Year 6 Reading Comprehension Worksheet - Beginner

Year 6 Reading Comprehension worksheet for Year 6 (Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)). Beginner level english practice, aligned to the UK National Curriculum. Print-ready with answer key included.

English•Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)•Reading Comprehensionbeginner

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Reading Detectives: The Lighthouse in the Mist

Year 6 Reading Comprehension • Ages 10–11 • Beginner

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Instructions: Read the passage carefully, then answer each question using evidence from the text where possible. The questions practise vocabulary, retrieval, inference, explaining language choices and summarising. For longer answers, use a quotation or detail from the passage and explain what it shows.

SATs-Style Reading Passage

Read the whole passage once to understand what happens. Read it again slowly, noticing details about the setting, the characters and the writer’s word choices. You may look back at the passage when answering the questions.

The Lighthouse in the Mist

Mara pressed her forehead against the cold window. Beyond the glass, the sea had disappeared beneath a blanket of mist. Even the old lighthouse, usually a bright landmark on the headland, was only a pale smudge.

“Can you see the rocks?” Grandad called from the kitchen.

Mara shook her head. She knew why he was worried. The radio had warned that a fishing boat was still out at sea, and the tide was climbing. Grandad had kept the lighthouse lamp working for forty years, but tonight its beam flickered and faded.

He climbed the narrow stairs with a toolbox. Mara followed, carrying a torch. At the top, the lamp gave a tired blink. Grandad examined the wires while Mara held the torch steady. A small brass key slipped from the toolbox and spun across the floor.

Mara caught it beneath her shoe. “What does this open?” she asked.

Grandad looked surprised. “The emergency shutter. It has not been used since I was a boy.” Together they unlocked a narrow panel beside the lamp. Behind it sat a hand lever, stiff with age.

Grandad pulled. Nothing happened. Mara gripped the lever too, and they leaned their weight against it. With a groan, the shutter swung open. The lamp’s beam burst across the water, cutting a bright path through the mist.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then the radio crackled: the fishing boat had seen the light and was turning safely towards the harbour. Grandad rested a hand on Mara’s shoulder. Outside, the sea was still hidden, but the lighthouse was no longer silent.

Vocabulary in Context

Use the sentence around each word to work out its meaning. Choose the most suitable meaning and explain your choice briefly, using a clue from the passage.

1. In “a pale smudge”, what does “smudge” suggest about how the lighthouse looked?

2. What does “flickered” tell you about the lamp?

3. In “stiff with age”, what does “stiff” mean about the hand lever?

4. What does “crackled” suggest about the sound coming from the radio?

Find and Retrieve

Find each answer directly in the passage. Keep your answers clear and concise; include exact details rather than guessing.

1. How long had Grandad kept the lighthouse lamp working?

2. What warning had the radio given?

3. What did Mara carry up the stairs?

4. Where was the emergency shutter key found?

5. Where was the fishing boat turning after it saw the light?

Infer from Evidence

An inference is a sensible idea supported by clues in the text. For each answer, name a clue and explain what it suggests. There may be more than one reasonable answer if you support it with evidence.

1. Why was Grandad worried about the fishing boat? Give one clue from the passage.

2. How can you tell that Mara wants to help Grandad? Use evidence from the story.

3. What does Grandad’s hand on Mara’s shoulder suggest about how he feels?

4. Why might the emergency shutter not have been used since Grandad was a boy? Give a plausible explanation based on the passage.

Explain the Writer’s Language Choices

Write your answer in the box below.

Summarise the Turning Point

Write a short summary of how Mara and Grandad get the lighthouse working and what happens as a result. Include the most important events, leave out minor details, and use your own words.

Summarise the events from the moment Mara finds the brass key to the moment the fishing boat turns towards the harbour. Aim for 2–3 sentences.

Answer Key

Activity 1: Passage for reference; no written response required.

Activity 2: 1. A blurred or indistinct mark; the lighthouse is hard to see through the mist. 2. The lamp was unsteady, flashing or dimming rather than shining steadily. 3. The lever was hard to move because it was old. 4. The radio made a rough, broken or static-filled sound.

Activity 3: 1. Forty years. 2. A fishing boat was still out at sea, and the tide was climbing. 3. A torch. 4. Beneath Mara’s shoe, after it slipped from the toolbox and spun across the floor. 5. Towards the harbour.

Activity 4: 1. The boat was still at sea and the tide was climbing, so it could be in danger near the rocks or unable to find the harbour. 2. She follows with a torch, holds it steady while Grandad examines the wires, catches the key and helps pull the lever. 3. He is proud, grateful or affectionate; the moment follows their success in helping the boat. 4. The shutter may not have been needed for many years, or the lighthouse lamp may usually have worked without it. Accept another plausible explanation supported by the passage.

Activity 5: 1. It suggests the mist covers the sea like a thick layer, making the setting feel hidden and uncertain. 2. “Tired” makes the lamp seem weak and almost lifeless, showing that it may fail. 3. It suggests the beam is strong and clear, helping the boat find a safe route through the mist. 4. The lighthouse has become active again: its beam is shining and the radio confirms the boat has seen it. The word “silent” also suggests the danger and uncertainty have eased.

Activity 6: Example: Mara finds the old key, and she and Grandad use it to open the emergency shutter. They pull the stiff lever together, allowing the lamp to shine through the mist. The fishing boat sees the beam and turns safely towards the harbour. Accept a concise summary that includes the key, opening the shutter/using the lever, and the boat’s safe response.