Six stories by Michael Morpurgo: the development, implementation and evaluation of a comprehension resource pack for Year 5

Abstract

The primary aim of my small-scale study is to develop, implement and evaluate a comprehension resource pack based on six chosen stories by Michael Morpurgo for Year 5 pupils. For my comprehension texts I have chosen various story themes and morals, and prepared graded questions for the students’ worksheets. Various class, group and individual interactive activities were prepared to enhance the pupils’ English writing and speaking skills. Through the enjoyment of reading Morpurgo’s stories, they became more aware of this children’s author. The research method integrated the use of questionnaires, feedback forms, an interview, and the six comprehension lessons in order to acquire both qualitative and quantitative data. The participants numbered eighteen students and the class teacher, in a local State school. The overall results of the Comprehension Pack were positive on account of the interdisciplinary pedagogical approach adopted. In conclusion, it will be interesting to introduce Michael Morpurgo to the schools’ English suggested reading list, and incorporate his work in the English lesson. The dissertation is divided into five chapters: Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Presentation and Analysis of Data, and Conclusion.