Close Reading Comprehension ‘The Surprise’ (4-8 years) - Activity Pack

In the engaging story "The Surprise" from the Activity Pack, we follow young Sam who is left in the care of his older, mobile phone-obsessed cousin while his mum visits a friend in the hospital. Feeling neglected and seeking to occupy himself, Sam decides to create a surprise for his mother by baking her favourite dessert, an apple pie. The narrative details Sam's determined yet novice attempt at cooking, from the challenging task of peeling apples with a vegetable peeler to the mishaps of creating a pastry mixture that turns into a runny mess. Despite the initial setbacks, Sam perseveres to make a pie that looks a bit rough but is the best he can manage under the circumstances.

The story takes a turn when Sam's cousin, upon seeing the chaos in the kitchen, helps him clean up the mess just in time for their mother's return. The aroma of cooking fills the air, and the family gathers around the dinner table to taste the apple pie. While the effort is appreciated, the pie's quality falls short of expectations, with Sam's sister Kim finding the pastry tough and his cousin playfully comparing it to the superior pies from Fresco's. The story is part of the "Learn To Read With Phonic Scheme," which includes questions designed to test children's comprehension and encourage them to reflect on what they have read, either verbally or in written form.