Support Year 6 pupils with non-fiction reading using this KS2 SATs practice pack based on The Pros and Cons of Plastic by Anita Loughrey.
This resource uses SATs-style questions to strengthen key reading skills: vocabulary, retrieval, inference, summarising, predicting, comparing and explaining.
About the text: The Pros and Cons of Plastic
The extract comes from our Real Writing collection of high-quality texts written by published children’s authors. It explores the widespread use of plastic, its advantages and its environmental and health impacts.
Pupils read about the role of plastic in medicine, hygiene and food preservation, alongside discussion of its long-term effects on the planet.
Written in a clear, structured style with numbered subheadings, the text helps pupils navigate factual information, develop comprehension skills and practise extracting key details from paragraphs.
Why this text works well for SATs revision
Retrieval practice: Straightforward factual details such as items made from plastic, locations and processes give pupils plenty of practice locating and quoting evidence.
Inference and explanation: Pupils consider why certain uses of plastic are beneficial or potentially harmful, developing their ability to explain reasoning based on text.
Tier 2 vocabulary in context: Words such as sterile, preserve, durability and versatile provide opportunities to explore meaning in context.
Structured layout: Numbered subheadings and clear sections make it easier for pupils to summarise information, compare points and predict what will come next.
Real-world connections: The text links to health, hygiene and environmental topics, giving pupils relevant material to discuss and analyse.
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 teaching or small-group interventions, modelling how to answer SATs-style questions. Each section begins with a warm-up question before progressing to multiple questions for the pupils to tackle independently.
The PDF worksheets allow pupils to practise reading fluency, scan and locate evidence and justify answers with quotations. Teachers can select sections based on class needs or combine multiple sections for longer sessions.