The Place for Me Stage 3 Comprehension - Comprehension Pack.pdf

STAGE 3 Unit focus: Habitats Text focus: Narrative The Place For Me Doris the dormouse was just waking up. It had been a long and pleasant sleep in her cosy nest. Now her woodland home was thawing. Spring was here. “Waking up at last?” said the fox as it strolled past the tree. Doris was glad she wa...

STAGE 3 Unit focus: Habitats Text focus: Narrative The Place For Me Doris the dormouse was just waking up. It had been a long and pleasant sleep in her cosy nest. Now her woodland home was thawing. Spring was here. “Waking up at last?” said the fox as it strolled past the tree. Doris was glad she was up in the branches. ‘Don’t you ever want to leave your beloved wood?’ he went on. ‘I’ve been exploring the city whilst you slept. There are streets and gardens and dustbins overflowing with food. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll show you,’ he offered, his grin showing sharp teeth. Doris shuddered. ‘Does it have a quiet bed of leaves to hibernate in?’ ‘Hmm...it’s not very quiet,’ the fox admitted. ‘I think I’ll give it a miss then. I have everything I need here,’ she went on. ‘I have a warm bed of leaves to make my nest in the winter. The wood’s the place for me.’ The fox shrugged and went on its way. Next the toad crawled past. ‘Oh hello there,’ it said in its low voice. ‘Don’t I see you here every year?’ ‘This is my home,’ said Doris proudly looking up at her beautiful hazel tree. ‘Is it now? And a lovely tree it is too. But you can’t stay all year round in the same place. I’m off to the pond. Why don’t you come with me? It’s cool and deep and all the other toads will be there.’ ‘How would I get there,’ Doris asked (though in truth, the sound of deep water was already turning her little legs to jelly). ‘We’ll go on foot. It’s that way, on the other side of that road in the distance.’ Doris shook her head firmly. ‘I don’t fancy the ground, the road or deep water. I have everything I need here. I have a safe place to hide in the branches. The wood’s the place for me.’ The toad gave a shrug and crawled away. Next a cuckoo landed on a branch near Doris. all resources ©2022 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com ‘Cuckoo,’ sang the bird, announcing itself. ‘May I rest my weary wings?’ he asked. ‘I have travelled so far. I’m sure you understand.’ Doris nodded. ‘I was down there in the leaf litter,’ she said. ‘And now I’m up here, in the branches.’ ‘My friend,’ chuckled the cuckoo. ‘I have flown from the swamp forests of Africa where gorillas roam. I flew across the Sahara where desert sands blow. I crossed Europe looking down on mountains and ancient cities. And all the while, you have been right here? Don’t you want to see what else there is?’ Doris thought for a moment. She wondered if gorillas would eat a dormouse like her? Could she hibernate in the hot Saharan sands? Would she find hazelnuts to eat? She shook her head and said to the cuckoo, ‘I don’t need all that. I have everything I need here. I have a warm bed to sleep in. I have a safe place to hide. I have all the nuts and seeds I can eat. The wood’s the place for me. It’s my home and it’s the only one I have.’ INFERENCE FOCUS 1. What clues are there that the fox is a threat to the dormouse? 2. How can we tell this is a regular journey for the toad? 3. How does Doris feel about deep water? 4. Why does the cuckoo chuckle? 5. How would you summarise the dormouse’s feeling about the wood? How do you know? V R V E E VIPERS QUESTIONS What does ‘cosy’ tell us about Doris’s nest? Where is the toad going? Which word is closest in meaning to ‘tired’? What effect does the repeating phrase ‘the wood’s the place for me’ have on the reader? Can you find another example of repetition? all resources ©2022 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com