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RSRT Y5 L2 The Storm Keeper's Island

Literacy Counts

Created on January 16, 2026

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Transcript

Ready Steady Read Together

The Storm Keeper's Island: Fiction Lesson 2

What do you think you know?

What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?

Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.

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What do you know and think?

He had the absurd sensation that the island was opening its arms and enveloping him.

How might this extract link to the illustration?

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From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Today's Question(s)

A) How can you tell that Arranmore had a powerful effect on Fionn’s mother?

B) How can you tell that Arranmore had a powerful effect on Fionn?

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Let me read today's text

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Fionn waited for the island to appear. The one Mam used to tell them about when he was younger, her eyes glassy with some faraway look. Sometimes the island was a beautiful place. Sometimes it was a sad, unforgiving place that held nothing beyond the memory of his father, long ago lost to the sea. All Fionn ever knew for sure was that Arranmore haunted her, and he could never figure out whether that was mostly a good thing or mostly a bad thing. Only that places can be just as important as people. That they can have the same power over you if you let them. Pockets of dark green grass bubbled up out of the sea, climbing into hills that rolled over each other. Gravel roads weaved themselves between old buildings that hunched side by side along the pier, where the sand was dull and brassy. The place looked oddly deserted; it was as if the entire island was fast asleep. Arranmore. It was exactly how Fionn imagined it: a forgotten smudge on the edge of the world. The perfect place for his soul to come to die. Tara flounced back to her perch and Fionn felt himself deflate, like a giant balloon. He watched the faraway blurs on the island turn into people, shops, houses and cars, and too many fishing boats to count. He tried to picture his mother here, in this strange place, wandering along the pier, ducking into the corner shop for bread or milk. Or even standing on the shore, looking out at the ocean, with her arms pulled around her. He couldn’t imagine it, no matter how hard he tried.

From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

When the ferry had finally groaned its way into port, Fionn hovered on the edge of the pier, his spine stiff as a rod. Something was wrong. The ground was vibrating underneath him, the slightest tremor rattling against his soles as though his footsteps were far heavier than they really were. The breeze rolled backwards and twisted around him, pushing his hair into his eyes and his breath back into his lungs, until he had the absurd sensation that the island was opening its arms and enveloping him. Fionn searched the jagged lines of the headland. In the distance, at the edge of the bay, where briars and ferns tussled on a low sloping cliff, a cottage poked out of the wilderness. The smoke from its chimney curled into the evening air like a finger. The wind pushed him across the pier. The smoke kept rising and twisting, grey against the sun-blush sky. It was beckoning him. Fionn could almost hear the whispering in his ears: a voice he had never heard before, a voice thrumming deep in his blood and in his bones. A voice he was trying very hard to ignore. “Come here,” it was saying. “Come home.”

From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Vocabulary

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Hover for definitions!

flounced

enveloping

tremor

briars and ferns tussled

beckoning

thrumming

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From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

I will model the first.

Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner

flounced

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Find Read Talk

It was exactly how Fionn imagined it: a forgotten smudge on the edge of the world. The perfect place for his soul to come to die. Tara flounced back to her perch and Fionn felt himself deflate, like a giant balloon.

Reveal Vocabulary

From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

flounced

Your turn

tremor

Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner

enveloping

briars and ferns tussled

beckoning

thrumming

Use your text

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Vocabulary Check

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Reveal Vocabulary

Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.

Fionn waited for the island to appear. The one Mam used to tell them about when he was younger, her eyes glassy with some faraway look. Sometimes the island was a beautiful place. Sometimes it was a sad, unforgiving place that held nothing beyond the memory of his father, long ago lost to the sea. All Fionn ever knew for sure was that Arranmore haunted her, and he could never figure out whether that was mostly a good thing or mostly a bad thing. Only that places can be just as important as people. That they can have the same power over you if you let them. Pockets of dark green grass bubbled up out of the sea, climbing into hills that rolled over each other. Gravel roads weaved themselves between old buildings that hunched side by side along the pier, where the sand was dull and brassy. The place looked oddly deserted; it was as if the entire island was fast asleep. Arranmore. It was exactly how Fionn imagined it: a forgotten smudge on the edge of the world. The perfect place for his soul to come to die. Tara flounced back to her perch and Fionn felt himself deflate, like a giant balloon. He watched the faraway blurs on the island turn into people, shops, houses and cars, and too many fishing boats to count. He tried to picture his mother here, in this strange place, wandering along the pier, ducking into the corner shop for bread or milk. Or even standing on the shore, looking out at the ocean, with her arms pulled around her. He couldn’t imagine it, no matter how hard he tried.

From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Reveal Vocabulary

Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.

When the ferry had finally groaned its way into port, Fionn hovered on the edge of the pier, his spine stiff as a rod. Something was wrong. The ground was vibrating underneath him, the slightest tremor rattling against his soles as though his footsteps were far heavier than they really were. The breeze rolled backwards and twisted around him, pushing his hair into his eyes and his breath back into his lungs, until he had the absurd sensation that the island was opening its arms and enveloping him. Fionn searched the jagged lines of the headland. In the distance, at the edge of the bay, where briars and ferns tussled on a low sloping cliff, a cottage poked out of the wilderness. The smoke from its chimney curled into the evening air like a finger. The wind pushed him across the pier. The smoke kept rising and twisting, grey against the sun-blush sky. It was beckoning him. Fionn could almost hear the whispering in his ears: a voice he had never heard before, a voice thrumming deep in his blood and in his bones. A voice he was trying very hard to ignore. “Come here,” it was saying. “Come home.”

From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Fluency

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Let me use my reader's voice...

It was beckoning him. Fionn could almost hear the whispering in his ears: a voice he had never heard before, a voice thrumming deep in his blood and in his bones. A voice he was trying very hard to ignore. “Come here,” it was saying. “Come home.”

What did you notice?

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From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

My Turn
Your Turn

Echo Read

It was beckoning him.

Fionn could almost hear the whispering in his ears:

a voice he had never heard before,

a voice thrumming deep in his blood and in his bones.

A voice he was trying very hard to ignore.

“Come here,” it was saying. “Come home.”

Explore

From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Sound like a reader!
Stand up!

Choral Read

It was beckoning him. Fionn could almost hear the whispering in his ears: a voice he had never heard before, a voice thrumming deep in his blood and in his bones. A voice he was trying very hard to ignore. “Come here,” it was saying. “Come home.”

Explore

From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Strategy Focus

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Strategy: Read Between the Lines

A) How can you tell that Arranmore had a powerful effect on Fionn’s mother?

Be a detective and look for clues!

Teach

Let me show you

Reveal Text Marks

Fionn waited for the island to appear. The one Mam used to tell them about when he was younger, her eyes glassy with some faraway look. Sometimes the island was a beautiful place.

A) How can you tell that Arranmore had a powerful effect on Fionn’s mother?

Reveal Explainer

The words ‘with some faraway look’ suggest that Fionn’s mother becomes lost in her memories when talking about the island, showing its emotional hold over her. The words ‘her eyes glassy’ imply she may become tearful reflecting about the island, suggesting the memories are painful. Although she shares stories of the island with her children, it also shows they didn’t visit, which could suggest mixed feelings or that she finds it difficult to return.

Teach

From: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.

Strategy Stop

What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?

Teach

Your Turn

A) How can you tell that Arranmore had a powerful effect on Fionn’s mother?

B) How can you tell that Arranmore had a powerful effect on Fionn?

Find the answers
Text mark

Explore

Acceptable Answers

Text Mark Evidence sometimes the island was a beautiful place…sometimes it was a sad, unforgiving place

mixed feelings about the island

A) How can you tell that Arranmore had a powerful effect on Fionn’s mother?

Text Mark Evidence - a sad, unforgiving place that held nothing beyond the memory of his father, long ago lost to the sea - Arranmore haunted her

island is linked painful memories / grief

Text Mark Evidence - Arranmore haunted her - places can be as important as people…they can have the same power over you if you let them

emotional power over her

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Practise & Apply

Acceptable Answers

Text Mark Evidence - it was exactly how Fionn imagined it: a forgotten smudge on the edge of the world - Fionn felt himself deflate, like a giant balloon - the perfect place for his soul to come to die

felt great disappointment and hopelessness

B) How can you tell that Arranmore had a powerful effect on Fionn?

Text Mark Evidence - his spine stiff as a rod - the ground was vibrating underneath him, the slightest tremor rattling against his soles as though his footsteps were heavier than they really were - the breeze rolled backwards and twisted around him, pushing his hair into his eyes and his breath back into his lungs

felt physical sensations

Go to the next slide for more....

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Text Mark Evidence - something was wrong - a voice he was trying very hard to ignore

feelings of fear or unease

Practise & Apply

Acceptable Answers

Text Mark Evidence - he had the absurd sensation that the island was opening its arms and enveloping him - the smoke from the chimney curled into the evening air like a finger…it was beckoning him - come here…it was saying…come home

felt lured by or pulled towards the island

B) How can you tell that Arranmore had a powerful effect on Fionn?

Text Mark Evidence - Fionn could almost hear the whispering in his ears: a voice he had never heard before, a voice thrumming deep in his blood and in his bones - a voice he was trying very hard to ignore - come here…it was saying… come home

sensing the island was alive / communicating with him

Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers

Practise & Apply

Quiz Time

Start

Picture Me

Which image is the best match for ‘enveloping’?

Find Me

Find two words which mean ‘shaking or trembling’:

When the ferry had finally groaned its way into port, Fionn hovered on the edge of the pier, his spine stiff as a rod. Something was wrong. The ground was vibrating underneath him, the slightest tremor rattling against his soles as though his footsteps were far heavier than they really were. The breeze rolled backwards and twisted around him, pushing his hair into his eyes and his breath back into his lungs, until he had the absurd sensation that the island was opening its arms and enveloping him.

2 Discuss then check
1 Discuss then check

tremor

vibrating

Tick Me

Which statements accurately describe the island?

Tick two:

A) The island seemed powerful, magical and almost alive.

B) The island seemed thriving, busy and teeming with people.

Check

C) The island seemed lonely and deserted with little activity.

Click if correct

D) The island seemed safe, harmless and welcoming.

Sequence Me

Put these events in the correct order:

A) The smoke from a cottage in the distance appeared to beckon Fionn.

B) The green hills island, Arranmore, appeared in the distance.

C) Fionn tried desperately to ignore the whispering voice saying, “Come here. Come home.”

D) Fionn’s spine stiffened with fear as the ferry neared the port.

Click if correct
Check

Feedback: Who did what well?

FindRead Talk

EchoRead

ChoralRead

ReadingStrategy

Answers & Text Marks

Other...

To be a book lover, you could...

look forclues.

Reveal

Notice how the author builds suspense or hints at future events.

Copyright Notice

This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced from: The Storm Keeper’s Island by Catherine Doyle © 2018 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.