Matilda’s Unclear Message: Activities

Shared Reading · Ages 9–12. An adult reads the questions and clues aloud. Children can talk, point, sign or choose an answer. For Jumbled Words, show the matching vocabulary word and build it together; children do not need to read independently.

Vocabulary

Read these five words from the story. Talk about what they mean.

draft: An early version that can still be changed.
reply: An answer to a message or question.
guessing: Deciding what might be true without enough information.
interpret: Work out what something may mean.
fact: Something known to be true.

Jumbled Words

Use the clue to make a word from the story. Drag the letters with a mouse or finger, or tap a letter and then a space.

Put the story in order

Drag the pictures into order from first to last with a mouse or finger. Or tap a picture, then tap where it should go. Use arrow keys to move a focused picture.

Tell the story

Compare a short invented message with several possible meanings. Use an approved supervised communication setting, pause before replying and ask for clarification without sharing private messages publicly.