This Year 6 reading comprehension unit is based on Letter From A Lemur, an original conservation-themed poem by award-winning children’s poet Joshua Seigal.
The text is thought-provoking and emotive, written from the perspective of a Madagascan lemur whose forest home is under threat. It invites pupils to reflect on deforestation, endangered habitats and the power of poetry to raise awareness and call for change.
The poem offers rich opportunities for developing vocabulary, inference, empathy and deeper text engagement. It also serves as an excellent model (WAGOLL) for exploring poetic voice and structure in KS2 writing lessons.
Layered reading approaches
The unit supports a wide range of comprehension skills through layered reading approaches (model, choral, paired, echo and jump-in reads), creative tasks such as sketching and drama, and structured response opportunities.
Teachers can use the annotated version of the poem for guided close reading, with prompts for discussion, clarification and visualisation tailored to pupils’ needs.
Two vocabulary-focused lessons explore the words “sanctuary” and “remember”, using PowerPoints to break down context, meaning and usage. Pupils are encouraged to apply their understanding by composing their own example sentences.
The activities also guide children to:
- Visualise the Madagascan forest
- Reflect on the poem’s mood and message
- Respond personally by writing persuasive poems and acrostics
- Use Readers’ Theatre to practise expressive, meaningful poetry performance
This Year 6 comprehension unit includes:
- Poem Letter From A Lemur by Joshua Seigal (PDF and PowerPoint)
- Plain, illustrated, and highlighted versions of the text
- Annotated teacher text with close reading prompts
- Teaching sequence for parts 1 and 2 with vocabulary PowerPoints
- Big Questions worksheets and PowerPoints for both parts
- Images of Madagascan wildlife for visual reference
- Word cards and “Sketch the Forest” worksheet
- Role-play and performance guidance (Readers’ Theatre)
- Whole-text worksheets
- Full teaching notes
You can teach this unit on its own or combine it with linked fiction and non-fiction texts exploring conservation themes. It’s part of the Real Comprehension programme – a thematic, whole-school approach to reading comprehension for Years 1–6.