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Year 2 · English · Literacy

Reading for meaning: who, what, where and when

Answering who, what, where and when questions about a short text and retelling events in order.

Awaiting educator review. This material was drafted by our content team with AI assistance and is waiting for review by a qualified educator. Please check it suits your child before using it. Created 10 October 2026.

These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to New Zealand year levels by age (NZ Year 1 is the first year of school). They are not yet mapped to The New Zealand Curriculum, so check them against your own learning programme.

Learning goals

Learners will

  • Answer who, what, where and when questions about a short story.
  • Find the answer to a question by looking back at the text.
  • Retell the events of a story in order.

Success looks like

  • I can say who is in the story.
  • I can say where and when the story happens.
  • I can look back at the story to check my answer.

The big idea

Good readers do more than say the words. They think about what is happening. Asking who, what, where and when questions helps children notice the important parts of a story.

Read this short story together:

Ben and the Kite. On Saturday, Ben and his gran went to the beach. The wind was strong, so Ben flew his green kite. Suddenly the string slipped out of his hand! The kite flew over the sand dunes. Ben and Gran ran after it. They found it stuck in a bush near the car park. Gran helped Ben pull it free. 'Next time I will hold on tight,' said Ben.

  • Who is in the story? Ben and Gran (the characters).
  • Where does it happen? At the beach (the setting).
  • When does it happen? On Saturday.
  • What happens? Ben loses his kite and they find it in a bush.

If your child is not sure of an answer, show them how to look back at the text and find the sentence that tells them. This habit of checking is one of the most useful reading skills.

Worked examples

Finding a 'where' answer

Where did Ben and Gran find the kite?

  1. Think: the question asks 'where', so look for a place.
  2. Look back for the part about finding the kite: 'They found it stuck in a bush near the car park.'
  3. Say the answer in a sentence.

Answer: They found the kite stuck in a bush near the car park.

Retelling in order

Retell the story in three parts.

  1. Beginning: Ben and Gran go to the beach and Ben flies his kite.
  2. Middle: the string slips and the kite flies away over the dunes.
  3. End: they find the kite in a bush and pull it free.

Answer: Ben flies his kite at the beach, it blows away, and he and Gran find it in a bush.

Practice check

Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.

  1. 1.In 'Ben and the Kite', who went to the beach with Ben?
  2. 2.Why could Ben fly his kite?
  3. 3.What happened first?
  4. 4.What does Ben say he will do next time?
  5. 5.What is the setting of the story?
  6. 6.What colour was Ben's kite? Type one word.
  7. 7.On what day did Ben go to the beach? Type one word.
  8. 8.The kite was stuck in a ____. Type the missing word.
Answer guide for parents

  1. In 'Ben and the Kite', who went to the beach with Ben?

    his gran — The story says, 'Ben and his gran went to the beach.'

  2. Why could Ben fly his kite?

    The wind was strong. — The story says, 'The wind was strong, so Ben flew his green kite.'

  3. What happened first?

    The string slipped out of Ben's hand. — The string slipped before they found the kite and pulled it free.

  4. What does Ben say he will do next time?

    hold on tight — Ben says, 'Next time I will hold on tight.'

  5. What is the setting of the story?

    a beach — The story happens at the beach.

  6. What colour was Ben's kite? Type one word.

    green — The story says Ben flew his 'green kite'.

  7. On what day did Ben go to the beach? Type one word.

    Saturday — The story begins, 'On Saturday…'

  8. The kite was stuck in a ____. Type the missing word.

    bush — 'They found it stuck in a bush near the car park.'

Watch out for

  • Answering from memory or imagination instead of the text. Encourage 'Show me where it says that.'
  • Mixing up 'where' and 'when'. Where = a place; when = a time.
  • Retelling every tiny detail. A retell gives the main events in order.

Tips for parents

  • Ask one or two questions after reading, not a long quiz.
  • Let your child ask you questions about the story too.
  • Use your finger to track back through the text together when checking an answer.

Go further

  • Fold a page into three and draw the beginning, middle and end of the story.
  • Act out the story with a toy and a tea towel 'kite'.
  • Write a new ending: what if the kite had landed in the sea?