Charles Reading Lesson - Short story - Comprehension

An engaging reading lesson based on Charles by Shirley Jackson, designed to explore character, perspective, and the unsettling twist beneath an apparently simple narrative.

This carefully structured lesson encourages students to question reliability, appearances, and assumptions, while developing key reading, discussion, and creative writing skills. Ideal for KS3 and lower KS4, it works well as a stand-alone lesson or as part of a short story, character, or suspense unit.

What’s included:

Starter activity to introduce themes of behaviour and first impressions

Word of the Day to develop vocabulary and oracy

Cultural capital focus to contextualise the author and the social setting

Clear synopsis to support understanding of the narrative

Glossary to support challenging vocabulary

Listening time (ideal for teacher read-aloud or audio engagement)

Comprehension and inference questions focusing on character and viewpoint

Discussion tasks exploring reliability, parenting, and hidden truths

Creative writing task inspired by the story, with a model answer

Exit ticket to assess learning and understanding

Skills developed:

Reading comprehension and inference

Analysis of character and narrative voice

Speaking and listening

Creative and analytical writing

Understanding how writers create subtle tension and twists

This lesson is fully prepared and ready to teach, requiring minimal preparation. Suitable for mixed-ability classes and easily adaptable for different teaching contexts.

(Please note: the full text of the short story is not included and must be sourced separately.) Easily accessible online.