Are you searching for resources to help your Year 6 students prepare for the SATs English reading test? Look no further! These mini SATs practice papers are specifically designed to support the practice of test-style questions similar to those your pupils will encounter in the end-of-Key Stage 2 English reading test.
The reading test materials in this pack provide opportunities to practise different types of questions and key skills based on the Key Stage 2 English reading test framework content domains (2016), including: vocabulary (content domains 2a, 2g), retrieval (content domain 2b), inference (content domain 2d), summarising and predicting (content domains 2c, 2e), and comparing and explaining (content domains 2f, 2h).
Included in this SATs practice pack:
- Quick Reading Questions PPT slides: Fiction ‘The Wrath of Vulcan’
- PDF version of the fiction text ‘The Wrath of Vulcan’
- Let’s Practise: Vocabulary Questions PDF worksheet
- Let’s Practise: Retrieval Questions PDF worksheet
- Let’s Practise: Inference Questions PDF worksheet
- Let’s Practise: Summarise and Predict Questions PDF worksheet
- Let’s Practise: Compare and Explain Questions PDF worksheet
- Teacher notes
How can this Year 6 SATs practice resource pack be used?
These resources can be used as revision tools to practice SATs questions in preparation for the Year 6 SATs English tests in May. The PPT presentation is designed to be used as a whole-class revision, but it could also be shared with small groups as part of an intervention focused on test technique.
The PowerPoint is divided into 5 sections: vocabulary, retrieval, inference, summarizing and predicting, and comparing and explaining. The text should be read and re-read before looking at the questions for each section to develop fluency and familiarity with the text.
Each section could be completed as a short whole-class activity or sections could be combined to create a longer session. Teachers can choose which sections to complete or the order in which the sections are completed (or opt for a random selection of practice questions), depending on the needs of the class.
A PDF version of the text is also included for students to practice reading fluency and locating information in the text to support answering SATs questions.
Each PowerPoint section includes:
Warm-Up Question: A sample SATs question to model and discuss how a question could be answered.
Let’s Practise!: A PPT slide with 2-5 further, test-style questions linked to the content domain for that section. A range of individual question styles and types of responses is included, as well as varying levels of cognitive demand.
The Let’s Practise! Reading Comprehension Questions are also provided in the form of PDF revision worksheets for students to complete using the PDF version of the text independently for SATs revision, in the classroom or as homework. Correct answers can be checked against the PowerPoint.
About the text:
Plazoom’s Year 6 Real Writing Unit 19 sets out a complete teaching sequence based on the narrative text about people fleeing Pompeii, ‘The Wrath of Vulcan’ by Jon Mayhew. The full text, together with activities to develop tier 2 vocabulary, the use of synonyms and antonyms and using dialogue to advance action, is included. Pupils will have the opportunity to plan and write their own narrative based on the model text, with a planning sheet and writing checklist provided to support independent writing.
Why are practice SATS papers important?
SATs, or Standard Assessment Tests, are assessments taken by students in England at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) and Key Stage 2 (Year 6). These assessments are used to measure children’s progress and determine their readiness for the next stage of their education.
In Year 6, children take SATs in English (reading and writing), mathematics, and science. The results of these tests - taken under timed conditions, apart from the writing assessments, which are scored using evidence gathered by teachers - are used by schools, local authorities, and the government to assess the performance of pupils, schools, and the education system as a whole.
It is important for pupils to do their best on the SATs as they can affect their future education at secondary school and beyond. However, it is equally important for children to not feel overwhelmed or stressed about these formal tests. This is why it is important for schools and teachers to provide support and resources to help students prepare for the SATs in a healthy and effective way. Sample papers, practice questions, multiple-choice tests, revision plans and shared revision lessons can all help primary school teachers to identify knowledge gaps and fill them, and check core understanding of key topics; leading to effective test preparation before the real SATs tests.