What's included in the KS1 Katherine Johnson Rise and Read resource and why is it useful?

KS1 Katherine Johnson Rise and Read is a set of four short reading sessions about the mathematician who helped send American astronauts into space. Each session is displayed on your whiteboard, so children can read together, answer on mini whiteboards or simply talk about their ideas.

Session 1: an information text about Katherine Johnson's early life, with retrieval and purpose questions

Session 2: an information text about her work on the space programme, with vocabulary and inference questions

Session 3: a photograph of people watching a big screen, with inference and prediction questions

Session 4: a diary entry about her first day at a new job, with a question to discuss together

How do our KS1 Rise and Read resources work?

Rise and Read gives children a quick and purposeful way to settle, refocus and get ready to learn through reading. Use a session as morning work, after break or following lunch to give pupils an immediate focus as they come into the classroom.

Display each session on your whiteboard for whole-class reading practice, guided reading or small-group intervention. The questions give children regular opportunities to explain, justify and discuss their ideas.

Short texts and real-world images keep the reading load manageable for young readers, while children practise key skills such as retrieval, vocabulary, inference and prediction.

We have a full range of Rise and Read resources for KS1 and KS2, covering famous people, significant historical events, festivals and celebrations, sporting events and other topical occasions throughout the year.

This resource is ideal for marking Black History Month in your classroom.