Building comprehension of 'Crazy about Cats' through rich discussion | English

Starter quiz

What is the main focus of the book "Crazy About Cats" by Owen Davey?
- fictional stories about cats
- information about different species of cats ✓
- poetry about cats
- cat training techniques
Which reading skills might you use to retrieve information quickly from a non-fiction text?
- skimming ✓
- reading every word on the page
- scanning ✓
- reading every page in order
Match the opposing features of non-fiction and fiction texts.
- presents facts and information
  
  ⇔
  
  presents the imagination and creativity of the author ✓
- structured format
  
  ⇔
  
  narrative structure ✓
- specialised vocabulary
  
  ⇔
  
  dialogue between characters ✓
Based on the front cover, is this magazine a fiction or non-fiction publication?
- 'non-fiction' ✓
What type of language is typically used in non-fiction writing?
- informal and colloquial
- formal and precise ✓
- emotional and subjective
- subject specific terminology ✓
Why might an author use visuals like charts and graphs in a non-fiction text?
- to confuse the reader
- to provide a visual break from text
- to enhance understanding and present data ✓
- to make the text longer

How does the author, Owen Davey, present information about cats in the book?
- through fictional narratives
- through scientific research
- through interviews with cat owners
- through a combination of facts and illustrations ✓
Match the words with their definitions.
- retrieval
  
  ⇔
  
  finding key information in the text and extracting it ✓
- skimming
  
  ⇔
  
  quickly glancing over text for main ideas and key points ✓
- scanning
  
  ⇔
  
  rapidly searching text for specific information or keywords ✓
- layout of a page
  
  ⇔
  
  the way the information is organised on a page ✓
Which species of cat uses large webbed paws to hook prey out of the water.
- tiger
- fishing cat ✓
- snow leopard
True or false? The layout features of a non-fiction text help readers to navigate and comprehend the text.
- True ✓
- False
Select the common layout features of a non-fiction text.
- sub-headings ✓
- captions and labels ✓
- chapter titles
- text boxes ✓
- character profile
Order the below steps for retrieving information from a text.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Read the question and underline the keywords.
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Search for the keywords in the text.
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Read the sentence and check it answers the question.
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  If it doesn’t answer the question, read the sentence before or after.
- 5
  
  ⇔
  
  Retrieve the answer from the text.

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Readers can use layout features of a non-fiction text to navigate sections quickly.
Skimming and scanning is a strategy readers can use to retrieve the information they are looking for rapidly.
The structure and features of a text can help identify keywords or key information.

When retrieving answers to a question, pupils may re-read the entire text each time.

Emphasise through modelling that pupils can use skimming and scanning strategies to quickly locate the information they require.

Retrieval - Retrieval is finding key details or information in the text and extracting them.
Skimming - Skimming is quickly glancing over text for main ideas and key points.
Scanning - Scanning is rapidly searching text for specific information or keywords.
Layout - The layout of a text refers to the way the information is organised on the page.