This Year 1 reading comprehension unit is based on Living a Lie, an original poem by professional author Sue Hardy-Dawson. (You can also use it as a WAGOLL to support KS1 writing development.)
We've included illustrated and plain versions of the poem for display and shared reading, along with PowerPoint versions (with or without highlights). A fully annotated copy supports close reading and flags where clarification, drama, discussion or visualisation may support understanding.
This is a challenging text for Year 1, so the layered read is designed to unfold over time, using model, choral or jump-in reading approaches depending on pupil needs. As the lie in the poem grows bigger, so does the font size – a pattern pupils explore through visualisation, voice work and performance.
Vocabulary-rich teaching
The unit features two vocabulary-rich teaching sequences focusing on lie, tiny and enormous, supported by interactive tasks such as sentence building, synonym matching and word ladders. Additional Big Questions and class discussions help pupils engage with the poem’s meaning and structure.
Reading comprehension skills developed through the unit include retrieval, sequencing, prediction and inference, as well as personal response and empathy.
Activities include:
- Highlighting and ordering synonyms for "lie"
- Using body movement to show how a small lie grows
- Identifying and talking about adjectives and adverbs
- Role play and emoticon-based discussion of feelings
- Theatre-style group performance
This Year 1 poetry comprehension pack includes:
- Original poem PDFs – plain (ink-saver), illustrated, annotated
- PowerPoint versions – with and without highlights
- Vocabulary Focus PPTs for both lessons
- Word ladder and emoticon card worksheets
- Big Questions worksheets and slides
- Difficult/Easy question prompts
- Full teaching notes and structured sequence guidance
You can teach the unit on its own or as part of a wider thematic sequence with accompanying fiction and non-fiction units for Year 1. It forms part of the Real Comprehension whole-school programme, which develops reading comprehension and deeper understanding from Year 1 to Year 6 through thematic fiction, non-fiction and poetry units.