Reading Short Stories – English Standard Four

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, a pupil should be able to read a short story correctly, identify the main characters and events, explain the meaning of new words, answer questions about the story and retell it using simple sentences.

What is a Short Story?

A short story is a brief piece of writing about people, animals or events. It usually has characters, a setting and a series of events.

Reading Passage: A Helpful Boy

One morning, Juma was going to school. On the way, he saw an old woman carrying a heavy basket.

The woman was walking slowly. Juma greeted her and asked, “Can I help you?”

The woman smiled and said, “Yes, please.”

Juma carried the basket to her home. The woman thanked him for his kindness.

Juma continued to school happily. He arrived at school on time.

New Vocabulary

Word	Meaning in Kiswahili
Heavy	Zito
Basket	Kikapu
Slowly	Polepole
Greeted	Alimsalimia
Kindness	Wema
Continued	Aliendelea
Happily	Kwa furaha

Reading Practice

Read the story aloud. Pay attention to:

• Pronouncing words correctly.
• Reading sentences clearly.
• Pausing at full stops.
• Using appropriate expression when reading dialogue.

Comprehension Questions

1. Where was Juma going?
2. Whom did Juma meet on the way?
3. What was the woman carrying?
4. How did Juma help the woman?
5. Why did the woman thank Juma?
6. Did Juma arrive at school on time?

Practice Activities

Activity A: True or False

1. Juma was going to the market.
2. The woman was carrying a heavy basket.
3. Juma refused to help the woman.
4. The woman thanked Juma.

Activity B: Complete the Sentences

Use these words: basket, school, kindness, happily.

1. Juma was going to __________.
2. The woman was carrying a heavy __________.
3. Juma helped the woman because of his __________.
4. Juma continued to school __________.

Answer Guide

Comprehension Questions:

1. He was going to school.
2. An old woman.
3. A heavy basket.
4. He carried the basket to her home.
5. Because he helped her.
6. Yes, he did.

Activity A: 1. False; 2. True; 3. False; 4. True.

Activity B: 1. school; 2. basket; 3. kindness; 4. happily.

Retelling and Speaking Practice

Work in pairs. Take turns retelling the story of Juma using your own simple sentences. Tell your partner who Juma met, what happened and how the story ended.

Support for Slow Learners

• The teacher reads the story aloud as pupils listen.
• Use pictures or real objects to explain difficult vocabulary.
• Allow pupils to repeat short sentences after the teacher.
• Pair pupils to practise reading together.
• Give extra time to pupils who need support.

Learning Outcome

A pupil should be able to read a short story, understand its main ideas and answer simple comprehension questions.