Practicing Reading Comprehension Skillls Year 7-13

Year 7 Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Focus Skills: Skimming, Scanning, Vocabulary, Inference, Summarising

Reading Text: The School Garden Project

Read the text carefully. You will use different reading strategies to answer the questions.

Last year, our school started a vegetable garden behind the science block. At first, many students were unsure why the school needed it. However, the garden quickly became an important part of school life.

Each class takes turns looking after the garden. Students water the plants, remove weeds, and record how fast the vegetables grow. Science teachers use the garden to teach lessons about plants and ecosystems, while health classes focus on nutrition and healthy eating.

The garden has also helped students work together. Some students enjoy planning what to plant, while others prefer doing the physical work. At the end of each term, vegetables from the garden are used in cooking lessons or donated to the local food bank.

Overall, the school garden project has helped students learn new skills, work as a team, and understand where their food comes from.

1. Skimming – Getting the Main Idea

Skimming means reading quickly to understand what the text is mostly about.

1. What is the text mainly about?

2. Circle the correct answer:

The text is mostly about:
a) A school competition
b) A school garden project
c) A science test

3. Write one sentence that explains the main idea of the text.

2. Scanning – Finding Specific Information

Scanning means looking for key words or facts.

4. Where is the garden located?

5. Name two school subjects that use the garden for learning.

• _______________________
• _______________________

6. What happens to the vegetables at the end of each term?

3. Vocabulary – Understanding Words in Context

7. What does the word “ecosystems” most nearly mean in this text?

8. What does the word “donated” mean in the last paragraph?
   Circle the correct answer:

a) Sold
b) Thrown away
c) Given to help others

4. Making Inferences – Reading Between the Lines

An inference is something you figure out using clues from the text.

9. Why do you think some students were unsure about the garden at first?

10. How does the garden help students learn to work together?

5. Summarising

Summarising means writing the most important ideas in your own words.

11. Write one or two sentences summarising the text.

Reflection (Optional)

Which reading strategy helped you the most today?

☐ Skimming                    ☐ Vocabulary
☐ Scanning                      ☐ Inference

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Answer Page – Teacher Use

1. Skimming – Getting the Main Idea

1. What is the text mainly about?
The school garden project and how it helps students learn and work together.

2. Correct answer:
b) A school garden project

3. Sample answer:
The text explains how a school garden helps students learn new skills, work as a team, and understand where food comes from.

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2. Scanning – Finding Specific Information

4. Where is the garden located?
Behind the science block.

5. Two school subjects:

• Science
• Health

6. What happens to the vegetables?
They are used in cooking lessons or donated to the local food bank.

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3. Vocabulary – Understanding Words in Context

7. “Ecosystems” means:
How plants, animals, and the environment work together.

8. Correct answer:
c) Given to help others

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4. Making Inferences – Reading Between the Lines

9. Sample answer:
Students may not have understood why the garden was needed or how it would be useful.

10. Sample answer:
Students work together by sharing different jobs like planning, planting, and physical work.

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5. Summarising

11. Sample summary:
The school garden project teaches students about plants, health, and teamwork. It also helps them understand where food comes from and support the local community.

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School Garden Project – Reading Comprehension 

Year 8 – Worksheet

Focus Skills: Skimming, Scanning, Vocabulary, Inference, Summarising

Text:
Last year, our school established a vegetable garden behind the science block. Initially, some students were uncertain about its purpose, but it soon became an integral part of school life.

Each class takes turns maintaining the garden. Students water the plants, remove weeds, and record the growth rates of the vegetables. Science teachers use the garden to illustrate lessons about plants and ecosystems, while health classes explore nutrition and healthy eating habits.

The garden also encourages teamwork. Some students enjoy planning what to plant, while others prefer the hands-on work. At the end of each term, vegetables are either used in cooking lessons or donated to the local food bank.

Overall, the garden project has enabled students to acquire new skills, collaborate effectively, and understand the origins of their food.

Questions:

1. What is the main purpose of the school garden?

2. Circle the correct answer:
   a) A school competition
   b) A school garden project
   c) A science test

3. Identify two subjects that use the garden for learning.

4. Where is the garden located?

5. What happens to the vegetables at the end of the term?

6. Explain in your own words what “ecosystems” means in this text.

7. What does “donated” mean? Circle the correct answer:
   a) Sold
   b) Thrown away
   c) Given to help others

8. Why do you think some students were initially unsure about the garden?

9. How does the garden help students learn to work together?

10. Summarise the text in two or three sentences.

Answer Key – Year 8:

1. To help students learn about plants, nutrition, and teamwork.

2. b) A school garden project

3. Science; Health

4. Behind the science block

5. Used in cooking lessons or donated to the local food bank

6. The interaction of living things and their environment

7. c) Given to help others

8. They may not have understood its purpose or benefits

9. Students work together by sharing planning and physical tasks

10. The school garden helps students learn about plants, nutrition, and teamwork. Vegetables are used in lessons or donated to help the community

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Year 9 Reading Comprehension Worksheet

Focus Skills: Skimming, Scanning, Vocabulary, Inference, Summarising, Evidence

Text 
Last year, our school initiated a vegetable garden behind the science block. At first, some students were unsure why the project was necessary, but it soon became a vital part of school life.

Each class rotates responsibility for maintaining the garden. Students water plants, remove weeds, and track the vegetables’ growth. Science teachers integrate the garden into lessons about plants, ecosystems, and sustainable practices, while health classes examine nutrition and the importance of healthy eating.

The garden fosters collaboration. Some students enjoy planning planting schedules, while others prefer manual gardening tasks. At the end of each term, the produce is either used in cooking lessons or donated to the local food bank.

Overall, the garden teaches students practical skills, teamwork, and an understanding of the origins of their food.

Questions:

1. What is the primary purpose of the school garden?

2. Circle the correct answer:
   a) A school competition
   b) A school garden project
   c) A science test

3. Name two subjects that use the garden for learning.

4. How does the garden encourage teamwork?

5. Explain what “ecosystems” and “sustainable practices” mean in this context.

6. Where is the garden located?

7. What happens to the vegetables at the end of each term?

8. Why were some students initially unsure about the garden?

9. Identify one example of how the garden is integrated into classroom lessons.

10. Summarise the text in 2–3 sentences.

Answer Key – Year 9:

1. To teach students about plants, nutrition, sustainable practices, and teamwork

2. b) A school garden project

3. Science; Health

4. Students work together on planning and physical tasks

5. “Ecosystems”: interaction of living things and their environment; “sustainable practices”: methods that support long-term environmental health

6. Behind the science block

7. Used in cooking lessons or donated to the local food bank

8. They may not have understood the project’s purpose or benefits

9. Science lessons about plant growth or health lessons about nutrition

10. The garden helps students learn about plants, healthy eating, and teamwork. Produce is used in lessons or donated to the community

School Garden Project – Reading Comprehension Year10 Worksheet

Focus Skills: Skimming, Scanning, Vocabulary, Inference, Summarising, Justifying with Evidence

Text:
Last year, our school introduced a vegetable garden behind the science block. While some students were initially uncertain of its value, the garden soon became a central feature of school life.

Classes rotate responsibility for tending the garden. Students water plants, remove weeds, and monitor vegetable growth rates. Science lessons use the garden to demonstrate plant biology, ecosystems, and sustainable cultivation methods, while health classes examine nutrition and the benefits of healthy eating.

The garden promotes collaboration and shared responsibility. Some students enjoy designing planting schedules, while others prefer the hands-on work. At the end of each term, the harvest is either incorporated into cooking lessons or donated to the local food bank.

Through this project, students develop practical skills, teamwork, and a greater awareness of where food originates.

Questions:

1. What is the main purpose of the school garden?

2. Circle the correct answer:
   a) A school competition
   b) A school garden project
   c) A science test

3. Name two subjects that use the garden.

4. How does the garden encourage teamwork among students?

5. Explain the terms “ecosystems” and “sustainable cultivation methods” in context.

6. Where is the garden located?

7. What happens to the vegetables at the end of each term?

8. Why might some students have been initially unsure about the garden?

9. Provide one example of how teachers use the garden in classroom lessons.

10. Summarise the text in 2–3 sentences, including at least one example.

Answer Key – Year 10:

1. To teach students about plants, nutrition, sustainability, and teamwork

2. b) A school garden project

3. Science; Health

4. Students share planning and hands-on tasks, collaborating to care for the garden

5. “Ecosystems”: interactions between living organisms and their environment; “sustainable cultivation methods”: gardening techniques that maintain soil health and environmental balance

6. Behind the science block

7. Used in cooking lessons or donated to the food bank

8. They may not have seen its purpose or understood the benefits

9. Science lessons on plant biology; health lessons on nutrition

10. The garden helps students learn about plants, sustainability, and teamwork. Produce is used in lessons or donated to the food bank.

Year 11 – Literary / Unfamiliar Text

Text:
Behind the science block, a small plot of earth had been transformed into a vibrant school garden. At first, its purpose seemed mysterious to many students—an enigmatic patch of soil promising growth yet demanding care. Slowly, curiosity turned to engagement as hands dug, watered, and nurtured tiny shoots pushing eagerly toward the sun.

Every class took its turn, each student contributing in different ways: some with careful planning, others with relentless toil. Science lessons unfolded in this living classroom, where leaves whispered the secrets of ecosystems, and the rhythm of growth measured time itself. Health classes spoke of the nourishment hidden in the earth’s bounty, revealing the connection between soil, sustenance, and well-being.

The garden became more than a patch of vegetables—it became a space of collaboration, responsibility, and quiet triumph. At the close of each term, the fruits of this labour found their way into cooking lessons or were given to those in need, a testament to shared effort and the generosity it nurtures.

Questions (literary style focus):

1. What is the text primarily about?

2. Identify two ways in which the author uses descriptive language to make the garden vivid.

3. What does the garden symbolize in the text?

4. Explain the meaning of the phrase: “leaves whispered the secrets of ecosystems.”

5. How does the author convey the idea of collaboration and responsibility? Cite evidence.

6. Why might the students have initially been unsure about the garden?

7. How is the produce used at the end of each term, and why is this significant?

8. Summarise the text in 2–3 sentences, using literary terms or devices if possible.

Answer Key – Year 11:

1. The school garden and how it fosters growth, learning, and collaboration.

2. Examples: “hands dug, watered, and nurtured tiny shoots pushing eagerly toward the sun”; “leaves whispered the secrets of ecosystems.”

3. The garden symbolizes growth, learning, collaboration, and nurturing.

4. It personifies the leaves, suggesting that nature teaches and reveals knowledge to those who observe carefully.

5. Through descriptions of students taking turns and contributing in planning and manual work (“Every class took its turn, each student contributing in different ways…”).

6. They were curious but unsure of the purpose and value of the garden.

7. Used in cooking lessons or donated; shows community contribution and the rewards of collective effort.

8. The garden represents a space of growth, learning, and collaboration. Students care for it, benefiting both themselves and the wider community, with vivid imagery reinforcing its importance.

Year 12 – Literary / Unfamiliar Text

Text:
Nestled behind the science block, the school garden breathed life into what had once been a barren stretch of soil. At first, its existence was questioned—students wondered why this small plot should demand so much attention. But day by day, as spades turned earth and water kissed tender shoots, the garden revealed itself as a classroom without walls.

Each lesson was imbued with quiet wisdom: leaves trembled under careful observation, roots intertwined like the connections between knowledge and experience, and the slow, steady growth of plants mirrored the students’ own learning. Some took pleasure in planning the garden’s layout, others in the sweat of physical labour, yet all were bound by a shared purpose.

By the end of the term, the harvest—once humble seeds—found new life in cooking lessons or fed the wider community. In this unassuming space, students discovered that education is not confined to textbooks, and that growth—both personal and collective—requires patience, collaboration, and care.

Questions (literary/unfamiliar focus):

1. What is the central theme of this text?

2. Identify two examples of figurative language and explain their effect.

3. How does the garden serve as a metaphor for learning?

4. Explain the meaning of the phrase: “roots intertwined like the connections between knowledge and experience.”

5. How does the author portray collaboration among students?

6. Why is the harvest significant, beyond its practical use?

7. Summarise the text in 3–4 sentences, using literary terminology where possible.

Answer Key – Year 12:

1. The importance of experiential learning, collaboration, and personal growth through the garden.

2. Figurative language:

   • “Leaves trembled under careful observation” – personification, showing attention to detail and learning.

   • “Roots intertwined like the connections between knowledge and experience” – simile, linking plant growth to intellectual development.

3. The garden represents learning: students cultivate plants as they cultivate knowledge and skills.

4. Students’ understanding and experience grow interconnectedly, like roots connecting in soil.

5. Through shared responsibilities and combining planning with physical labour (“all were bound by a shared purpose”).

6. The harvest represents the tangible results of teamwork and learning, extending beyond the classroom to the community.

7. The garden teaches students patience, collaboration, and growth. Figurative language and metaphor highlight learning as both practical and personal, with the harvest symbolizing the fruits of shared effort.

Year 13 – Literary / Unfamiliar Text

Text:
Tucked behind the science block, the school garden thrived as a microcosm of life itself—a living, breathing testament to growth, effort, and interconnectedness. Initially, it was met with doubt; some students questioned the merit of tilling soil and tending seedlings. Yet as days passed, the garden unfurled its lessons: the delicate shoots, bending toward sunlight, mirrored the students’ own slow, deliberate journey toward understanding.

In this sanctuary, each participant assumed a role—planner, labourer, observer—yet all were united by the silent rhythm of tending and waiting. Science lessons found their pulse in chlorophyll and root systems, health lessons in the quiet story of nutrition and nourishment, and life lessons in patience, responsibility, and the ethics of stewardship.

By term’s end, the produce, once unassuming seeds, was transformed—gracing the school kitchen or nourishing the local community. The garden, seemingly ordinary, became extraordinary: a place where knowledge was cultivated alongside vegetables, and where collaboration, care, and reflection bore their own harvest.

Questions (literary/unfamiliar focus):

1. What is the principal idea of the text?

2. Identify three literary devices and discuss their effect on the reader.

3. How is the garden a metaphor for education and personal growth?

4. Explain the meaning of: “the silent rhythm of tending and waiting.”

5. Discuss how the author conveys collaboration and responsibility among students.

6. Why is the harvest symbolically significant?

7. Summarise the text in 4–5 sentences, incorporating literary analysis.

8. Critically evaluate the author’s purpose and effectiveness in presenting the garden as a literary symbol.

Answer Key – Year 13:

1. The school garden as a space for experiential learning, personal growth, collaboration, and reflection.

2. Literary devices:

   • Personification: “the garden unfurled its lessons” – the garden teaches like a mentor.

   • Metaphor: garden = education/personal growth.

   • Imagery: “delicate shoots, bending toward sunlight” – emphasizes growth and effort.

3. The garden mirrors education: students nurture plants as they nurture knowledge and skills.

4. The phrase emphasizes patience and rhythm in learning, reflecting the careful and ongoing process of growth.

5. Collaboration is conveyed by shared roles and responsibilities (“planner, labourer, observer… united by rhythm”).

6. The harvest symbolizes the tangible results of effort, learning, and community contribution.

7. The garden illustrates personal and collective growth through careful tending. Figurative language and imagery reinforce learning as a deliberate, collaborative process, with the harvest representing achievement and contribution.

8. The author effectively presents the garden as a literary symbol of education, responsibility, and growth, using metaphor, imagery, and personification to engage the reader and convey layered meaning.