for the school assembly. She counts the stanzas and lines, and she plans where to pause, speak more softly and lift her voice.

A poem is set out in stanzas, which are groups of lines. To learn a poem by heart, learn one stanza at a time, and check the order of the lines. When you perform a poem, use intonation (the rise and fall of the voice), volume (loud or soft) and action (a movement or gesture).

Harvest Moon

The field lies silver, wide and still,
a quiet sea of ripened wheat,
and every stalk bends low to listen
to the owl's slow and patient call.

The farmer's cottage, dark and small,
keeps one lamp burning at its door,
as if the night could not be trusted
to bring the tired fields home.

By dawn the sun will climb the hill
and paint the stubble gold once more,
and the wheat, which whispered all night long,
will rest until the harvest comes.

Key ideas

  • Learn a poem one stanza at a time.
  • Intonation, volume and action help the audience hear and feel the poem.
  • Plan where to pause, where to speak softly, and where to raise your voice.
Worked example 11.2.1
How many stanzas does Harvest Moon have? Write the number as a word.

Method. Count the groups of lines.

  1. Find the groups. Each group of four lines is a stanza.
    four lines each
  2. Count them. There are three groups of lines.
    three
  3. Write the answer.
    three

Check. The poem has three stanzas. ✓

Worked example 11.2.2
Which stanza describes the farmer's cottage? Write the number as a word.

Method. Look for the word cottage.

  1. Find the word. The farmer's cottage is in the second stanza.
    cottage
  2. Count the stanza. The second group of lines contains cottage.
    second
  3. Write the answer.
    second

Check. The cottage is in the second stanza. ✓

Worked example 11.2.3
Where might a reader speak more softly in the poem? Write the words that suggest a quiet moment.

Method. Look for words that describe a quiet or calm feeling.

  1. Find the words. The owl's call is described as slow and patient.
    slow and patient
  2. Plan the voice. A slow, calm line should be spoken softly.
    speak softly
  3. Write the answer.
    slow and patient

Check. The quiet line is spoken softly. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: do not speed up at the end of a stanza. Pause at the end of each stanza, to let the audience take in the picture.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to learn one stanza of the poem, to say it aloud twice, and to plan one pause and one quiet line.

Exercise 11B  Practice: learning and performing a poem

1
FHow many lines are in each stanza of Harvest Moon? Write the number as a word.
2
FWhich line in the third stanza says that the wheat will rest? Copy the line.
3
PSPlan where you would pause in the first stanza, and say why, in one sentence.
4
PSPlan the volume for the second stanza: loud, soft or medium? Give one reason.
5
FWhich word in The farmer's cottage, dark and small suggests a quiet mood? Write the word only.
6
RPlan one piece of action (a movement or gesture) for the line and paint the stubble gold once more.
7
FWhich stanza has the line as if the night could not be trusted? Write the number as a word.
8
RExplain why learning a poem one stanza at a time is helpful, in one sentence.
9
RExplain in one sentence why intonation matters when reading a poem aloud.
10
FWhich line in the second stanza has the word lamp? Copy the line.
11
PSPlan a short performance of the first stanza, with one action and one change in volume.
11.3

Summarising non-fiction and retrieving facts

Year 6
Summarise the main ideas from more than one paragraph, identifying the key details (Y5-6 reading), Retrieve, record and present information from non-fiction (Y5-6 reading)
Video lesson: Summarising non-fiction and retrieving factsComing soon
Story. Dev is writing a fact file about bees for the school science club. He reads the text How Honey Is Made, and he notes the main ideas and the key facts in his own words.

A summary gives the main ideas of a text in fewer words. Read the whole text, find the main idea of each paragraph, and combine them. A key detail is a fact that supports a main idea. To retrieve information, find the words that answer your question, and copy only what you need.

How Honey Is Made

1Honey begins as nectar, a sweet liquid that flowers produce. Worker bees visit thousands of flowers to collect it, and each bee carries the nectar back to the hive.

2Inside the hive, the bees pass the nectar from one to another. As they do, they add substances that help to change it into honey.

3Next, the bees spread the liquid across the honeycomb, which is made of six-sided wax cells. They fan their wings to speed up the drying, until the honey is thick enough to store.

4Once it is ready, the bees seal each cell with a thin layer of wax, so that the honey can be kept for later in the year.

Key ideas

  • A summary includes the main ideas, and leaves out small details.
  • A key detail supports a main idea.
  • Record the facts in your own words, and check them against the text.
Worked example 11.3.1
What is the main idea of paragraph 1? Write the main idea in a few words.

Method. Read the first paragraph, and find its key idea.

  1. Read the paragraph. Honey begins as nectar, which bees collect from flowers.
    nectar
  2. Find the main idea. The main idea is that honey starts as nectar, from flowers.
    nectar from flowers
  3. Write it briefly. Nectar becomes honey, through the work of the bees.
    nectar becomes honey
  4. Write the answer.
    nectar becomes honey

Check. The main idea is about nectar and honey. ✓

Worked example 11.3.2
What is the key detail that the bees use to dry the honey? Copy the words.

Method. Find the detail in paragraph 3.

  1. Find the detail. Paragraph 3 says the bees fan their wings to speed up the drying.
    fan their wings
  2. Copy the detail. The key detail is fan their wings.
    fan their wings
  3. Write the answer.
    fan their wings

Check. The detail is stated in paragraph 3. ✓

Worked example 11.3.3
Summarise paragraphs 3 and 4 in one sentence, in your own words.

Method. Combine the main ideas of the two paragraphs.

  1. Find the ideas. Paragraph 3 is about drying; paragraph 4 is about sealing.
    drying, sealing
  2. Combine them. The bees spread, dry and seal the honey.
    spread, dry and seal
  3. Write the summary. Bees spread the nectar, fan it dry, and seal it in wax cells.
    Bees spread the nectar, fan it dry, and seal it in wax cells.
  4. Write the answer.
    Bees spread the nectar, fan it dry, and seal the honey in wax cells

Check. The summary keeps the key ideas. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a summary is not a copy. Use your own words, and leave out the small details that are not key.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to read one paragraph of a non-fiction book, then to tell you its main idea in three words.

Exercise 11C  Practice: summarising and retrieving facts

1
FWhat do the worker bees visit to collect nectar? Copy the words.
2
FHow many sides does each honeycomb cell have? Copy the words.
3
FWhat do the bees use to seal each cell? Copy the words.
4
FWhat is the honey stored in? Write the word from paragraph 3.
5
PSSummarise paragraph 2 in one sentence, in your own words.
6
PSRecord one key detail from paragraph 4 in your own words.
7
RWhat is the main idea of the whole text? Write it in one short phrase.
8
PSWrite a record of three key facts from the text, as a list of bullet points.
9
FWhich paragraph explains how the bees dry the honey? Write the number as a word.
10
PSSummarise paragraph 1 in one sentence, using your own words.
11
FRetrieve the word that describes the wax cells in paragraph 3. Write the word only.
12
RExplain in one sentence why a summary leaves out small details.
11.4

Distinguishing fact from opinion

Year 6
Distinguish fact from opinion in a text (Y5-6 reading)
Video lesson: Distinguishing fact from opinionComing soon
Story. The school council reads two texts about bees. One is an information text, and the other is a persuasive article that gives the writer's view. Read both, and decide which sentences are facts and which are opinions.

A fact can be checked and shown to be true. An opinion is a view or a feeling, which may not be shared by everyone. Words such as should, best, important and in my view often show an opinion.

Why Bees Deserve Our Care (a persuasive article)

1Bees are the most important insects in the world, and everyone should take care of them.

2Some people think bees only make honey, but bees pollinate many crops, which means they help plants to produce fruit and seeds.

3In my view, every school should plant flowers, because a garden full of nectar gives bees a place to feed.

4Some would argue that gardens are only for pleasure. However, a pleasant garden is also a home for bees, and that makes it worth the effort.

Key ideas

  • A fact can be checked.
  • An opinion shows a view, a feeling, or what should happen.
  • Look for words such as should, best, important and in my view.
Worked example 11.4.1
Is this sentence a fact or an opinion? Bees pollinate many crops. Write fact or opinion.

Method. Ask whether it can be checked.

  1. Test the sentence. Bees pollinate crops, which can be checked.
    can be checked
  2. Decide. A statement that can be checked is a fact.
    fact
  3. Write the answer.
    fact

Check. The sentence is a fact. ✓

Worked example 11.4.2
Is this sentence a fact or an opinion? Bees are the most important insects in the world. Write fact or opinion.

Method. Look for a judgement word, such as most important.

  1. Look for the judgement. Most important is a judgement, not something that can be checked.
    most important
  2. Decide. A judgement is an opinion.
    opinion
  3. Write the answer.
    opinion

Check. The sentence is an opinion. ✓

Worked example 11.4.3
Find the opinion word in In my view, every school should plant flowers.

Method. Look for the words that show a view.

  1. Look for the words. In my view shows that the writer is giving a view.
    In my view
  2. Name the words. These words signal an opinion.
    In my view
  3. Write the answer.
    In my view

Check. In my view is an opinion signal. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a fact can be in an opinion text, and an opinion can be in a fact text. Decide each sentence on its own.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to find one sentence in a newspaper that is a fact, and one that is an opinion. Ask them to say how they know.

Exercise 11D  Practice: fact or opinion

1
FIs this sentence a fact or an opinion? Write fact or opinion: Honey begins as nectar, a sweet liquid that flowers produce.
2
FIs this sentence a fact or an opinion? Write fact or opinion: Bees pollinate many crops.
3
FIs this sentence a fact or an opinion? Write fact or opinion: Bees are the most important insects in the world.
4
PSIs this sentence a fact or an opinion? Write fact or opinion: Every school should plant flowers.
5
FIs this sentence a fact or an opinion? Write fact or opinion: The bees fan their wings to dry the honey.
6
PSIs this sentence a fact or an opinion? Write fact or opinion: A pleasant garden is worth the effort.
7
PSWrite one fact and one opinion about bees, and label each.
8
PSWhich word in Some would argue that gardens are only for pleasure shows an opinion? Write the word only.
9
FIs this sentence a fact or an opinion? Write fact or opinion: The bees seal each cell with a thin layer of wax.
10
RExplain in one sentence how you can tell a fact from an opinion.
11
FIs this sentence a fact or an opinion? Write fact or opinion: The text has four paragraphs about bees.
11.5

Comparing texts and justifying a view

Year 6
Compare, contrast and discuss different texts, and justify a view with reasons (Y5-6 reading, speaking through written planning)
Video lesson: Comparing texts and justifying a viewComing soon
Story. The class compares three texts about bees: a poem, an information text and a persuasive article. The teacher asks each pupil to say which text is most useful, and to give a reason.

When you compare texts, look at their purpose, form and language. When you contrast them, say how they are different. To justify a view, give a clear reason, and support it with evidence from the text.

TextFormPurposeLanguage
Harvest Moona poem in stanzasto create a moodfigurative language
How Honey Is Madean information textto informfacts, with time words
Why Bees Deserve Our Carea persuasive articleto persuadeopinions and should

Key ideas

  • Compare texts by purpose, form and language.
  • Justify a view with a reason, and evidence from the text.
  • A presentation or debate is planned in writing, with reasons in order.
Worked example 11.5.1
What is the main purpose of How Honey Is Made? Write the purpose in one word.

Method. Look at the kind of text and what it gives the reader.

  1. Look at the form. It is an information text, with facts.
    facts
  2. Name the purpose. Its purpose is to inform the reader about honey.
    inform
  3. Write the answer.
    inform

Check. The purpose is to inform. ✓

Worked example 11.5.2
Justify the view that the persuasive article is more persuasive than an information text. Give one reason.

Method. Find a feature of persuasion, and link it to the view.

  1. Find the feature. The article says every school should plant flowers.
    should plant flowers
  2. Give the reason. Should and in my view try to persuade the reader to act.
    to persuade the reader
  3. Write the answer.
    It uses opinions and should, which tries to change the reader's mind

Check. The reason is supported by the text. ✓

Worked example 11.5.3
Contrast the poem and the information text. Name one way they are different.

Method. Compare the language of the two texts.

  1. Look at the poem. The poem uses metaphor and personification.
    metaphor
  2. Look at the information text. The information text uses facts and time words.
    facts
  3. Name the contrast. The poem is figurative; the information text is factual.
    figurative and factual
  4. Write the answer.
    the poem uses figurative language, and the information text uses facts

Check. The two texts are contrasted. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: a reason must be linked to the view. A view without a reason is not justified.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to choose the text they most enjoyed among three, and to give two reasons for their choice.

Exercise 11E  Practice: comparing texts and justifying a view

1
FWhich text is a poem? Write the title only.
2
FWhat is the purpose of the persuasive article? Write one word.
3
RContrast the purpose of the poem with the purpose of the information text, in one sentence.
4
RGive one reason to support the view that the poem is good at creating a mood.
5
RJustify the view that the information text is useful for a science club, with one reason.
6
PSCompare the poem and the persuasive article: both use one word that shows a view or feeling. Which word in the poem shows a feeling? Write the word only.
7
PSPlan one point for a debate about bees: write the point, then one reason for it.
8
FWhich text uses the most opinions? Write the title only.
9
PSPlan a short presentation of two minutes, about the three texts. Write the order of your three points.
10
RJustify your choice of the most useful text for a science club, with one reason and one piece of evidence.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
Figurative languageMetaphor (one thing is another), simile (like or as), personification (human action), alliteration (repeated sound).
PoemsLearn one stanza at a time; plan intonation, volume and action for performance.
SummaryFind the main idea of each paragraph, and combine them in fewer words, with key details.
Fact and opinionA fact can be checked; an opinion shows a view or feeling, often with should or in my view.
Comparing textsCompare form, purpose and language, and justify a view with a reason and evidence.

Can you…?

  • I can name a metaphor, simile, personification or alliteration, and explain its effect
  • I can plan how to perform a poem, using intonation, volume and action
  • I can summarise the main ideas from more than one paragraph
  • I can tell a fact from an opinion, and give a reason
  • I can compare two texts and justify a view with a reason

Key terms

figurative language
language that goes beyond the literal meaning, such as metaphor or simile
metaphor
a comparison that says one thing is another, without like or as
alliteration
the repetition of the same sound at the start of words close together
stanza
a group of lines in a poem
intonation
the rise and fall of the voice when speaking or reading aloud
summary
a short version of a text that keeps the main ideas and key details
fact
a statement that can be checked and shown to be true
opinion
a view or feeling that someone holds, which may not be shared by everyone

Exercise 11Z  Check-up

1
What device is every stalk bends low to listen? Name the device.
2
How many stanzas does the poem have? Write the number as a word.
3
Summarise paragraph 3 in one sentence, in your own words.
4
How many sides does each honeycomb cell have? Copy the words.
5
Is this sentence a fact or an opinion? Write fact or opinion: Bees pollinate many crops.
6
Is this sentence a fact or an opinion? Write fact or opinion: Every school should plant flowers.
7
Name the device in a quiet sea of ripened wheat. Write the device only.
8
Which text is an information text? Write the title only.
9
Justify your view that the poem creates a calm mood, with one reason.
10
Explain in one sentence the difference between a fact and an opinion.

Total 15 marks. Allow about 15 minutes.

Exercise 11X  Practice test questions

1
FName the figurative device in every stalk bends low to listen. Write the device only.[1 mark]
2
RWhat is the effect of a quiet sea of ripened wheat? Explain in one or two sentences.[2 marks]
3
FName the device in the owl's slow and patient call, where a sound repeats. Write the device only.[1 mark]
4
FHow many stanzas does Harvest Moon have? Write the number as a word.[1 mark]
5
PSSummarise paragraph 1 of How Honey Is Made in one sentence, in your own words.[2 marks]
6
FWhich word in How Honey Is Made describes the wax cells? Write the word only.[1 mark]
7
PSIs this sentence a fact or an opinion? Bees are the most important insects in the world. Write fact or opinion.[1 mark]
8
RGive one reason to justify the view that How Honey Is Made is useful for a science club. Use one piece of evidence from the text.[2 marks]
9
RExplain in one sentence how the poem and the information text are different in their purpose.[2 marks]
10
PSWrite one sentence that gives a view about bees, and label it as an opinion by using a word such as should.[2 marks]
← Chapter 10: Reading fiction and playsChapter 12: Writing for purpose: narrative, non-fiction, persuasive and discursive →

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