Miles’s Confusing Joke

Reading together

Reading age 9–12 describes the audience for this adult-led Shared Reading book, not an independent reading-level assessment. This is a read-aloud story for children aged 9–12, 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: repair, confusion, clarity, intended, erase. Invite a prediction about what might happen.

During reading

Use Talk Together for a prompt on each page. Talk about what happens, how the characters feel and which support or choices help. Accept different experiences. Do not use the story to demand a particular behaviour. Invite children to point, sign, gesture or join in if they want to.

After reading

Explore an invented ambiguous comment without practising hurtful teasing. Separate intended meaning from impact, respect a choice not to laugh and ensure repeated harmful comments receive adult follow-up. Describe what the characters noticed and how their ideas changed. Invite different experiences and respect a child’s choice not to share.

Explore and play

Everyday situation

Understand a confusing comment and explain its effect

Beginning

Miles carries a paper model to the drying rack. One corner has bent, and he plans to repair it after lunch. Theo looks over and says, “Well, that went perfectly.” Two children laugh. Miles cannot tell whether Theo is joking about the model or laughing at him.

What feels difficult

Miles cannot tell whether a joking comment targets him

Support and choices

He gets adult support and tells Theo how the comment felt

What changes

The teacher checks that the comments have stopped

Try together

Explore an invented ambiguous comment without practising hurtful teasing. Separate intended meaning from impact, respect a choice not to laugh and ensure repeated harmful comments receive adult follow-up.

Adult support

Read with a familiar adult at the child’s pace. Accept pointing, gestures, signs, AAC, speech or listening. Feelings and sensory needs vary. Offer choices and practical support; participation, touch, tasting and sharing are optional.

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. The feedback checks recall of this story, not whether the child’s own feelings or needs are right or wrong. 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.