Assessment catalogue 2025 web ready - Flipbook - Page 21
STANDARDISED ASSESSMENTS
Shine: Reading Skills
Inference, Fiction 1
Text A – Daedalus and Icarus
retold by Dee Reid
This is an ancient Greek tale about Daedalus and his son Icarus.
Kate Ruttle, Dee Reid
Daedalus was a very clever inventor. King Minos of Crete learned about his genius and
insisted that Daedalus work for him, creating many amazing inventions. To make sure
that Daedalus worked for him alone, King Minos imprisoned Daedalus and his son in a
cave, high above the sea.
At first, Icarus was happy to help his father with his inventions, but after some time, he
became frustrated and did not want to be trapped in a cave with no company except
for his father. He begged his father to ask King Minos to let them leave.
Daedalus felt sorry for his son, so he appealed to King Minos to give them their freedom.
King Minos did not want Daedalus making inventions for anyone else, so he refused.
Shine: Reading Skills is designed to give targeted support to learners
aged 5-11 who need an extra boost to improve their skills answering
comprehension questions.
a Key comprehension skills are divided into three Areas of Learning
(Retrieval, Vocabulary and Inference), each consisting of relevant
content domains from the National Curriculum Programme of Study
for English.
a Engaging stories across fiction, non-fiction and poetry provide two
texts within an intervention unit (Learning Sequence): Text A for
modelled responses and Text B for supported independent practice.
told Icarus to collect every feather he could find on the craggy rocks around the cave.
While Icarus searched for feathers, Daedalus built a frame to make two pairs of mansized wings. Carefully, Daedalus stuck the feathers on to the frame using candle wax as
glue.
At last, the wings were finished, and father and son were
ready to fly to freedom.
Daedalus gave Icarus a last warning: “Fly too close to the
sun and its heat will melt the wax on your wings. Fly too
close to the sea and the salt spray will make your wings too
heavy.”
Daedalus and Icarus launched themselves off the edge of
the cliff. At once, the wind caught their wings and they
soared up into the sky.
As they had discussed, Daedalus headed straight for an
island across the bay, but Icarus was so excited to be flying,
he followed the birds as they swooped up in the sky.
“Take care,” warned his father. “Remember what I told you.”
But it was too late. The heat from the sun started to melt the wax on Icarus’s wings. He
panicked and flapped the wings wildly, but the more he flapped, the more the feathers
fell from the frame. Daedalus watched in horror as Icarus plummeted down into the
sea.
Daedalus knew at once that his son was dead. He was heartbroken and vowed never to
fly again.
Rising Stars 2020 © Hodder & Stoughton Limited.
If using the online modelling responses software, remember to copy and paste textual evidence for
your answer.
Steps
Check pupils can
How can we tell that King Minos was a powerful ruler?
Give two reasons.
Together, discuss where in the text they are
Recall the text well enough
likely to find the answer.
to say where they think the
answer might be.
Carefully re-read that part of the text
together and highlight/underline evidence in Carefully re-read the
the text to answer the question.
relevant section to find the
answer.
Remind pupils that in inference questions the
Write an answer and
answer is not directly in the text. They are
compare it to the model
looking for clues about how powerful King
answer given, improving it
Minos was, based on things that he did.
if necessary.
Ask pupils how many parts there are to the
answer (two).
1
(2d)
Answer and marks
Accept any two of the
following.
He insisted Daedalus
worked for him.
He imprisoned
Daedalus and Icarus
in a cave.
He wanted them to
work for him alone.
He did not want them
making inventions for
anyone else.
He refused to give in
to Daedalus’s
begging.
(1 mark for any two
answers correct)
Ask pairs of pupils to compose an answer and
compare it to the model answer given on the
online modelling responses software,
improving it if necessary.
After some time, what did Icarus dislike about living in the cave?
Tick () two.
□ It was cold.
□ He was lonely.
□ He didn’t like working for his father.
□ He felt imprisoned.
Explain that important words in a question
Carefully read the question He was lonely.
(e.g. ‘lonely’) may not be used in the text.
and determine what it is
He felt imprisoned.
Discuss with the pupils the meaning of the
asking.
(1 mark)
word ‘lonely’.
Recall the text well enough
to say where they think the
Support pupils to decide where in the text
they are likely to find the answer and then to answer might be.
re-read that section.
Carefully re-read the
relevant part of the text.
Read each answer option and discuss if it
explains what the text tells us Icarus disliked
Answer all parts of the
about living in the cave.
question.
Support
2
(2d)
Authors Eleanor Hick and Katharine Rogerson discuss the roles of
teachers and TAs in delivering maths interventions and explore the
content in a Learning Sequence.
1
Year 4, Inference, Fiction 1
Shine: Reading Skills Subscription • 9781036006501
Take a closer look
You may photocopy this page.
Answer the questions
Model
a Text A in each Learning Sequence is available with online modelling
responses software.
So, Daedalus had his best idea for an invention that would gain them their freedom. He
Rising Stars 2020 © Hodder & Stoughton Limited.
You may photocopy this page.
4
Inference, Fiction 1
Text A – Daedalus and Icarus
1. How can we tell that King Minos was a powerful ruler?
Give two reasons.
[2d]
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1.
2.
2. After some time, what did Icarus dislike about living in the cave?
Tick () two.
[2d]
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It was cold.
He was lonely.
He didn’t like working for his father.
He felt imprisoned.
3. What happened to Icarus’s wings when the wax melted?
Tick () one.
[2d]
1 m ar k
He flew too high.
The feathers fell off.
He followed the birds.
He flapped wildly.
4. Write a group of words that tells you that Daedalus knew his invention
was risky.
5. Find and copy a group of words that tell you that Daedalus felt helpless
when Icarus fell into the sea.
Rising Stars 2020 © Hodder & Stoughton Limited.
You may photocopy this page.
[2d]
1 m ar k
[2d]
1 m ar k
2
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