Help your Year 6 pupils build confidence with non-fiction reading using this SATs practice pack based on The Influence of al-Razi by Anita Loughrey. Each resource uses SATs-style questions and focuses on key skills including vocabulary, retrieval, inference, summarising, predicting, comparing and explaining.
For more texts and question sets, explore our full KS2 SATs reading collection.
About the text: The Influence of al-Razi
This engaging non-fiction extract introduces pupils to Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Zakariya al-Razi, a pioneering medieval doctor whose work shaped medical understanding across the Islamic world and Europe.
The text explores his early life, his varied talents, his scientific approach to problem-solving and his influential career as a surgeon and hospital director.
The extract comes from our Real Writing collection of high-quality texts written by published children’s authors. Pupils encounter authentic informational writing with rich vocabulary and clear structural features.
The blend of biography, historical detail and scientific explanation makes this an ideal passage for practising the multi-step questions that commonly appear in the KS2 reading test.
Why this text works well for SATs revision
Strong retrieval opportunities: Clear factual details (dates, places, professions, achievements) give pupils plenty of practice locating and quoting evidence.
Inference from concise information: Statements about al-Razi’s decisions, abilities and preferences provide focused material for inference and explanation.
Tier 2 vocabulary in context: Words such as systematic, encyclopaedia, promoted and location allow direct vocabulary questioning.
Clear cause-and-effect links: Descriptions of how al-Razi chose the hospital site and why historians differ in their conclusions support compare and explain questions.
Non-fiction features made visible: Headings, biographical details and domain-specific vocabulary make this a strong example of informational writing.
What’s included in this resource pack
- Quick Reading Questions PowerPoint
- PDF version of the non-fiction text
- Vocabulary Questions worksheet
- Retrieval Questions worksheet
- Inference Questions worksheet
- Summarise and Predict Questions worksheet
- Compare and Explain Questions worksheet
- Teacher notes
How to use this pack
Use the PowerPoint for whole-class modelling or small-group intervention, breaking down question types and test strategies. Each section begins with a warm-up question before moving on to SATs-style prompts.
Pupils can then apply their learning using the PDF worksheets, either in class or for independent practice. Encourage them to refer back to the text, skim and scan for evidence and justify answers with precise quotations.
For more Year 6 reading practice, visit our KS2 SATs resources collection.