This fully resourced Year 5 reading comprehension unit is built around How the Bully Became Good. It's a powerful original fiction text by children’s author James Nicol.
The story explores themes of identity, change and belonging through the voice of a child adjusting to a new school.
Carefully structured for use across three lessons, the unit supports children in developing their reading fluency, vocabulary knowledge and comprehension skills. It also offers opportunities for drama, discussion and visualisation.
You can teach this unit on its own, or use it as part of a thematic sequence alongside non-fiction and poetry texts for the same year group. It sits within our wider Real Comprehension programme, which provides whole-school coverage for Years 1-6 through high-quality texts and structured comprehension teaching.
The story is provided in both plain and illustrated PDF formats for easy classroom use, with accompanying PowerPoints (with and without highlights).
A version annotated with teacher notes supports close reading, offering clear guidance on where pupils might need additional support or clarification, and highlighting chances to deepen understanding through practical strategies.
Explicit vocabulary focus
Each of the three main lessons includes:
- A layered read of the text to build fluency and expression
- An explicit vocabulary focus PowerPoint, exploring the words alien, firmly and wandered
- A Big Questions PowerPoint and worksheet to promote deeper reflection and personal connection with the text
The pack also includes tasks that help pupils:
- Develop character understanding using Role on the Wall and thought bubbles
- Practise retrieval, sequencing, inference and prediction
- Track emotional shifts using an emotions graph
- Reflect personally on the text and how it connects to their own experiences
Included resources:
- Original text in PDF (plain and illustrated)
- PowerPoints of the text (with and without highlights)
- Annotated teacher version of the text
- Three-part resourced teaching sequence with accompanying PowerPoints
- Big Questions PowerPoints and worksheets
- Vocabulary Focus PowerPoints
- Whole-text revisiting tasks
- Full teaching notes with suggested reading approaches and discussion prompts
This unit provides everything you need to teach reading comprehension with purpose, depth and creativity, while helping pupils build empathy and confidence in exploring challenging emotional journeys.