Y3 Reading Comprehension (Answers)

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 1
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My name is Bouncer. I’m in charge around here.
This is my garden. Somebody has to look after it.
Without me, the neighbour’s cat would stroll in.
The squirrel would be tucking into the bird food.
All of them would have their eyes on my dinner,
and that is not allowed. Oh, no!

Soaking up the sunbeams,
slurping up the ice creams,
gathering up shells for decoration.
I might be a beginner,
but my castle is a winner.
Time to have a picnic celebration.
The sun is growing hazy.
The dog is going crazy –
I think it tried to fetch a jellyfish.
Ooh! The sun has burnt our backs.
I ate too many snacks.
I’m feeling sick – my face is turning yellowish.
MEANING WORD
rays of sunshine
eating in a messy way
collecting together
someone doing something for the first time
a little party as a result of someone’s success
to bring back something
unwell

After our picnic, we played hide-and-seek. The grass was up to my
waist. It was easy not to be discovered. Our dog, Lucy, went bananas
when she sniffed out some animal. She didn’t reappear for ages. We
found some conkers and battled it out for a while. Then we came
across a stream with a rope swing above it. My brother decided he
would be the first on it. He dangled over the stream for a few seconds
before he tumbled in. I laughed a lot. It was an unforgettable day out.

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SUNNYHILLS ADVENTURE PARK
Escape to Sunnyhills Adventure Park and discover the thrilling
rides that will have your family returning time after time. The
fun starts the moment you enter the gate. There is something
for the entire family, whether you’re upside-down on a terrifying
rollercoaster or unwinding beside our tropical pool. After all the
excitement, you might like to try out our delicious food at one
of our many restaurants. Children eat free of charge.
word meaning
escape leave the routines of everyday life behind
discover find / come across something new and different
thrilling exciting
returning coming back again
enter go into / inside
entire whole
terrifying frightening / scary
unwinding relaxing
delicious tasty
free of charge without paying / it costs nothing

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The Vikings came from Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
Together, these countries are called Scandinavia.
They were excellent sailors and explored as far as Greenland

and North America. They were also very skilled at
woodcarving and making things out of metal. They sailed to
many countries, trading these items for silver, silk, spices,
glass and pottery.
When the Vikings first arrived in Britain, the people living

here at the time realised that some were settlers, but others
were fighters. Because monks had no weapons, it was easy
for the Vikings to raid and burn monasteries. The
monasteries not only had food and tools, but also gold,
jewels and books.
Around AD865, a great Viking army arrived and took control

of much of the north and east of England, which they called
Danelaw. An important Viking town was York (called Jorvik
by the Vikings).

The hobby horse
The first person to invent anything
that looked a bit like a bicycle was
Baron Karl von Drais in Germany. In
1817, he made a running machine.
The newspapers called it a Draisine
after its inventor. You had to push
it along with your two feet on the
ground. People preferred to call it the Hobby Horse. But it was the first
two-wheeled, human-powered machine. During the summer of 1819,
it became the latest craze in London. Riders, however, found that their
boots wore out very quickly.

THE PEDAL BICYCLE
Kirkpatrick Macmillan was a Scottish
blacksmith. One day in 1837, he saw a
hobby horse being ridden along the road.
He decided to make one for himself. When
he finished, he realised it would be better if
you didn’t have to push it along with your
feet. So he created pedals which were
connected to the back wheel by rods. The rods made the wheel go round. The
machine was heavy and it must have been tiring riding it. But Macmillan took
only two days to ride it the 68 miles to Glasgow. On the way, he was fined five
shillings for causing a slight injury to a small girl who ran in front of him.

THE PENNY FARTHING
In 1869, a Frenchman called Eugène Meyer
invented the High Bicycle. It was also known as
the High Wheeler or the Ordinary. Later, it was
nicknamed the Penny Farthing after the
British coins at the time. The front wheel was
bigger (penny) than the back wheel (farthing).
The pedals were attached to the large front
wheel, which made it very fast. This made it
dangerous, especially for the rider. Being high up in the air, the rider
would go flying if he or she hit a bump in the road. This led to serious
injuries and sometimes death.

Ancient Civilisations
Thousands of years ago, before the invention
of the modern toothbrush, people would use a twig.
The twig would be broken and frayed at one end.
Known as a ‘chew stick’, this would be rubbed up
and down across the teeth.
In 1498, in China, a bristle brush, similar to the
modern toothbrush was invented. The bristles were
the stiff hairs taken from the back of a hog’s neck,
which were then attached to a piece of bamboo.

The Modern Toothbrush
In 1770, in England, William Addis was
arrested for causing a riot and thrown into
prison. Stories about inventors don’t usually
begin like this.
It was while he was in prison, however,
watching someone sweep the floor with a
broom, that he thought up the idea of a
toothbrush. He thought that some sort of brush would be better than
the rag he had been using.
He experimented with a piece of bone with holes drilled in it for
bristles. When he was released from prison, he started a very
successful toothbrush-making business. When he died in 1808, he was very
rich. The business stayed in the family until 1996.
Now known as Wisdom Toothbrushes, the company makes
around 70 million toothbrushes every year.

ALDER
Height: up to 20 metres.
Life span: up to 60 years.
Appearance: bark is dark, cracked and often covered in
lichen. Young twigs are sticky. Leaves are leathery, dark
green and rounded at the tip.
Flowers: are called catkins. Male catkins are 2 – 6 cm long
and yellow. Female catkins are green and oval. They are pollinated by the wind and
produce cone-shaped fruits in winter. Seeds are dispersed by the wind and water.
Location: trees prefer damp conditions, such as near rivers, ponds and lakes.
Special notes: leaves were used to make the green dye for the clothes of outlaws,
such as Robin Hood. People used to believe the myth that the dye was also used to
colour the clothes of fairies.
BEECH
Height: more than 40 metres.

Life span: 100s of years.
Appearance: bark is smooth and grey. Leaves are lime
green, growing darker through the year. They are pointed
with a wavy edge. They are often eaten by the caterpillars
of moths.
Flowers: catkins are pollinated by the wind and produce nuts (called beechmast),
eaten by mice, voles, squirrels and birds.
Location: dry, well-drained soil. Trees can be damaged by frost.
Special notes: Celts used boiled beech leaves to treat skin problems. Nowadays,
beech wood is used a lot to make furniture, sports equipment, the handles of tools
and for fuel.

APPLE
Life span: up to 100 years.
Appearance: bark is grey with bumps, cracks and ridges.
Leaves are oval and dark green, and slightly furry
underneath. (Not to be confused with the crab apple,
which is a native tree.)
Flowers: in May and June, clusters of 5-petalled flowers appear and are white and
pink. These clusters are called blossom. They are pollinated by insects and produce
green or red fruits in autumn. Brown seeds are found inside.
Location: originally from Central Asia, apple trees are found in gardens and orchards.
Special notes: Vikings linked the apple to eternal youth. In Greek myths, the apple
was a forbidden fruit.
MONKEY PUZZLE
Life span: 1000 years, although, in our climate, up to
150 years. They were brought here from Chile in 1795.
Appearance: an evergreen tree with a dome-shape at the
top and with drooping branches. It has a thick, brownish-
purple trunk. Leaves are leathery, spiny and triangular.
Flowers: male and female flowers grow on separate trees. They are pollinated by the
wind and produce golden cones.
Location: they are planted for decoration in parks and gardens.
Special notes: Victorians called them Monkey Puzzle trees, because they thought
monkeys would be puzzled trying to climb one.
It is said that if you talk as you walk underneath a Monkey Puzzle, you will grow a
monkey’s tail.

green
apple
brownish-purple
monkey puzzle
grey

The world’s biggest land-living animal is the elephant.
There are two types of African Elephant Elephants eat plants,

elephant: the African not meat. This means
Elephant and the Indian they are known as
(or Asian) Elephant. herbivores.
Male and female Elephants’ ears are

African Elephants large and thin. Flapping
have tusks but only them helps to keep the
the male Asian elephant cool. They
Elephant has tusks. The African Elephant is also enable elephants
They use their tusks bigger than the Indian or to hear each other’s
for digging for water Asian Elephant, with bigger calls up to 5 miles away.
under the ground, ears. Its skin is grey and
scraping bark off trees more wrinkly than the
and occasionally Indian Elephant’s. African An elephant uses its
fighting. Elephants have two finger- trunk (which can be 2
like tips at the end of their metres long) to lift up
trunks, whereas the Indian food, suck up water
Tusks can be up to 3 then pour it into its
Elephant has one. The
metres long and they mouth. An adult needs
Indian Elephant’s back is
keep on growing for the to drink around 200
more rounded and humped.
whole of the elephant’s litres of water every
life, which can be as day. It also uses it like
long as 60-70 years.
Indian Elephant a snorkel, holding its
trunk above water
when it is swimming.
Being so big and
powerful, elephants
have no real predators, Female elephants are
although lions will called cows. They
sometimes pick on have babies (known as
weak ones or babies, if calves) when they are
they get the chance. about 12 years old
The main threat is from and they are pregnant
ivory poachers. for 22 months.
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I am big, furry and white. I live
near the North Pole.
I am black and white. I have
wings but can’t fly. I waddle.
I am huge. I live in the sea, but I
have to come up for air.
I am a little bird you find in the
garden and on Christmas cards.
I’m tiny. My back is red with
black spots. I like your garden.
I love slugs. Don’t try to pick me
up. I have lots of prickly spines.
I like the bottom of the sea. I have
eight legs called tentacles.
I have long ears and live in holes
in the ground called burrows.

The Platypus
The Duck-billed Platypus is a

very strange creature. When
the first one was brought to
Britain from Australia, people
wondered if it was some kind of joke.
The reason for this is that it looks like a mixture of other

animals.
It has a bill and feet like a duck. It has a tail like a beaver.
Its fur is like an otter’s. If that weren’t enough to confuse
people, it also lays eggs.
All these different features, however, make it an excellent

underwater swimmer.

The Homing or Carrier Pigeon
Long before the telephone, the text

message or the postman, pigeons were
used to carry messages.
Being able to find their way home over

long distances is what makes them special.
In competitions, they have been known to
fly up to 1000 miles.
They have what is called a homing instinct

that makes them very reliable. With a
small tube attached to its leg, the homing or carrier pigeon
has been very helpful in carrying messages in times of battle.

Having a rabbit for a pet is great fun, but it is also a very
big responsibility. You’ll have to be prepared to look after
it, keep it in clean conditions and feed it properly for a few
years. Remember, you will be in charge of its well-being.
Having a rabbit Having a rabbit is Keep it in clean

is fun a big responsibility conditions
Guinea pigs come from South America. Being social

animals (they live in groups), they have a number of calls
they use to show how they are feeling. When exploring
new places, they make a ‘tutt, tutt’ sound. When
expecting food, they make a high-pitched whistle-like
sound. If you stroke them, they purr.
Guinea Pigs are Guinea Pigs make Guinea Pigs can

from S America different sounds purr
Golden Hamsters are small, nocturnal animals, that prefer

to live on their own. Unlike mice, hamsters don’t like
company. In a cage of its own, it will do its own thing –
dashing around or running inside its wheel – in the middle
of the night. Happy on its own, it makes it an ideal pet.
Golden Hamsters Golden Hamsters like They dash around

are small to live on their own at night

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Cinderella marries the Prince and lives happily ever after.
4 Cinderella’s fairy godmother warns her to be back before midnight.
3 By magic, the pumpkin is turned into a carriage, the white mice into
horses and her rags into a ball gown.
1 The ugly sisters are invited to the ball, but not Cinderella.
6 The clock strikes midnight.
10 The glass slipper fits Cinderella.
2 Her fairy godmother appears.
9 The ugly sisters try to squeeze their big feet into the slipper.
7 One glass slipper falls off Cinderella’s foot as she rushes off.
5 Cinderella dances every dance with the prince.
8 The prince searches every house for the owner of the slipper.

First of all, a pot of solid glass is placed
inside the furnace. Then it is lit. It has to be
very hot inside before the glass melts.
Once the glass is soft enough to be
shaped, the glassblower picks up his
blowpipe. This is made of iron or steel.
He or she then pushes the blowpipe
into the furnace and brings out a molten lump of glass. Immediately, this heats up
the whole blowpipe. So the end that is blown into has to be cooled down by
dipping it into cold water.
3 The glassblower picks up his blowpipe.
2 The glass melts.
1 The furnace is lit.

In mid-1718 Blackbeard deliberately ran his ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, onto
a sand bank and destroyed it. His plan was to see Charles Eden, the Governor
5 Carolina
of North One end ofask
and thefor
blowpipe
a pardon.is cooled down in
For a while, water. lived there as a
Blackbeard
law-abiding citizen. But it didn't take him long to take up piracy again, this time,
sharing any stolen goods with Charles Eden.
4 The glassblower brings a lump of glass out of the furnace.
A fleet of Royal Navy ships surprised Blackbeard on November 22, 1718, when he
was killed. As a pirate, Blackbeard captured over 40 ships. Although his life of crime
lasted only a few years, his fearsome reputation has long outlived him.

The glassblower starts to blow through the pipe
to create a bubble of glass at the other end. Its size
depends on how much the glassblower blows.
All the while, the glass is turned round and
round.
The glassblower will also use a flat surface to roll
and shape the hot glass. There are other hand-tools
that are used at this stage: flat paddles and large tweezers.
At this point, the glass is likely to cool down and must be reheated inside
another small furnace. The glassblower will then continue turning and shaping the
glass.
When the glassblower is happy that the final shape has been reached, it is
allowed to cool down slowly.
Finally, the solid glass is cut from the blowpipe, polished and decorated.
5 The glass is polished and decorated.
2 The glassblower rolls and shapes the molten glass on a flat surface.
3 If the glass cools down too soon, it has to be re-heated.
In mid-1718 Blackbeard deliberately ran his ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, onto
a sand 1bankThe
andglassblower
destroyed it. blows through
His plan thesee
was to pipe to create
Charles a glass
Eden, the bubble.
Governor
of North Carolina and ask for a pardon. For a while, Blackbeard lived there as a
law-abiding citizen. But it didn't take him long to take up piracy again, this time,
sharing4anyThe glass
stolen is allowed
goods to cool
with Charles down slowly.
Eden.
A fleet of Royal Navy ships surprised Blackbeard on November 22, 1718, when he
was killed. As a pirate, Blackbeard captured over 40 ships. Although his life of crime
lasted only a few years, his fearsome reputation has long outlived him.
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Scene fairytale
Wandering through the gloomy forest,

the children were amazed to come
across a house made of sweets.
A strange plant had grown overnight in

the back garden. It was so tall, the top
of it disappeared into the clouds.
The smell of a delicious breakfast came

from the cottage at the edge of the
wood. There seemed to be no one in.
The grass on the other side of the

bridge looked so much greener. So, one
after another, they crossed the bridge.
Inside the cottage, there was seven of

everything. Seven chairs, seven coat
hooks, seven spoons and seven plates.
There was one tiny room no one had

checked. It was at the top of a tower,
and inside was a spinning wheel.

Minibeasts are small creatures that don’t have a backbone.
A snail has a shell on the outside. 
Minibeasts squirm a lot.
Many minibeasts produce things that humans use.
Without bees, we would have no honey. 
Minibeasts are found almost everywhere.
Minibeasts play an important part in pollinating flowers.
Caterpillars eat leaves.
Our gardens need minibeasts. 
In many parts of the world, people eat insects.
Insects, worms and slugs are all minibeasts.
Crickets are a deep-fried snack in Thailand. 

A pond is a small area of still, fresh water.
It isn’t like a moving stream or a river. 
Ponds are very deep.
Ponds are often full of plant and animal life.
Plants and animals depend on each other. 
Slowworms don’t live in ponds.
Even small ponds can be home to frogs and newts.
Ponds can be polluted.
You might also find small fish in ponds. 
Dragonflies are often seen flying near ponds.
Dragonfly eyes are the biggest of all insects.
Dragonflies begin life underwater in ponds. 

Everywhere in the world, Without trees, there
people use trees for all would be no apples
sorts of things. or brazil nuts.
Trees provide habitats Evergreens lose leaves

for insects, birds and all the time; new ones
mammals. quickly replace them.
We plant trees for food Trees provide us with

such as fruit, nuts and wood for building, paper
maple syrup. and firewood.
As trees take in carbon Without leaves in the

dioxide, they give out winter, these sorts of
oxygen. trees save their energy.
A tree that is deciduous The nests of squirrels

loses its leaves in the and some insects and
autumn. birds are found in trees.
Evergreen trees, such as We need trees to

fir trees, have leaves all provide us with clean
the year round. air.

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What happened?
He let in a goal.
_________________________________
_________________________________
Luke doesn’t have enough money to
buy the comic.

_________________________________
She thought she was about to win
the prize in Pass the Parcel.
_________________________________
He has fallen off his bicycle.
_________________________________
She doesn’t like her haircut / the

colour of her hair.
________________________________
_________________________________
He has dropped the curry on the

floor.
_________________________________
_________________________________
Some person with a bag comes along It’s windy and a pair of trousers is
and shoves paper in the letterbox! dangling from a rope. Why?
Somebody in boots is The boy and the girl Lots of people have
digging holes in the are pointing at each arrived to jump up
garden. I hope he’s other. Aah! At last, and down and giggle.
not after my bone. I somebody is picking I let them pat my
don’t know what he’s up my lead and head only if they give
doing with those pots. putting on their coat. me cake.

It’s Leila’s birthday. Her brother, Joe, has
been working with Mum to bake Leila a cake.
It’s a sunny day. Joe wants to carry the cake
out into the garden where Leila is waiting for
the party to begin.
Mum thinks the cake is too awkward for
Joe to manage by himself. Joe moans to try to
get his own way.
Dad thinks they should let him. As Joe
steps outside with the cake, he trips and drops
the cake. It is ruined. Leila is very upset.

Chandra and Malika spend the day with
their grandmother. Gran lives close to the
station, but Chandra is worried they
will miss their train home.
He nags Malika to hurry up. She seems to
be taking a long time to put her coat on.
They rush off. Chandra has to run back,
however. He has left the train tickets behind.
They miss their train. The next one won’t be for
another four hours. Chandra talks to his mother
on the phone. She suggests that they return to
Gran’s.

Without asking him, Olenka decides to
borrow her brother’s football to play in the
park. Her brother, Tomasz doesn’t usually
mind. She has borrowed his ball before.
When he finds out, Tomasz decides to go
to the park to join in.
He arrives just in time to see his friend,
Matthew, arrive. Matthew’s dog, however,
excited by all the children playing, runs after
the ball, bites it and bursts it.

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Jan hesitated in the doorway of Class 3. Her
mother smiled at Mrs Jones and gave Jan a gentle nudge
forward. The rest of the children were already sitting on
the floor, waiting for Mrs Jones to read them a story.
“Ah, here she is,” said Mrs Jones. She welcomed
Jan and found her a place beside Ellie and Sita, who
agreed to show Jan round the school.
Jan could feel her heartbeat slow down as she
began to relax.

There was an unexpected roar of thunder. Cal stopped
making sandwiches and rushed to the window. Denise
put the carton of orange juice back in the fridge and
joined him just in time to see large raindrops bouncing
off the garden path. Outside, in the drive, Dad switched
off the car engine and ran inside. Mum emptied the
picnic basket and put it back inside the cupboard. Cal
and Denise slumped down onto the sofa.

George sat swinging his legs while his mother chatted to his Aunt Jemima.
He did his best to nod or shake his head when his aunt asked him questions.
He found it hard, however, to take his eyes off the Christmas tree and the
present underneath with his name on it. After another hour, another cup of
tea and yet another cake, Aunt Jemima smiled and handed the present to
George. It was the right size, thought George. His aunt knew he longed for
the latest computer game. She watched as George took his time removing
the wrapping paper. When he opened the box, he sat very still. All he could
do was try hard to smile as he stared and stared at the green and pink bow tie.

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Myra and Will were on a camping holiday. They enjoyed
sleeping outdoors in a tent________ . They woke up very
early at sunrise / dawn to the sounds of the birds
singing . They could also hear the sea not far away.
So, even before they had eaten any breakfast, they decided
to take a short walk / stroll through the
woods and down to the sandy beach. The sun
was just above the horizon and, at that time in the morning,
they had the place all to themselves. First of all,
they searched for crabs in the rock pools. Then
they wandered slowly along the shoreline searching for flat
stones / pebbles to skim across the waves. Having had no
breakfast, they suddenly felt very hungry . They
had enjoyed themselves so much that they decided to go back
later / again / another time .



Dear Uncle Jack, The Native Americans of western
Canada tell the story of how Raven
I’m sorry to hear that you’re too made the world. Raven found the
ill to join us this weekend. Canada first humans taking shelter inside
is such an exciting country. The a shell. He persuaded them to
Rockies are amazing. We’ll drive come out into his world by giving
over on Monday, so see you then. them berries and salmon to eat.
Last night, our reporter, Katie The path up to the log cabin was
McKenzie, flew over the avalanche steep. The moon lit the way until
site by helicopter. She describes the thunder clouds crowded in.
the scene as unlike any she has Somewhere close by there was
seen before. Fortunately, there the howl of a wolf. Then another.
are no reports of any climbers Closer. My heart pounded and I
being in the area. began to run.
Children of the Wolf For the wolf mask, you will need:
 card
Leaping through darkness,  string
The children of mother wolf howl.  scissors
Heard by the moose in the starless  hole punch
 brown fur fabric
Night of the bat and the owl.

Snowflakes
Cast: Kira, Sanjay, Mr Taylor
Scene 1
Daytime. Outside in the street, where Kira, Sanjay and Mr Taylor are
neighbours. The ground is covered in snow.
Kira: (laughing) You’ll have to throw better than that.

Sanjay: (squealing with delight as he slides around on the snow) Don’t
you worry, Kira. Maybe this is the first time I’ve seen real snow,
but I’ll get better. And soon!
Sanjay throws another snowball, which hits Mr Taylor’s front door. The two
children giggle until the door opens and Mr Taylor appears.
Mr Taylor: (angry) That’s it! I’ve had enough. All this noise in the street.
I’m trying to read my paper. A little peace and quiet is all I ask.
And now you’re attacking my front door.
Kira: We’re very sorry, Mr Taylor. It was an accident.
Mr Taylor: Huh!
Sanjay: It was my fault, Mr Taylor. I am sorry.
Mr Taylor: Well, I will be talking to your parents as well as your headteacher.
Mr Taylor goes back into his house, slamming the door. He quickly reappears.
Mr Taylor: And another thing...
A pile of snow slides off his roof and covers him. He looks like a snowman.

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

Dora’s Dairy Diary
Monday (or is it Tuesday?)
Dear Diary,
I’m pleased the milkmaid hasn’t found you yet. A yellow diary
is a good idea. I can hide you easily in the straw. I am a genius.
What a lovely day I had yesterday. Lots of grass munching.
Last night, I dreamt I would eat some more grass when I woke
up and that’s exactly what I did. Amazing! I wonder if I’ll have
more later. Life is just one surprise after another.

the comic dinosaur

5th
F
L
O
O
R
4th
F
L
O
O
R
3rd
F
L
O
O
R
2nd
F
L
O
O
R
1st
F
L
O
O
R
Gr
F
L
O
O
R



As Hetty the Horse slithered across the field, Mad Marty the
Monkey galloped through the trees. Sammy the Snake waddled as
fast as he could, but he couldn’t catch up with elegant Eva the Eagle
who plodded as high as the clouds. Dr Derek Duck wriggled faster
than any other duck you’ve ever seen, but he couldn’t keep up with
Betty Butterfly. She swam faster than anybody. Freddie Fish
swung through the river just ahead of Tamsin the Tadpole who
fluttered along the rushing stream. In the end, it was Terry Tortoise
who soared across the finishing line first.
As Hetty the Horse galloped across the field, Mad Marty the
Monkey swung through the trees. Sammy the Snake slithered
as fast as he could, but he couldn’t catch up with elegant Eva the Eagle who
soared as high as the clouds. Dr Derek Duck waddled faster
than any other duck you’ve ever seen, but he couldn’t keep up with
Betty Butterfly. She fluttered faster than anybody. Freddie Fish
swam through the river just ahead of Tamsin the Tadpole who
wriggled along the rushing stream. In the end, it was Terry Tortoise
who plodded across the finishing line first.


Do you feel you are juggling seven things in the air at once? Does
life feel like being stuck in a hamster wheel that never stops spinning?
Is there no time to sit back, slow down and watch the flowers grow?
Well, the answer to your prayers is on its way!
When I press this button, your eyeballs will swivel and your hair will
curl. You will want to fall on your knees or send chocolates and
champagne to its inventor. For this is a dream, a wish-come-true, the
rainbow’s end.
This machine does it all: deals with those unwanted calls, records all
your precious moments, helps you rise and shine in the morning,
gives Fido his daily exercise, provides snacks on demand and does all
the household chores. It will fly you to the holiday destination of
your choice. No need to throw clothes into a bag, rent a room or
inflate the beach ball. All you have to do is hold on tight.



–

This is where I live with my
mum and dad. Maybe you
heard about the burglar
who ate our porridge and
broke my chair. When we went for a ramble in
the woods, we met an oinking thing collecting sticks for
his house. He said there were no bricks left. Round the
corner, there was a hairy character with sharp teeth. He
was out of breath. He complained about not being able to
find Grandma’s house. I don’t know whose grandma.
Down by the river, we crossed the bridge. Some ugly
creature appeared and got into a rage about three
animals making a terrible noise on its bridge. It went off
when it saw the size of my dad. That’s where I found the
glass slipper. Mum has seen a young, cleaning woman in
the village. Maybe it belongs to her. As our house came
into view, a boy was in the middle of the path, swapping
a cow for a bag of beans. I told him I didn’t think it was
worth it. When I entered our house, I was hoping my
porridge would be cool. In fact, I was hoping it would still
be there!



The Greeks thought of the basilisk The Greeks also believed in the
as the King of Snakes. It was born existence of unicorns. They had
from a rooster’s egg and hatched heard stories of them living in
by a toad. It could kill any creature India. They were considered to be
by looking at it. Its breath wilted magical creatures with special
plants. The only way to destroy it powers: the ability to heal the sick
was to hold up a mirror in front of and purify poisonous water. Only
its eyes so that it died of fright. young girls could tame them.
Brownies are invisible elves that In Russian folk tales, the firebird is
live in farmhouses in Scotland. miraculous. With eyes of crystal,
While the family is asleep, they do its feathers are silver and gold. It
the housework. They always is nocturnal, lighting up the land
protect the family. If a brownie is wherever it flies. When it sings,
badly treated or offered payment pearls fall from its beak. Hearing
for their work, they disappear. its song can cure illness and return
Only children are able to see them. sight to the blind.



Raw Score Scaled Score
Teacher’s Notes:

Test A - Year 3

  

 Little Eagle Lots of Owls has his very

own cabin high up in the mountains
where the eagles fly. When the sun rises
in the east, the sky is filled with birdsong.
When it sinks in the west, the land is as
silent as the stars.
His grandfather, the old chief, said,
“Little Eagle Lots of Owls, you have the
sharp eyes of the eagle and you can see
many things. But your name is as long as
it takes the moon to walk across the sky.
I shall call you Little Eagle, but you must
never forget your true name.”
The next morning, as the sun began to warm Little Eagle’s sleepy
face, he received a gift from his grandfather. He thanked his grandfather
and then he frowned. What was it? It was a mystery.
It didn’t have the soft fur of the rabbit or the hard scales of the
lizard. It was not big, but it was not small. It had no top and it had no

tail. It was impossible to tell which side was the back and which was the

front. No ears, eyes, nose or mouth could be seen. But it snored. It was
fast asleep.
Little Eagle prodded it, but it kept on sleeping. He stood with it
beneath the blue sky. The song of the birds did not wake it up.
He took it to the river’s edge. The rush of the tumbling water did
not wake it up.
He took it to the forest. The bellowing moose couldn’t wake it up.
He took it to the wide-open grassland. Even the stampeding
buffalo couldn’t wake it up.

Test A - Year 3

Test A - Year 3

Test A - Year 3

Little Eagle jumped up and down.
He whooped and yelled and beat his
drum. His rain-dance only made it rain.
When he stopped, the sun shone again,
and Little Eagle sat and sat. He shook his
head. He had seen many things from his
mountain where the eagles fly, but never
anything like this.
But as the Earth rolled over like a
sleeping bear, and the sun went down
without a sound at all, the creature
stopped snoring. It woke up. It opened
its eyes – all six of them! Little Eagle
gasped. It was not one creature. It was three fat owls, huddling together.
They beat their wings and filled the darkening sky with their cries.
“Leloo, leloo! Leloo, leloo!”
Little Eagle Lots of Owls laughed and clapped his hands.
On another mountain, the old chief caught the echo of the laughter
in the palm of his hand and smiled, as he watched the moon walk slowly
across the sky.
“Little Eagle Lots of Owls,” he murmured to himself, “you have the
sharp eyes of the eagle and you are as wise as the owl. Now you know
your true name.”

Test A - Year 3

Test A - Year 3

dodo?
Test A - Year 3
rememb er the
I was a flightless bird called a Dodo and I lived on the

Mauritius: an island in the Indian Ocean. When I
became extinct about 350 years ago, they didn’t
have cameras. You’ll only see drawings, paintings
or written notes of what I looked like. Dutch
sailors hunted us for food – not so difficult
as we couldn’t fly away.
I’m a Passenger Pigeon – or was. I used to live in huge flocks

in the forests of North America. We were wiped
out in the early 20th century. Such a terrible story, really.
First we were made into stews and pies; then they burnt
down our habitat to clear the land to build factories.
I was a type of penguin – a Great Auk – and, like other

penguins, never managed to get airborne. You can see
why: big body, small wings. It’s the perfect shape for
swimming, however, and fat enough to survive the cold in
Greenland . I was non-existent by the middle of the 19th
century. You guessed it! Eaten by Native Americans.
I lived mainly in New Zealand until the Europeans arrived and

settled on the islands in 1840. I was known as a Laughing Owl.
Not so funny being caught to be sent as specimens for the
British Museum in London! It’s a mystery how we died out. I
blame the egg-eating rats and weasels that hid on incoming
ships. I got my name because I didn’t hoot. I had more of a
mad, laughing call that scared campers out of their wits.

Test A - Year 3

Test A - Year 3

Test A - Year 3

Test A - Year 3

Test A - Year 3
POP-UP CARDS Pop-up cards are easy

to make and cheaper
than buying one. Get
two bits of card. Cut up
one to make sticky-out
bits. Add some other
funny bits. Glue it all
together. Done!

Test A - Year 3

Test A - Year 3

Test A - Year 3

for factories). = 1 mark

Scaled Score Stage
0 – 75 Emerging Below average

76 – 95 Developing range
96 – 100 Progressing Average range

101 – 112 Secure
113 – 122 Mastering Above average

123 + Exceeding range

Teacher’s Notes:

Test B - Year 3
The Telescope
No one is really sure who made the first telescope. We do know that it
was invented in the town of Middelburg in Holland just over 400 years
ago. There were a few people there who made glasses for those who
couldn’t see very well. Someone came up with the idea of putting the
lenses used in glasses at both ends of a long tube to make a telescope.
They were then able to see distant objects.
The Italian astronomer, Galileo, did a lot to improve the telescope.

Although it was very useful at sea, it was Galileo who pointed it at
space. He observed the craters of the Moon, the moons of Jupiter,
and, when making notes about Saturn, he drew a picture of the
planet with little ‘ears’ on the sides of it – the rings of Saturn.
Most importantly, Galileo was able to prove that the Earth moved
around the sun. Before that, people believed that the Earth was
at the centre of the universe and that the sun, the stars and
everything else moved round the Earth. This was a very strange
idea to people at the time and he was thrown into prison.

Test B - Year 3

Test B - Year 3

THE
Test B - Year 3
LIGHTHOUSE
KEEPER
Computers now help ships to find their way at sea. It was

different before we had those. The captain of a ship would have to
rely on lighthouse keepers, especially during foggy weather or if the
coastline was rocky. So the job of the lighthouse keeper was an
important one.
The work of a lighthouse keeper – keeping the lamp of the
lighthouse working and watching out for ships in danger – was to
stop ships crashing onto hidden rocks. It could mean the difference
between life and death for a ship’s passengers.
It took three men to look after a lighthouse. If they had
families, that meant three families would be living there and running
the lighthouse together.
Many lighthouses had small rooms. People didn’t have much
space of their own. Some lighthouses didn’t have toilets or running
water. Deliveries of fresh food would often be held up by bad
weather. If you fell out with your fellow keepers, there was nowhere
to go to calm down. So people had to get on.
Despite having to work in the dark a lot of the time, many
lighthouse keepers played cards or took up knitting or sewing.
There was plenty of time to read. Some wrote poetry or short
stories.
Lighthouses are still important today, but in 1998, the last
lighthouse keeper was replaced by modern machinery. Like your
television set, those lighthouses that are still in use work by remote
control.

Test B - Year 3

Test B - Year 3

Test B - Year 3
Grace Darling: her Childhood
Early Life
Grace was born in 1815 in the town of Bamburgh
in Northumberland. She spent all of her young life, first
of all, in the Brownsman Lighthouse and, later, in the
Longstone Lighthouse.
Around her first lighthouse home, there were lots
of nesting seabirds: terns, eider ducks, puffins and guillemots.
She didn’t go to school, but her father, William, taught her to read
and write. Also, from an early age, like her brothers and sisters, she
learnt how to row a boat.
When William and his sons were out at sea, Grace, her sisters and
mother were in charge of the lighthouse, keeping watch and making
sure the lantern was cleaned and burning properly.
At around the age of eleven, Grace moved with her family from the
Brownsman to the Longstone Lighthouse. It was built on a bleak, rocky
island. It had five levels, three of which were bedrooms. However,
sometimes the seas were so stormy, the family had to flee upstairs to
escape the waves coming in downstairs.

Test B - Year 3

Test B - Year 3
Grace and the Shipwreck!
The Rescue
In the early hours of 7th September
1838, Grace couldn’t sleep because of the
storm that battered against the rocks
outside. From her window, using a
telescope, she could see a black shape
stranded on rocks about a mile away.
As soon as it was light, she and her
father could see that a ship, called the Forfarshire, had crashed onto the
rocks. It had broken in two.
Most of the passengers must have drowned, but there appeared to
be some survivors still clinging to the rocks.
Putting to sea in a rowing boat called a coble, Grace and her father
fought hard against the wind, the mountainous waves and the storm
overhead. Getting closer, they could see that there were nine or ten
survivors. William Darling knew that this would mean two trips. While
her father jumped onto the rocks beside the wreck, Grace controlled the
boat: not an easy task in a storm.
Grace and her father had to make two journeys between the rocks
and the lighthouse to rescue the survivors.

Test B - Year 3

Test B - Year 3

Test B - Year 3
Grace Darling: Celebrity!
The story of the rescue, and especially Grace’s part

in it, was soon in the newspapers. She was described as
a heroine. Readers were amazed by her courage and the
fact that she had risked her life to save people she did
not know. Of course, as far as Grace was concerned,
they needed help and she and her father provided it.
Soon, gifts of money, clothes and books arrived from
admirers all over Britain. Even young Queen Victoria sent her fifty pounds.
She also received lots of letters, praising her actions. Some asked for her
autograph. Some asked for a piece of fabric from the clothes she wore during
the rescue. Many people arrived by boat in the hope of catching a glimpse of
Grace.
Very quickly, word of her heroic deeds reached as far away as Japan,
Australia and America. She never wanted to be famous, but she had become
an international celebrity.

Test B - Year 3

Scaled Score Stage


101 – 112 Secure


Teacher’s Notes:

Test C - Year 3
Greenwood School,
Chestnut Avenue,
Fincham.
7th March 2016
Dear Parent / Carer,
Having started Year 3, your child is invited to join our after-school

bird-watching club.
We meet every Tuesday for one hour. During that time, your child
will have the opportunity to observe birds that use our bird feeders, bird
bath and nesting boxes. This has been very successful ever since parents
helped to make our bird-watching shed look like a bush.
Our free club provides binoculars, pencils and notebooks. If your
child is interested, please let me know.
Regards,
Mr Edwards
BIRD-SPOTTER’S GUIDE
The JAY is a member of the crow family. It is a soft pinkish
brown with a cream coloured crest. There is a patch of bright
blue on its wing, with a black stripe. It has a black tail with a
white patch that is very noticeable in flight.
The NUTHATCH is often seen on tree trunks. It is a small bird with
a grey back and an orange breast. It has a longish, slim bill. Its
amazing ability to climb down a tree trunk head first helps the
bird-spotter to identify it.
The GOLDFINCH, as its name suggests, is a small but very striking

bird. It is light brown but with a yellow bar on its wing. It has
black, white and red markings on its head. They tend to be seen in
groups of three or four or more.

Test C - Year 3

Test C - Year 3

Test C - Year 3

My Bird-Spotting Notebook
Test C - Year 3
I’m Harry. Here is a page from my notebook. Our

teacher, Mr Edwards, set it out for us. We have to
scribble our notes down very quickly, because the
birds don’t sit around for very long. Mr Edwards
says, next year, we can look back at these notes to
see if the same birds keep coming back.
ont
Orangey pink fr

Test C - Year 3

Test C - Year 3

Test C - Year 3
Pocket Money
We asked children in Year 3 about their
pocket money. We didn’t ask how much
they got. That’s private and children
could get upset if they found out that they
didn’t get as much as their best friend. So
here is a sample of what was said.
I don’t get any pocket money for doing ordinary things,

like picking up my dirty socks or tidying my room. I
have to do that anyway. But I get paid for extra jobs:
washing the car, mowing the grass or hoovering.
Alice
Imran
I have my jobs round the house, like helping with the washing
up and sorting the recycling. My pocket money’s got nothing to
do with that. I buy sweets and comics with my pocket money.
Mum say once it’s gone, it’s gone. So I have to work it all out.
Chloe
Because I buy all my stuff with my pocket money, I have to save

for big things that cost a lot, like games. I don’t think I realised
what things cost till now. I save it in my own bank account.
Now that I pay for my own toys, I look after them a lot better.
I get my pocket money once a month, so I have to think very

carefully how I’m going to spend it. When I first got it, I spent it all
all the first week! Stupid! I help round the house. I do the bins
and wash the car – that sort of thing. But here’s a tip. I once
went with Dad to a car boot sale to check out the second-hand
games. Then I realised I could sell my old toys there and make
Danny
extra money. Dad says it’ll prepare me for when I’m older.

Test C - Year 3

Test C - Year 3
Alice
Imran
Chloe
Danny

pancake day
Test C - Year 3
Ingredients (makes 12 pancakes) Method

100 g plain flour 1. Place the flour, eggs, milk and a
2 large eggs pinch of salt into a large bowl.
300 ml milk Whisk until you have a smooth
pinch of salt batter. Set it to one side to rest
1 tablespoon sunflower oil for frying for 30 minutes.
lemon to squeeze 2. Wipe a medium frying pan with
caster sugar to sprinkle oiled kitchen paper. Put it on a
medium heat.
3. When the pan is hot, pour in the
batter carefully. Cook both sides
for 1 minute each.
4. Keep warm in an oven or serve
immediately with a squeeze of
lemon and sugar to taste.
As you know, I’m Mrs Clark. Thank you

all for coming to our annual pancake
race. As usual, the race is 100 metres
and, remember, your pancake has to be
tossed at least ten times. So, if you’re all
ready, we’ll get started. Good luck!
READY! GET SET! GO!
Mr Jensen in the monster outfit has

made a great start... but, oh dear! I
think he’s lost his way. He’s going round
in circles. His pancake has landed on his
head. And now he’s being overtaken by
Mr Carter. It looks like Mr Carter is the
winner! Well done! Perhaps somebody
could help Mr Jensen up.

Test C - Year 3

Test C - Year 3

pancake day – part 2
Test C - Year 3
When Miriam – that’s my daughter in

Class 3 – brought the letter from school
saying there was going to be a pancake
race, I couldn’t resist. I like to do things
for charity. The letter said it had to be
fancy dress. I’m sure that’s what it said.
Anyway, I got together all the rubbish I
keep in the garage and made this
monster outfit. I knew Miriam and her
friends would love it. I must say, I don’t
think the other dads put in much of an
effort. Mine was easily the best
costume. In fact, it was the only one. It
did slow me up a little. And I couldn’t
find my pancake at one point. It seems
that, when I tossed it up, it landed on my
Mr Jensen head. I couldn’t find it.
Saturday 9th July I would have given anything
Dear Diary, for an invisibility cloak.
Why did I bring home that What did he look like in his
letter? I should have known crazy, home-made outfit.
Dad wouldn’t just turn up Now that I’ve recovered from
and do the race. He would my embarrassment, I have to
have to get into fancy dress. say I did laugh when the
I could have died when I saw pancake landed on his head.
what he had made. Then, I must send the photograph
when I realised he was the to Gran. She’ll split her sides
only one in a silly costume, laughing when she sees it.

Test C - Year 3

Test C - Year 3

Scaled Score Stage


101 – 112 Secure


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This is my garden. Somebody has to look after it.

Without me, the neighbour’s cat would stroll in.

The squirrel would be tucking into the bird food.

All of them would have their eyes on my dinner,

and that is not allowed. Oh, no!

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 7

eating in a messy way

someone doing something for the first time

a little party as a result of someone’s success

to bring back something

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© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 16

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 17

They were excellent sailors and explored as far as Greenland

When the Vikings first arrived in Britain, the people living

Around AD865, a great Viking army arrived and took control

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 18

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 20

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 21

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 22

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© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 25

Height: more than 40 metres.

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 27

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© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 30

There are two types of African Elephant Elephants eat plants,

Male and female Elephants’ ears are

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 35

near the North Pole.

I am black and white. I have

wings but can’t fly. I waddle.

I am huge. I live in the sea, but I

have to come up for air.

I am a little bird you find in the

garden and on Christmas cards.

I’m tiny. My back is red with

black spots. I like your garden.

I love slugs. Don’t try to pick me

up. I have lots of prickly spines.

I like the bottom of the sea. I have

eight legs called tentacles.

I have long ears and live in holes

in the ground called burrows.

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 36

The Duck-billed Platypus is a

The reason for this is that it looks like a mixture of other

All these different features, however, make it an excellent

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd 37

Long before the telephone, the text

Being able to find their way home over

They have what is called a homing instinct