Matilda’s Old Mill

Reading together

Reading age 8–9 describes the audience for this adult-led Shared Reading book, not an independent reading-level assessment. This is a read-aloud story for ages 8–9, not an independent reading-level text. Read at the child’s pace. Children can listen, point, gesture, sign or join in with familiar words. Joining in is optional.

Before reading

Look at the title and cover. Introduce the characters and setting. Explore these five words with pictures, actions and familiar examples: evidence, observation, account, preserving, proposals. Invite a prediction about what might happen.

During reading

Use Talk Together for a prompt on each page. Talk about what people do and how they feel. Connect familiar places and experiences. Invite children to join in with repeated words or gestures.

After reading

Retell the beginning, the problem, the choices and the outcome. Explain a character’s decision using evidence from the story. Compare two viewpoints and suggest another possible choice. Name the people and places, and talk about what happened. Invite different experiences and respect a child’s choice not to share.

People, places and belonging

Social Science idea

Historical evidence and present-day needs both shape decisions about heritage places.

Notice together

Compare what a photograph shows with what a remembered account adds and leaves uncertain.

Try together

Examine a local old photograph and label observations, possible inferences and unanswered questions.

Different experiences

Invite different experiences without assuming that every family or community is the same. Children may choose what to share.

Activities with an adult

The eleven separate question cards include recall, word meaning, observation, “why”, inference and evidence questions and discussion. Read the questions and choices aloud and offer picture support. Explore five vocabulary words, build them from movable letters and order three story pictures. Model a vocabulary word for the child to copy; letter recognition and independent decoding are not required. Mouse dragging, finger dragging, tap controls and keyboard controls are available. Use the light green and red feedback as a chance to look at the story again.

Choose a few activities that suit the child’s interest. Offer pictures, drawings, gestures or spoken answers, and model word building when useful. Activities are optional.