Reading between the lines, together
Thoughtful questions that help your child understand more than the words.
What does this guide cover?
- One-sentence summaries of whole paragraphs
- Keyword-constrained writing (the given words must appear)
- Justified perspectives — opinions with evidence
- Tracking character sentiment across a passage
How should we work through these examples?
Let your child try first, then walk through the steps together. Original examples in the style of the level, written for parents — never reproduced worksheets. These pair with the Reading Level GII: One-Sentence Summaries parent guide for the full level picture.
Summarise in one sentence, using the keywords storm and courage: A fisherwoman sails into a storm to rescue her brother's stranded boat, and brings both boats home.
Both keywords must appear: storm, courage.
Her courage carried her through the storm to save her brother's boat.
Check: one sentence? Yes. Both keywords? Yes. Whole story? Yes.
One sentence using storm and courage
Justify: “The innkeeper is kind.” Evidence available: he feeds travellers for free during the famine.
State the claim: the innkeeper is kind.
Attach the evidence: he feeds travellers free during the famine.
Claim plus evidence is a justified perspective — the GII standard.
A claim with textual evidence attached
Track the hero's sentiment: he begins whistling on the road, and ends sitting silent in the dark.
Track scene by scene, not just start and finish.
Quote both ends: whistling → silent in the dark.
Hopeful → despairing.
Hopeful to despairing
Which mistakes should parents watch for?
- Retelling the story instead of summarising it
- Opinions with no textual evidence
- Dropping one of the required keywords