Find out about this English playwright, actor and poet with our KS1 and KS2 William Shakespeare Comprehension Pack. Pupils will learn of Shakespeare's life and plays, as well as his lasting legacy on the world today. This resource has been differentiated six ways and can be used in both key stage one and two. Created to help develop reading skills, we've included a range of different style questions along with answers should you wish for children to self or peer assess.

Differentiation:

Set 1: Short, accessible non-fiction text with simple vocabulary and sentence structures. Six comprehension questions focusing mainly on retrieval, simple inference and personal response. Aimed at Year 1 Secure / Year 2 Emerging.

Set 2: Longer text with additional detail and more varied vocabulary. Nine comprehension questions including retrieval, inference, vocabulary and simple text-type recognition. Aimed at Year 1 Mastery / Year 2 Secure / Year 3 Emerging.

Set 3: More detailed biography introducing additional historical information and subject-specific vocabulary. Twelve questions developing retrieval, inference, author's purpose and organisation of non-fiction texts. Aimed at Year 2 Mastery / Year 3 Secure / Year 4 Emerging.

Set 4: Expanded biography with richer vocabulary, historical context and literary terminology. Fifteen questions requiring retrieval, inference, language analysis, vocabulary interpretation and evaluation of the author's choices. Aimed at Year 3 Mastery / Year 4 Secure / Year 5 Emerging.

Set 5: Detailed biographical text including deeper historical background, Shakespeare's language and famous quotations. Nineteen questions encouraging analysis of language, comparison of text features, interpretation of quotations and understanding of non-fiction structure. Aimed at Year 4 Mastery / Year 5 Secure / Year 6 Emerging.

Set 6: Most challenging version featuring sophisticated vocabulary, extensive historical context and literary analysis. Twenty-two questions requiring evidence-based explanations, interpretation of figurative language, analysis of non-fiction organisation and evaluation of Shakespeare's lasting legacy. Aimed at Year 5 Mastery / Year 6 Secure.