## Retrieving Explicit Information

Retrieving explicit information is a core skill in reading comprehension. It means finding facts and details that are directly stated in the text you are reading. Think of it like being a detective, looking for clues that are clearly laid out for you. This is different from inference, where you have to work out meaning that isn't directly said.

How to Find Explicit Information

1. Read the Question Carefully: Start by reading the question thoroughly. Identify the keywords in the question. These are the important words that tell you what information you need to find. For example, if the question is "What did the boy eat for breakfast?", the keywords are "boy," "eat," and "breakfast."

2. Scan the Text: Once you have your keywords, quickly scan the text. Your eyes should move across the page looking specifically for those keywords or very similar words (synonyms). Don't read every word slowly at this stage; you're just hunting for the relevant section.

3. Locate and Read: When you find the keywords in the text, slow down and read the sentence or paragraph surrounding them carefully. The answer will be found in this section.

4. Extract the Answer: Pinpoint the exact information that answers the question. It might be a single word, a phrase, or a whole sentence. Ensure your answer directly addresses what the question asked.

5. Check Your Answer: Always re-read the question and your chosen answer to make sure they match perfectly. Does your answer come straight from the text? Is it exactly what the question asked for?

Types of Questions

Retrieval questions often start with words like:

• Who...? (e.g., Who went to the park?)
• What...? (e.g., What was the weather like?)
• Where...? (e.g., Where did they find the treasure?)
• When...? (e.g., When did the event happen?)
• How many...? (e.g., How many apples were in the basket?)
• Which...? (e.g., Which colour was the car?)

Top Tips for Success

• Underline/Highlight: Use your pencil to underline keywords in both the question and the text. This helps you focus.
• Don't Infer: The answer *must* be explicitly written in the text. Do not guess or use your own general knowledge.
• Be Precise: Give only the information requested. Don't add extra details that aren't necessary.
• Practice: The more you practice scanning and locating information, the quicker and more accurate you will become.

## Understanding Inference and Deduction

In the Year 6 SATs Reading test, you'll often be asked to understand things that aren't directly stated in the text. This is called inference and deduction. It's like being a detective and using clues to figure out the full story!

## What is Inference?

Inference means "reading between the lines." It's figuring out what the author *suggests* or *implies* without explicitly saying it. You use clues from the text combined with your own general knowledge and understanding of the world.

For example, if a character "sighed deeply and slumped into a chair," you can infer they are tired or disappointed, even if the text doesn't say "she was tired." You're looking for hidden meanings about characters' feelings, motives, or the atmosphere of a scene.

## What is Deduction?

Deduction is similar to inference but often involves putting together several pieces of information to reach a logical conclusion. You gather facts or evidence from the text and then work out what must be true. It’s about making a reasoned judgment based on the evidence provided.

For instance, if a story describes "puddles on the ground and children wearing raincoats," you can deduce that it has recently rained, even if the text doesn't say "it rained." You're using the available evidence to draw a definite conclusion.

## Top Tips for Inference and Deduction Questions

• Read Carefully: Pay close attention to every word and phrase.
• Look for Clues: Highlight or underline words, actions, or descriptions that give hints.
• Think Like a Detective: Gather all the evidence before making a decision.
• Use Your Own Knowledge: How would you feel or what would you do in a similar situation? This helps you understand characters' actions.
• Justify Your Answer: Always explain *why* you think what you do, using specific evidence from the text. This is crucial for getting full marks.
• Consider Emotions: What do a character's words, actions, or body language tell you about how they feel?
• Explore the Setting: How does the description of a place contribute to the mood or what's happening?

## Understanding Vocabulary in Context

In your Year 6 SATs Reading paper, you'll often be asked to understand the meaning of unfamiliar words. The key to this isn't just knowing lots of words, but knowing how to use the context – the words and sentences around an unfamiliar word – to figure out its meaning. This skill is vital for showing you truly understand what you're reading.

## How to Decode Unfamiliar Words

When you encounter a word you don't know, don't panic! Follow these steps:

• Read the Whole Sentence (and Beyond): Never look at just the single word. Read the entire sentence it's in, and often the sentences before and after it. The surrounding text provides crucial clues.
• Look for Clues Within the Text:
• Synonyms or Explanations: Sometimes the text will give you a word with a similar meaning, or even directly explain the unfamiliar word. For example: "The ancient relic, an old pot from Roman times, was carefully preserved." Here, "an old pot from Roman times" explains "relic".
• Antonyms (Opposites): The text might contrast the unfamiliar word with a known opposite. "Unlike his usually gregarious brother, who loved parties, Tom preferred quiet evenings alone." This suggests "gregarious" means sociable.
• Examples: The text might provide examples that illustrate the word's meaning. "The nocturnal animals, such as owls and bats, only came out at night." This tells you "nocturnal" means active at night.
• Cause and Effect: Consider how the word relates to actions or outcomes in the text.
• Mood or Tone: Does the word fit the overall feeling or atmosphere of the passage?

• Use Word Structure:
• Prefixes: These are letters added to the beginning of a word (e.g., 'un-' meaning 'not' in unhappy, 're-' meaning 'again' in rewrite).
• Suffixes: These are letters added to the end of a word (e.g., '-ful' meaning 'full of' in careful, '-less' meaning 'without' in careless).
• Root Words: This is the basic part of a word that carries the main meaning (e.g., 'port' in portable, transport). Understanding these can help you guess the meaning.

• Substitute and Check: Once you have a possible meaning, try replacing the original word with your chosen meaning in the sentence. Does the sentence still make sense? Does it fit the overall context of the paragraph?

• Eliminate Options (Multiple Choice): If it's a multiple-choice question, rule out any answers that clearly don't fit the context. This increases your chances of picking the correct one.

Practising these strategies will significantly improve your ability to tackle vocabulary questions in the SATs.

## Understanding Author's Language Choices

When you read, authors don't just pick words randomly; they make deliberate language choices to create specific effects, convey meaning, and influence your understanding and feelings. Your job in the SATs is to identify these choices and explain *why* the author made them and what impact they have.

## Vocabulary and Word Choice

Authors carefully select nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs to paint a picture, describe actions, or express emotions precisely.

• Specific vocabulary: Choosing a word like "scurried" instead of "ran" tells you more about *how* something moved (quickly, nervously).
• Connotations: Words have associations beyond their literal meaning. "Home" might literally mean a house, but its connotation is warmth, safety, and family. An author might choose "shack" instead of "house" to suggest poverty or neglect.
• Impact: Strong verbs and vivid adjectives make descriptions more engaging and help you visualise the scene or character.

## Figurative Language

This is language that goes beyond the literal meaning to create a special effect.

• Simile: Compares two different things using "like" or "as". E.g., "The moon was *like* a pearl." (Suggests beauty, smoothness).
• Metaphor: States one thing *is* another, without "like" or "as". E.g., "The moon *was* a pearl in the night sky." (Stronger, more direct comparison).
• Personification: Giving human qualities or actions to inanimate objects or animals. E.g., "The wind *whispered* secrets through the trees." (Makes the wind seem alive and mysterious).
• Alliteration: The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in words close together. E.g., "Slippery, slithering snake." (Creates rhythm, draws attention).
• Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate the sound they describe. E.g., "The buzz of the bee," "The crash of thunder." (Makes the writing more sensory and immediate).
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration for emphasis or effect. E.g., "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!" (Shows extreme hunger).
• Impact: Figurative language makes descriptions more vivid, memorable, and helps to create atmosphere or evoke strong emotions.

## Sentence Structure and Punctuation

The way sentences are built also has an effect.

• Short sentences: Can create a sense of urgency, tension, or quicken the pace. E.g., "He ran. The door slammed."
• Long sentences: Can build detail, describe complex ideas, or create a flowing, reflective pace.
• Punctuation: Can affect rhythm and emphasis. An exclamation mark (!) shows strong emotion; ellipses (...) suggest a pause or something left unsaid.
• Impact: These choices control the reader's pace and highlight important information or emotions.

## Tone and Mood

• Tone: The author's attitude towards the subject or reader (e.g., humorous, serious, mysterious, formal, sarcastic).
• Mood: The atmosphere or feeling the author creates for the reader (e.g., scary, joyful, peaceful, tense).
• Impact: All language choices contribute to establishing the tone and mood, guiding the reader's emotional response.

## Understanding Main Ideas and Summarising

In your Year 6 SATs Reading exam, you'll need to show you can understand the most important parts of a text. This means finding the main idea and being able to summarise what you've read.

## What is a Main Idea?

The main idea is the most important point an author wants to tell you about a topic. It's the central message or argument of a paragraph, section, or even the whole text. Think of it as the 'big picture' – what the text is mostly about.

How to Find the Main Idea:

• Look at the title and headings: These often give big clues about the main topic.
• Read the first and last sentences of paragraphs: Authors often put the main idea (called the topic sentence) at the beginning or end of a paragraph.
• Identify repeated words or ideas: If certain words or concepts keep coming up, they're probably central to the main idea.
• Ask yourself: "What is this paragraph/text *mostly* about?" or "What is the author trying to teach me or tell me?"
• Distinguish from details: The main idea is different from supporting details, which are examples, descriptions, or facts that explain or prove the main idea. Don't confuse the little pieces of information with the overall message.

## What is Summarising?

Summarising means retelling the main ideas of a text in your own words, but in a much shorter way than the original. It's like giving a quick overview of what happened or what was discussed, without all the small details.

Key Features of a Good Summary:

• Shorten the text: A summary should always be much shorter than the original text.
• Include only the main ideas: Leave out all the minor details, examples, and descriptions.
• Use your own words: Don't just copy sentences from the text. Show you understand by rephrasing.
• Be objective: Do not include your own opinions, feelings, or new information. Stick to what the author said.
• Cover the most important points: For a story, think about the beginning, middle, and end. For non-fiction, think about the key facts and explanations.

Steps to Summarise:

1. Read the text carefully: Understand what it's about first.

2. Identify the main idea(s): Find the most important point(s) in each paragraph or section.

3. Write down these main ideas: Use your own words to jot them down.

4. Combine them: Link your main ideas together into one or two concise paragraphs.

5. Check your summary: Is it much shorter than the original? Does it include all the crucial information? Have you used your own words?

## Comparing Parts of a Text

When you compare parts of a text, you are looking for similarities (how things are alike) and differences (how things are not alike) between different sections, characters, events, or ideas within the same story or non-fiction piece. This skill helps you to understand the text more deeply and to see how different parts connect and contribute to the overall meaning.

What to Compare

You might be asked to compare many different things within a text:

• Characters: How are two characters similar or different in their personalities, actions, feelings, or motivations?
• Settings: How does the description of one place or time compare to another place or time in the text?
• Events/Plot Points: How does an event at the beginning of a story compare to one at the end? Are there repeated patterns or contrasting outcomes?
• Descriptions: How is something (e.g., an object, an emotion) described in one paragraph compared to how it's described later?
• Opinions/Arguments: In non-fiction, how do different viewpoints or arguments presented in the text compare or contrast?
• Information: How does information given in one section relate to, support, or contradict information in another?

How to Compare Effectively

1. Read Carefully: Pay close attention to the specific parts of the text the question asks you to compare. Underline or highlight key information in each section.

2. Identify Key Details: For each part you are comparing, pick out the most important words, phrases, or ideas that describe it.

3. Look for Clues: Authors often use specific words to signal comparisons:

• Similarities: Look for words like "both," "also," "similarly," "like," "as well as," "in the same way."
• Differences: Look for words like "however," "but," "unlike," "whereas," "on the other hand," "in contrast," "different from."

4. Use Evidence: Always support your comparisons with direct evidence (quotes or specific details) from the text. SATs questions often ask you to "find two ways" or "give evidence to support your answer."

5. Think about the Author's Purpose: Why might the author have presented these parts in a similar or different way? What effect does it create for the reader?

Example Question Type

"Compare the feelings of the main character at the beginning of the story with their feelings at the end. Use evidence from the text."

• You would find descriptions of their feelings early on (e.g., "nervous and shy").
• You would find descriptions of their feelings later (e.g., "confident and joyful").
• Then you would explain the difference and use quotes to show this, for example: "At the beginning, the character felt 'nervous and shy,' but by the end, they were 'confident and joyful,' showing how their experience had changed them."