Ready Steady Read Together
A Romani Story: Non-Fiction Lesson 2
What do you think you know?
What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?
Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.
Explore
What do you know and think?
“That’s the life of the Traveller people,” my dad would always remind us.
How might this extract link to the illustration?
Explore
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Today's Question(s)
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
Explore
Let me read today's text
Explore
“C’mon, get that horse yoked you two! We’re wasting the best part of the day.”
Henry and I were hunkered down around the fire in the middle of the camp, trying to get the last bits of warmth from it. It would be freezing on the flat cart, but it wouldn’t do us any good to keep our dad waiting.
January and February were always the hardest months for us. The weather was cold, often freezing for days on end. But as hard as life was living in wooden wagons with canvas tops and in tents made of old ships’ sails, it was all we knew and we liked it: the freedom and the love of our family. We prided ourselves on being healthy and strong and looking out for ourselves.
Reluctantly, Henry and I rose from beside the fire. We pulled the belts tight on our woollen coats and our caps down tight on our heads, fastened the heavy leather harness on to the horse, backed him into the cart and led him out across the frozen ground, on to the cobbled street, where the metal-rimmed wheels and the horse’s shoes competed to make the loudest clattering.
“No-one sleeps when we’re around, eh?” said my dad, always one to try to make a joke. It made me smile, but the joke really was that no one would be asleep at this time anyway. People would either already be at work in the steel mill or one of the other factories, or else getting their children ready for school.
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
We were going out to collect old clothes and metal, or anything else that could be swapped or sold: a chair with a broken leg, a metal lamp that wasn’t working properly. ‘Rag-and-bone’, the settled people called it. We knew it as tattin. I liked this part of the day. It was full of possibilities; we could come back with a full cart or with hardly anything.
“That’s the life of the Traveller people,” my dad would always remind us.
Closer to the city, the roads grew busier with horses and carts. We stopped to let a tram go past. Three boys were hanging off the back of it. They spotted us and began holding their noses.
“Dirty Gypsies!” one of them shouted. The others broke out into exaggerated laughter. My dad and Henry pretended not to hear them, but I couldn’t help scowling.
This kind of name-calling was something that happened to us regularly and something we tried to ignore, but still hurt. Although we did dirty work, we weren’t dirty people. We were in fact the opposite, as my mam had us washing properly and wearing clean clothes.
The first time I’d heard name-calling, I was only little. When I asked my dad why people did it, he said, “Cause they don’t know any better. We ain’t Gypsies; we’re Romani people – Travellers – an’ we’ve been here longer than most of them.”
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
yoked
canvas
hunkered
reluctantly
harness
settled people
Explore
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. 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
yoked
Explore
Find Read Talk
“C’mon, get that horse yoked you two! We’re wasting the best part of the day.”
Reveal Vocabulary
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
yoked
Your turn
hunkered
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
canvas
reluctantly
harness
settled people
Use your text
Explore
Vocabulary Check & Re-read
Explore
Reveal Vocabulary
Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.
“C’mon, get that horse yoked you two! We’re wasting the best part of the day.”
Henry and I were hunkered down around the fire in the middle of the camp, trying to get the last bits of warmth from it. It would be freezing on the flat cart, but it wouldn’t do us any good to keep our dad waiting.
January and February were always the hardest months for us. The weather was cold, often freezing for days on end. But as hard as life was living in wooden wagons with canvas tops and in tents made of old ships’ sails, it was all we knew and we liked it: the freedom and the love of our family. We prided ourselves on being healthy and strong and looking out for ourselves.
Reluctantly, Henry and I rose from beside the fire. We pulled the belts tight on our woollen coats and our caps down tight on our heads, fastened the heavy leather harness on to the horse, backed him into the cart and led him out across the frozen ground, on to the cobbled street, where the metal-rimmed wheels and the horse’s shoes competed to make the loudest clattering.
“No-one sleeps when we’re around, eh?” said my dad, always one to try to make a joke. It made me smile, but the joke really was that no one would be asleep at this time anyway. People would either already be at work in the steel mill or one of the other factories, or else getting their children ready for school.
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Reveal Vocabulary
Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.
We were going out to collect old clothes and metal, or anything else that could be swapped or sold: a chair with a broken leg, a metal lamp that wasn’t working properly. ‘Rag-and-bone’, the settled people called it. We knew it as tattin. I liked this part of the day. It was full of possibilities; we could come back with a full cart or with hardly anything.
“That’s the life of the Traveller people,” my dad would always remind us.
Closer to the city, the roads grew busier with horses and carts. We stopped to let a tram go past. Three boys were hanging off the back of it. They spotted us and began holding their noses.
“Dirty Gypsies!” one of them shouted. The others broke out into exaggerated laughter. My dad and Henry pretended not to hear them, but I couldn’t help scowling.
This kind of name-calling was something that happened to us regularly and something we tried to ignore, but still hurt. Although we did dirty work, we weren’t dirty people. We were in fact the opposite, as my mam had us washing properly and wearing clean clothes.
The first time I’d heard name-calling, I was only little. When I asked my dad why people did it, he said, “Cause they don’t know any better. We ain’t Gypsies; we’re Romani people – Travellers – an’ we’ve been here longer than most of them.”
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Fluency
Explore
Let me use my reader's voice...
The weather was cold, often freezing for days on end. But as hard as life was living in wooden wagons with canvas tops and in tents made of old ships’ sails, it was all we knew and we liked it: the freedom and the love of our family.
What did you notice?
Explore
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
My Turn
Your Turn
Echo Read
The weather was cold,
often freezing for days on end.
But as hard as life was
living in wooden wagons with canvas tops
and in tents made of old ships’ sails,
it was all we knew and we liked it:
the freedom and the love of our family.
Explore
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Sound like a reader!
Stand up!
Choral Read
The weather was cold, often freezing for days on end. But as hard as life was living in wooden wagons with canvas tops and in tents made of old ships’ sails, it was all we knew and we liked it: the freedom and the love of our family.
Explore
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Focus
Explore
Strategy: Read Between the Lines
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
Be a detective and look for clues!
Teach
Let me show you
Reveal Text Marks
Henry and I were hunkered down around the fire in the middle of the camp, trying to get the last bits of warmth from it. It would be freezing on the flat cart, but it wouldn’t do us any good to keep our dad waiting.
Reveal Explainer
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
A negative aspect of life for Lijah is being cold in the harsh weather. The text says that he and Henry are gathered around the fire, he says it will be freezing on the cart and also says that the winter months are hard because it can be freezing for days on end, especially because they are living in wagons and tents.
Teach
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?
Teach
Your Turn
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
Find the answers
Text mark
Explore
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence we liked it: the freedom and the love of our family
the freedom and closeness of his family life
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
Text Mark Evidence we prided ourselves on being healthy and strong and looking out for ourselves
pride in his community and how they live
Text Mark Evidence I liked this part of the day - it was full of possibilities - we could come back with a full cart or hardly anything
the fun and excitement of his work
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Practise & Apply
Text Mark Evidence - January and February were always the hardest months - the weather was cold, often freezing for days on end
cold weather and living conditions
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence fastened the heavy leather harness onto the horse, backed him into the cart and led him out
hard, physical work
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
Text Mark Evidence metal-rimmed wheels and the horse’s shoes competed to make the loudest clattering
noisy and disruptive work
Text Mark Evidence - Dirty Gypsies! - name calling was something that happened to us regularly
name-calling and prejudice
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Text Mark Evidence although we did dirty work, we weren’t dirty people
unfair judgement
Practise & Apply
Quiz Time
Start
Picture Me
Which image is the best match for ‘hunkered’?
Match Me
Match each character with what they did in this part of the story.
2 Henry and Lijah
4 three boys
1 Lijah
3 Dad
B) scowled at the boys who shouted
C) scowled at the boys who shouted
A) tried to stay warm by the fire
D) wanted to get out to work early
Click if correct
Check
Fill the Gaps
Reluctantly
harness
settled people
, Henry and I rose from beside the fire. We pulled the belts tight on our woollen coats and our caps down tight on our heads, fastened the heavy leather on to the horse, backed him into the cart and led him out across the frozen ground…
‘Rag-and-bone’, the called it.
Discuss then check
Click if correct
Sequence Me
Put these events in the correct order:
A) Henry and Dad ignored the boys shouting.
B) Henry and Lijah gathered by the fire.
C) The roads became busier.
D) Lijah and Henry prepared the horse and cart.
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...
ask questions.
Reveal
Think of questions as you read and look for answers in the text.
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: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.
reluctantly
harness
settled people
RSRT Y5 L2 A Romani Story
Literacy Counts
Created on January 30, 2026
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Urban Illustrated Presentation
View
3D Corporate Reporting
View
Discover Your AI Assistant
View
Vision Board
View
SWOT Challenge: Classify Key Factors
View
Explainer Video: Keys to Effective Communication
View
Explainer Video: AI for Companies
Explore all templates
Transcript
Ready Steady Read Together
A Romani Story: Non-Fiction Lesson 2
What do you think you know?
What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?
Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.
Explore
What do you know and think?
“That’s the life of the Traveller people,” my dad would always remind us.
How might this extract link to the illustration?
Explore
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Today's Question(s)
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
Explore
Let me read today's text
Explore
“C’mon, get that horse yoked you two! We’re wasting the best part of the day.” Henry and I were hunkered down around the fire in the middle of the camp, trying to get the last bits of warmth from it. It would be freezing on the flat cart, but it wouldn’t do us any good to keep our dad waiting. January and February were always the hardest months for us. The weather was cold, often freezing for days on end. But as hard as life was living in wooden wagons with canvas tops and in tents made of old ships’ sails, it was all we knew and we liked it: the freedom and the love of our family. We prided ourselves on being healthy and strong and looking out for ourselves. Reluctantly, Henry and I rose from beside the fire. We pulled the belts tight on our woollen coats and our caps down tight on our heads, fastened the heavy leather harness on to the horse, backed him into the cart and led him out across the frozen ground, on to the cobbled street, where the metal-rimmed wheels and the horse’s shoes competed to make the loudest clattering. “No-one sleeps when we’re around, eh?” said my dad, always one to try to make a joke. It made me smile, but the joke really was that no one would be asleep at this time anyway. People would either already be at work in the steel mill or one of the other factories, or else getting their children ready for school.
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
We were going out to collect old clothes and metal, or anything else that could be swapped or sold: a chair with a broken leg, a metal lamp that wasn’t working properly. ‘Rag-and-bone’, the settled people called it. We knew it as tattin. I liked this part of the day. It was full of possibilities; we could come back with a full cart or with hardly anything. “That’s the life of the Traveller people,” my dad would always remind us. Closer to the city, the roads grew busier with horses and carts. We stopped to let a tram go past. Three boys were hanging off the back of it. They spotted us and began holding their noses. “Dirty Gypsies!” one of them shouted. The others broke out into exaggerated laughter. My dad and Henry pretended not to hear them, but I couldn’t help scowling. This kind of name-calling was something that happened to us regularly and something we tried to ignore, but still hurt. Although we did dirty work, we weren’t dirty people. We were in fact the opposite, as my mam had us washing properly and wearing clean clothes. The first time I’d heard name-calling, I was only little. When I asked my dad why people did it, he said, “Cause they don’t know any better. We ain’t Gypsies; we’re Romani people – Travellers – an’ we’ve been here longer than most of them.”
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
yoked
canvas
hunkered
reluctantly
harness
settled people
Explore
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. 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
yoked
Explore
Find Read Talk
“C’mon, get that horse yoked you two! We’re wasting the best part of the day.”
Reveal Vocabulary
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
yoked
Your turn
hunkered
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
canvas
reluctantly
harness
settled people
Use your text
Explore
Vocabulary Check & Re-read
Explore
Reveal Vocabulary
Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.
“C’mon, get that horse yoked you two! We’re wasting the best part of the day.” Henry and I were hunkered down around the fire in the middle of the camp, trying to get the last bits of warmth from it. It would be freezing on the flat cart, but it wouldn’t do us any good to keep our dad waiting. January and February were always the hardest months for us. The weather was cold, often freezing for days on end. But as hard as life was living in wooden wagons with canvas tops and in tents made of old ships’ sails, it was all we knew and we liked it: the freedom and the love of our family. We prided ourselves on being healthy and strong and looking out for ourselves. Reluctantly, Henry and I rose from beside the fire. We pulled the belts tight on our woollen coats and our caps down tight on our heads, fastened the heavy leather harness on to the horse, backed him into the cart and led him out across the frozen ground, on to the cobbled street, where the metal-rimmed wheels and the horse’s shoes competed to make the loudest clattering. “No-one sleeps when we’re around, eh?” said my dad, always one to try to make a joke. It made me smile, but the joke really was that no one would be asleep at this time anyway. People would either already be at work in the steel mill or one of the other factories, or else getting their children ready for school.
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Reveal Vocabulary
Teacher Note: Re-read if time allows.
We were going out to collect old clothes and metal, or anything else that could be swapped or sold: a chair with a broken leg, a metal lamp that wasn’t working properly. ‘Rag-and-bone’, the settled people called it. We knew it as tattin. I liked this part of the day. It was full of possibilities; we could come back with a full cart or with hardly anything. “That’s the life of the Traveller people,” my dad would always remind us. Closer to the city, the roads grew busier with horses and carts. We stopped to let a tram go past. Three boys were hanging off the back of it. They spotted us and began holding their noses. “Dirty Gypsies!” one of them shouted. The others broke out into exaggerated laughter. My dad and Henry pretended not to hear them, but I couldn’t help scowling. This kind of name-calling was something that happened to us regularly and something we tried to ignore, but still hurt. Although we did dirty work, we weren’t dirty people. We were in fact the opposite, as my mam had us washing properly and wearing clean clothes. The first time I’d heard name-calling, I was only little. When I asked my dad why people did it, he said, “Cause they don’t know any better. We ain’t Gypsies; we’re Romani people – Travellers – an’ we’ve been here longer than most of them.”
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Fluency
Explore
Let me use my reader's voice...
The weather was cold, often freezing for days on end. But as hard as life was living in wooden wagons with canvas tops and in tents made of old ships’ sails, it was all we knew and we liked it: the freedom and the love of our family.
What did you notice?
Explore
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
My Turn
Your Turn
Echo Read
The weather was cold,
often freezing for days on end.
But as hard as life was
living in wooden wagons with canvas tops
and in tents made of old ships’ sails,
it was all we knew and we liked it:
the freedom and the love of our family.
Explore
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Sound like a reader!
Stand up!
Choral Read
The weather was cold, often freezing for days on end. But as hard as life was living in wooden wagons with canvas tops and in tents made of old ships’ sails, it was all we knew and we liked it: the freedom and the love of our family.
Explore
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Focus
Explore
Strategy: Read Between the Lines
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
Be a detective and look for clues!
Teach
Let me show you
Reveal Text Marks
Henry and I were hunkered down around the fire in the middle of the camp, trying to get the last bits of warmth from it. It would be freezing on the flat cart, but it wouldn’t do us any good to keep our dad waiting.
Reveal Explainer
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
A negative aspect of life for Lijah is being cold in the harsh weather. The text says that he and Henry are gathered around the fire, he says it will be freezing on the cart and also says that the winter months are hard because it can be freezing for days on end, especially because they are living in wagons and tents.
Teach
From: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?
Teach
Your Turn
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
Find the answers
Text mark
Explore
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence we liked it: the freedom and the love of our family
the freedom and closeness of his family life
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
Text Mark Evidence we prided ourselves on being healthy and strong and looking out for ourselves
pride in his community and how they live
Text Mark Evidence I liked this part of the day - it was full of possibilities - we could come back with a full cart or hardly anything
the fun and excitement of his work
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Practise & Apply
Text Mark Evidence - January and February were always the hardest months - the weather was cold, often freezing for days on end
cold weather and living conditions
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence fastened the heavy leather harness onto the horse, backed him into the cart and led him out
hard, physical work
What are the positive and negative aspects of life for Lijah?
Text Mark Evidence metal-rimmed wheels and the horse’s shoes competed to make the loudest clattering
noisy and disruptive work
Text Mark Evidence - Dirty Gypsies! - name calling was something that happened to us regularly
name-calling and prejudice
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Text Mark Evidence although we did dirty work, we weren’t dirty people
unfair judgement
Practise & Apply
Quiz Time
Start
Picture Me
Which image is the best match for ‘hunkered’?
Match Me
Match each character with what they did in this part of the story.
2 Henry and Lijah
4 three boys
1 Lijah
3 Dad
B) scowled at the boys who shouted
C) scowled at the boys who shouted
A) tried to stay warm by the fire
D) wanted to get out to work early
Click if correct
Check
Fill the Gaps
Reluctantly
harness
settled people
, Henry and I rose from beside the fire. We pulled the belts tight on our woollen coats and our caps down tight on our heads, fastened the heavy leather on to the horse, backed him into the cart and led him out across the frozen ground… ‘Rag-and-bone’, the called it.
Discuss then check
Click if correct
Sequence Me
Put these events in the correct order:
A) Henry and Dad ignored the boys shouting.
B) Henry and Lijah gathered by the fire.
C) The roads became busier.
D) Lijah and Henry prepared the horse and cart.
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...
ask questions.
Reveal
Think of questions as you read and look for answers in the text.
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: A Romani Story by Richard O'Neill © 2023 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.
reluctantly
harness
settled people