Study Guide
Reading Comprehension Strategies
Explains the three kinds of comprehension questions (literal, inferential and evaluative) and the strategies good readers use before,…
- Difficulty
- Level 2 · Standard
- Time
- 20 min
Comprehension ExerciseYear 6Level 2 · Standard
Free Year 6 Southerly — Poetry Comprehension
An original poem about a cold southerly change sweeping over a city harbour. Students track how the weather changes from stanza to stanza and explore personification, strong verbs, alliteration and onomatopoeia, then write a stanza about a kind of weather they know.
Instant download · No sign-up · Free for personal, classroom and homeschool use
- Year
- Year 6
- Subject
- English
- Topic
- Reading Comprehension
- Difficulty
- Level 2 · Standard
- Estimated time
- 25 minutes
- Curriculum
- New Zealand Curriculum
- Questions
- 12
- Answers
- Included, with working
- Format
- PDF (A4) + print
Students will practise
- identifying personification and alliteration
- explaining the effect of word choice
- tracking change across stanzas
- writing descriptive poetry
Curriculum: New Zealand Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.
What's next?
Completed: Southerly — Poetry Comprehension
How to use this comprehension exercise
- Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
- Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
- Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
- Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.
Common questions
Who is this comprehension exercise for?
Year 6 students (typically ages 10–11) working on reading comprehension. It is pitched at level 2 · standard.
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 12 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 Apostrophes: Plurals, Owners and Common Mistakes.
Preview
Year 6 · English · Reading Comprehension
Southerly — Poetry Comprehension
Success Tutoring
Student name:
Date:
Score: /
Read the poem first. Then answer the questions in order.
Part A — Find the facts
1.What was the weather like at the start of the poem?[1 mark]
2.Which direction did the cold wind come from?[1 mark]
3.Where did the storm go by the evening?[1 mark]
4.What had appeared on the hills by evening?[1 mark]
- Asunshine
- Ba scarf of thin snow
- Ca rainbow
- Dfog
Part B — How the poem works
5.'the harbour asleep' and 'The harbour woke up with a shiver' are examples of personification. Explain what this means and how it changes our picture of the harbour.[2 marks]
6.List three strong verbs the poet uses to show the wind's power in stanza 2.[1 mark]
7.'white horses galloped from shore to shore' describes the waves. What do you think 'white horses' are, and why is this a good description?[2 marks]
8.Find an example of alliteration in the last stanza. What effect does it have?[2 marks]
9.How does the mood change from the first stanza to the last?[2 marks]
Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.
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- Difficulty
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- Time
- 25 min
- Questions
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- Answers
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- Difficulty
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- Time
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- Questions
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About this resource
- Created by
- Success Tutoring
- Last reviewed
- 1 October 2026
- How it was made
- Written by our team
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