1. Engaging readers and inspiring writers
Assessing pupils and ensuring progress at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
Maddy Barnes
Literacy consultant

2. Year 2 CLIMB
Monster Stories
Barefoot Books

4. ‘The Mother of Monsters’, a story from South Africa

5. ‘The Mother of Monsters’, a story from South Africa
Chapter 1 and 2
The Monster of Monsters, South Africa C
At the end of chapter 2, who do the girls think have stolen their clothes? L
Look at page 15. Find and copy two words that describe the gorge. I
Look at page 16, why are Ntombi’s eyes sparkling with delight? M
How many years did Ntombi’s father beg her to get married? B
Look at page 6, how was Ntombi different to the other girls?

6. Sequencing question
Number the events 1-5 in the order they happened in this story. The first one has been done for you.
The girls realise their clothes have been stolen.
Ntombi’s father agrees to let her visit the river.
Ntombi and Sobabili get married.
The monster ate all the people and animals.
Sobabili tickles the monster’s belly.

8. ‘The Abominable Snowman’, a story from Nepal

9. Sequencing question
Number the events 1-5 in the order they happened in this story. The first one has been done for you.
Ramay and the woodcutter eat a delicious meal.
Ramay’s mother sends him away because he is lazy.
Ramay wished for a new house and it appeared.
Ramay tricks the Shokpa.
Shokpa gives Ramay his wife’s magic wand.

11. ‘The Hungry Wolf’, a story from North America

12. Pulling apart the text Text
He trotted up to the fluffy animal and said, ‘Good morning! I’m called Wolf. What are you called?’
The animal gazed up at him with wide eyes and she said, ‘I’m very new and I don’t know what I’m called.’
‘Come on!’ said the wolf. ‘You must know what you’re called.’
‘Maybe I don’t have a name.’
‘Everything has a name,’ said the wolf.
The wolf looked around. ‘This is grass and these are flowers,’ he said. ‘I’m a wolf and that’s a butterfly. Everything has a name. You must have a name.’
Questions to read between the lines
What does the verb ‘trotted’ suggest about how the wolf moved?
Why might the lamb ‘gaze up at him with wide eyes?”
Rewrite the word don’t as two words.
‘Everything has a name,’ said the wolf. Replace the word ‘said’ with another word that makes sense.
‘The wolf looked around.’ Which word is the verb?
Can you suggest a suitable adjective to describe each of these nouns ____grass, _____ flowers, ______wolf, _______ butterfly

13. Pulling apart the text Text
The wolf stepped into the river and walked slowly towards the cheese. But as he got nearer, the cheese slipped away, further into the middle of the river. As he paddled through the water, the ripples broke up the cheese. And, as he got closer, the current pulled him off his paws.
As he splashed and thrashed, trying to get out of the river, he looked up and saw the round, white moon shining down at him.
He had been fishing for the moon’s reflection on the water!
As the fast river swept the wolf away, he heard the sheep laugh again.
Questions to read between the lines
What is the joining word in the first sentence?
As he paddled through the water, replace the verb in this sentence with another one that makes sense.
Why do you think the author repeats As he, throughout this text?
Complete this sentence using what you know from the text, The sheep laughed because ________.
Replace the adjectives used to describe the moon with another pair of appropriate adjectives the _____ ______ moon.

15. ‘The Terrible Chenoo’, a story from North America

16. True or false?
Read the text and decide if the statements below are true or false.
Statement
True
False
The man and his wife lived in South America.
At the beginning the Chenoo’s heart was ice cold.
The Chenoo looked like a tiger and had sharp teeth like a rabbit.
The Chenoo chopped many trees down.
When the winter came the Chenoo helped the man to make new clothes.
At the end the Chenoo was kind and friendly.

18. ‘Rona Long-Teeth’, a story from Tahiti

19. ‘Rona Long-Teeth’, a story from Tahiti
Chapters 1 and 2
Rona Long- Teeth, Tahiti C
Explain why Monoi ran to the cave. L
He fell head over heels in love with her.
What do you think this means? I
Rona Long-Teeth really loved her daughter. Find two ways from pages 8 and 9 that show this. 1. 2. M
At the end of chapter 2, what did Monoi promise? B
What was Rona Long-Teeth’s daughter called?

20. True or false?
Read the text and decide if the statements below are true or false.
Statement
True
False
On page 24, Rona Long-Teeth returned with a basket of fresh fish.
On page 27, Rona Long-Teeth lay down because she felt sick.
On page 32 Rona Long-Teeth tried to trick Monoi by singing a song at the cave.
Monoi’s heart told Hina to find the leaf of a banana tree.
Rona Long-Teeth found an apple and cauliflower leaf in Hina’s bed.

22. ‘Grim, Grunt and Grizzle-Tail’, a story from Chile

23. Matching characters and what they say
“I’ll follow the monster’s trail,”
The guard
“I want an orange princess!”
The king
“We want to go home,”
Pedro
“I wish something exciting would happen.”
Eldest brother Grim
“You’re just too bad!”
The princesses

24. Multiple choice questions
Choose the correct response from the following
The three naughty princesses tied the tails of
The king gave Pedro a _____ to guard the tree.
The guards told Pedro to tug the rope _____ times.
horses
monkeys
llamas
cats
sword
gun
stick
brick
five
three
six
eight