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Comprehension ExerciseYear 5Level 1 · Easier

Free Year 5 A Letter to the Principal — Reading Comprehension

A Year 5 student writes to her principal asking for a school vegetable garden. Students find the writer's arguments, work out why she includes certain details, and explore persuasive words. A great introduction to reading persuasive texts critically before writing their own.

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Year
Year 5
Subject
English
Topic
Reading Comprehension
Difficulty
Level 1 · Easier
Estimated time
25 minutes
Curriculum
New Zealand Curriculum
Questions
14
Answers
Included, with working
Format
PDF (A4) + print

Students will practise

  • identifying the main arguments in a persuasive letter
  • recognising how writers answer opposing views
  • inferring a writer's opinion from word choice
  • evaluating which argument is strongest

Curriculum: New Zealand Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.

What's next?

Completed: A Letter to the Principal — Reading Comprehension

  1. 1The Night the Power Went Out — Reading Comprehension
  2. 2School Camp Diary — Reading Comprehension
  3. 3Apostrophes for Contractions
  4. 4Adverbs: How, When and Where

How to use this comprehension exercise

  1. Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
  2. Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
  3. Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
  4. Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.

Common questions

Who is this comprehension exercise for?

Year 5 students (typically ages 9–10) working on reading comprehension. It is pitched at level 1 · easier.

Are the answers included?

Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.

How long does it take?

About 25 minutes for 14 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.

Do I need to sign up to download?

No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.

What should we do next?

Try The Night the Power Went Out — Reading Comprehension.

Preview

Year 5 · English · Reading Comprehension

A Letter to the Principal — Reading Comprehension

Success Tutoring

Student name:

Date:

Score: /

Read the letter twice. Then answer the questions, going back to the text to find evidence.

Part A — Right there in the text

Find each answer in the letter.

1.Who is the letter written to?[1 mark]
2.Where does Priya want the garden to be?[1 mark]
  1. Aon the oval
  2. Bbehind the Year 5 classrooms
  3. Cnext to the canteen
  4. Din the car park
3.What are the three main reasons Priya gives for wanting a garden?[3 marks]
4.Name three things Priya says the class could grow.[1 mark]
5.Who has offered to help on Fridays?[1 mark]
  1. AMrs Okafor
  2. Bthe parents' committee
  3. CMr Singh, the groundskeeper
  4. Dthe Year 7 students
6.What has the parents' committee promised to do?[1 mark]

Part B — Reading between the lines

Use clues from the letter to explain your answers in full sentences.

7.Why does Priya mention the watering roster and Mr Singh in the same paragraph?[2 marks]
8.Why does Priya say that reading about plants in a book is 'not the same' as growing them?[2 marks]
9.What does Priya think about packaged snacks? How can you tell?[2 marks]
10.Why does Priya use the words 'Firstly', 'Secondly' and 'Thirdly'?[2 marks]
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Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.

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  • Comprehension Exercise

    The Night the Power Went Out — Reading Comprehension

    A warm narrative about a family whose evening changes when a storm cuts the power. Students track events in order, infer how characters…

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    Time
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    A three-day diary recount of a Year 5 school camp: kayaking on the lake, a night walk to see glow-worms and a ruru calling in the dark.…

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Reading Comprehension in other year levels

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About this resource

Created by
Success Tutoring
Last reviewed
1 October 2026
How it was made
Written by our team

Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.