Cambridge Primary English · 0058 · First language
The Riverside Journal
Build a journal and bring a reading festival to life. Follow Leena, Sami and their friends through stories, poems, plays and real writing for readers.
English · Stage 4 · 48 lessons · About 23.8 guided lesson hours · 720 practice questions
Allow additional time for independent reading, writing, rehearsal and assessment. Speaking, listening and handwriting need live or offline work with a tutor.
Unit 01
The first story meeting
Leena and Sami invite their friends to make a journal for Riverside. First, they learn to read closely and make their ideas clear.
Use a clue, explain an idea and organise a short response.
Lesson 1 · 25 minutes
Finding Evidence in a Story
Find relevant details in an original story, then write an answer supported by the text.
Open lesson: Finding Evidence in a StoryFree preview · No sign-in needed
Lesson 2 · 25 minutes
Reading Between the Lines
Use a character’s actions as clues. Explain an inference without inventing events.
Open lesson: Reading Between the LinesFree preview · No sign-in needed
Lesson 3 · 25 minutes
Solving Unfamiliar Words
Use surrounding details to suggest a meaning, then test a replacement in the sentence.
Open lesson: Solving Unfamiliar WordsSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Building Clear Paragraphs
Group related ideas, organise events and revise a short two-paragraph recount.
Open lesson: Building Clear ParagraphsSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 02
A visitor with a secret
A visitor arrives at the reading room carrying a battered suitcase. What can the young reporters discover without making unfair guesses?
Develop characters, settings and viewpoints.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Meet a character through clues
Use a character’s words and actions to build a fair character profile.
Open lesson: Meet a character through cluesSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Make a setting visible
Choose precise details that help a reader picture a setting.
Open lesson: Make a setting visibleSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Whose eyes tell the story?
Recognise a narrator’s viewpoint and explain how it shapes a story.
Open lesson: Whose eyes tell the story?Sign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Write for someone who will read it
Choose useful details and a suitable tone for a particular audience.
Open lesson: Write for someone who will read itSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 03
The journal from long ago
Inside the suitcase is a journal written by a child who lived in Riverside many years ago. The friends follow its clues.
Read historical fiction and shape a story in time.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Travel into a historical story
Use time clues and compare a historical setting with the present.
Open lesson: Travel into a historical storySign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Find the right information quickly
Choose between skimming for a main idea and scanning for a specific detail.
Open lesson: Find the right information quicklySign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Connect a beginning to an ending
Plan a story whose ending resolves its opening problem.
Open lesson: Connect a beginning to an endingSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Keep verbs in the right time
Recognise verb tenses and revise an accidental change of time.
Open lesson: Keep verbs in the right timeSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 04
The impossible doorway
For the festival fiction issue, the friends invent a doorway that opens only when someone tells the truth.
Plan, connect and revise a fantasy story.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Recognise a fantasy and predict fairly
Recognise fantasy features and make a prediction from the story’s rules.
Open lesson: Recognise a fantasy and predict fairlySign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Plan characters and a fantasy plot
Plan a clear sequence and group a story into meaningful paragraphs.
Open lesson: Plan characters and a fantasy plotSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Link ideas with reasons and contrasts
Use connectives to make time, reason and contrast clear.
Open lesson: Link ideas with reasons and contrastsSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Revise a fantasy for your reader
Improve a draft’s meaning and accuracy using a reader’s feedback.
Open lesson: Revise a fantasy for your readerSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 05
The difficult decision
Two groups want the same festival space. The journal team must listen carefully before deciding what is fair.
Distinguish evidence, opinions and different viewpoints.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Read what is said and what is suggested
Distinguish explicit information from a supported inference.
Open lesson: Read what is said and what is suggestedSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Separate facts from opinions
Identify checkable information and recognise a writer’s viewpoint.
Open lesson: Separate facts from opinionsSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Discuss a dilemma and build a solution
Listen, take turns, ask useful questions and build on another person’s idea.
Open lesson: Discuss a dilemma and build a solutionSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Explain different viewpoints fairly
Explain a personal response while recognising another viewpoint.
Open lesson: Explain different viewpoints fairlySign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 06
The word workshop
A box of jumbled signs arrives for the festival. The team opens a word workshop to repair them and discover new words.
Read unfamiliar words and develop reliable spelling strategies.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Read longer words with confidence
Use syllables, familiar letter patterns and stress to read unfamiliar words.
Open lesson: Read longer words with confidenceSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Build meanings with roots and affixes
Use roots, prefixes and suffixes to explore word meanings and spellings.
Open lesson: Build meanings with roots and affixesSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Use spelling patterns and check exceptions
Use spelling patterns, sound information and related words to spell accurately.
Open lesson: Use spelling patterns and check exceptionsSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Choose homophones and keep a word log
Choose words by meaning and maintain an organised personal vocabulary record.
Open lesson: Choose homophones and keep a word logSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 07
The mixed-up message
The festival notice has caused a surprising misunderstanding. A small change in a sentence can make a big difference.
Use grammar and punctuation to make meaning clear.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Punctuate messages so meaning is clear
Use sentence punctuation, list commas and apostrophes accurately.
Open lesson: Punctuate messages so meaning is clearSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Match subjects, verbs and quantities
Use subject–verb agreement and suitable words for quantities.
Open lesson: Match subjects, verbs and quantitiesSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Choose adverbs and adverbial phrases
Use words and phrases that tell how, when or where an action happens.
Open lesson: Choose adverbs and adverbial phrasesSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Write direct speech clearly
Punctuate direct speech and make changes of speaker clear.
Open lesson: Write direct speech clearlySign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 08
The poetry wall
The friends collect poems for a wall beside the river. Each poem lets visitors see or hear Riverside in a different way.
Read, discuss, perform and write poems.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Explore images in a poem
Explain how a comparison or personification creates an image.
Open lesson: Explore images in a poemSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Read a poem aloud with meaning
Choose pace, pauses and emphasis to communicate a poem.
Open lesson: Read a poem aloud with meaningSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Write and revise a short poem
Choose precise words, line breaks and sound patterns for an original poem.
Open lesson: Write and revise a short poemSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Compare poems and explain a preference
Compare specific features of two poems and support a personal preference.
Open lesson: Compare poems and explain a preferenceSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 09
The festival stage
The team turns a story into a short play. They have to make the words work for both actors and the audience.
Write and perform a playscript together.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Read a playscript for performance
Recognise speaker labels, stage directions and scene information.
Open lesson: Read a playscript for performanceSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Turn a story into a short script
Adapt a narrative into clear dialogue and achievable stage directions.
Open lesson: Turn a story into a short scriptSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Use voice and gesture in a role
Perform a role using voice, gesture and attentive responses.
Open lesson: Use voice and gesture in a roleSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Rehearse, present and reflect together
Plan a group presentation, use feedback and reflect on the result.
Open lesson: Rehearse, present and reflect togetherSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 10
The newsroom
A surprising event gives the young reporters their first big story. Their readers need accurate, clearly organised information.
Research, report and present non-fiction for a reader.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Recognise the purpose of non-fiction
Use text features and language to identify a non-fiction text’s purpose.
Open lesson: Recognise the purpose of non-fictionSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Check sources before you report
Gather relevant information, distinguish rumour and record sources.
Open lesson: Check sources before you reportSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Organise an article and a diary
Organise non-fiction for purpose, grouping related information in paragraphs.
Open lesson: Organise an article and a diarySign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Present a readable journal page
Present legible writing and useful layout choices for an audience.
Open lesson: Present a readable journal pageSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 11
How it works
Visitors want to try the festival activities. The team explains how things work and gives instructions people can follow.
Sequence explanations and communicate precisely.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Sequence a process clearly
Recognise stages in a process and organise them in a meaningful order.
Open lesson: Sequence a process clearlySign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Explain precise vocabulary to a reader
Use context and clear definitions to understand and explain topic vocabulary.
Open lesson: Explain precise vocabulary to a readerSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Explain causes and results
Link a cause and a result accurately in an explanation.
Open lesson: Explain causes and resultsSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Give and follow precise instructions
Give ordered instructions, listen carefully and ask for clarification.
Open lesson: Give and follow precise instructionsSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Unit 12
The festival launch
The festival is ready. The team prepares its final edition, invites readers and shares what it has learned.
Persuade, publish, present and reflect.
Lesson 1 · 30 minutes
Write an invitation that persuades fairly
Combine accurate information and appealing reasons for a particular audience.
Open lesson: Write an invitation that persuades fairlySign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 2 · 30 minutes
Edit and publish your best writing
Use a staged editing process to improve meaning, vocabulary and accuracy.
Open lesson: Edit and publish your best writingSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 3 · 30 minutes
Present the journal to an audience
Prepare a clear group presentation and respond to audience needs.
Open lesson: Present the journal to an audienceSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Lesson 4 · 30 minutes
Reflect on reading and choose your next goal
Use evidence from a portfolio to reflect, recommend reading and set a next goal.
Open lesson: Reflect on reading and choose your next goalSign in to open · Tutors need subject access
Read, write and discuss
Keep a reading book alongside the course. Try the tasks, compare examples and revise. Browser drafts stay in the current tab; they are not sent to a tutor.
Sign in for three free practice questions per topic. Full banks and assessment papers need Premium or approved tutor access.
Assess with care
The unit tests and three mock sets are original Find Tutor Stage 4 Practice Assessments, with marking guidance. They are not official Cambridge papers. Open writing needs human review.
Confirm the learner’s school curriculum and reading needs when choosing their stage.