The Polar Express | Reading Comprehension | Year 3/4

Take your pupils on a magical Christmas journey with this engaging Year 3/4 reading comprehension based on the much-loved tale The Polar Express. Retold in rich, accessible language, this text follows a young boy who boards a mysterious midnight train bound for the North Pole in search of one thing—proof that the magic of Christmas is real.

Children will experience the wonder of the glowing train carriages, the excitement of arriving at the North Pole, and the heartwarming moment the boy receives the First Gift of Christmas: a silver sleigh bell only true believers can hear. The story supports key comprehension skills including retrieval, inference, prediction, vocabulary understanding, and identifying themes such as belief, wonder, and courage.

Perfect for whole-class lessons, guided reading groups, or festive literacy sessions, this resource offers a high-interest seasonal text that captures pupils’ imaginations while developing reading stamina and deeper understanding. It also works beautifully as a stimulus for creative writing, drama, or Christmas assemblies.

Immersive, curriculum-aligned, and ready to use—this Year 3/4 comprehension text brings Christmas reading to life for your classroom.

What’s Included:

• 2 Pages of Explanation / How-To Text (Dyslexia-friendly font)
• 2 Pages of Reading Comprehension Questions
• “Just Tick It” Adaptive Reading Task – perfect for emerging or reluctant readers
• Extension Activities for winter science, instruction writing, and creative design
• 5-Lesson Teaching Presentation (40+ slides, structured and easy-to-teach)
• An additional 3 Worksheets to support teaching and learning
• Now includes “Mixed Up!” – gives teachers extra flexibility (e.g. assessment, variety, reusability)
• 5-Day Lesson Plan with pedagogy notes and teaching strategies
• Audio Support of the text (ideal for EAL/SEND/ESL learners)
• Answer Keys for all questions and tasks
• Assessment Tracker to monitor reading objectives and progress

You might also like…
– A Christmas Carol
– The Polar Express
– The Snowman

• Dr Seuss and the Grinch

If you have questions, do not hesitate to email me at: bitesizeeducation01@gmail.com

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