Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
The Dragon's Side: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 4
- ForYear 4
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
The Dragon's Side is a free printable English worksheet for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9). Children read a legend, check facts against the text, put steps in order, then tell the tale again as the dragon. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children begin by reading a legend about a dragon, a town and a knight called George. They check facts against the text, then put steps in order to show they have followed how the tale unfolds. Last, they write the tale again as the dragon, using I and my. There are lines for writing. The task turns a hero story around and asks how the dragon might see things.
- A dragon lives in a lake near a town.
- The people give the dragon sheep.
- A knight called George arrives.
- George stops the dragon and the town is safe.
How the sheet builds up
Read the legend
Children read the legend with a grown up first. Reading aloud lets them hear the story before they have to work with it.
Check the facts
Children go back to the text to check what is true. This trains them to look for evidence in what they have read.
Put the steps in order
Children sequence the events of the legend. This shows whether they have understood how one part leads to the next.
Write as the dragon
Children retell the tale in the first person. They keep the events but change the voice, the feelings and the reasons.
Why tell a legend from the other side?
Legends are stories passed down over many years. The tale of St George and the dragon is well known in England. St George is the patron saint of England, and St George's Day falls on 23 April. There are many versions, and the details can change from one telling to the next. That makes legends useful for children, because they can read closely and ask what this text actually says.
Writing as a character is a different job from retelling. Children keep the events but change the voice, so they must use I, me and my, and think about feelings and reasons. The dragon's side asks them to imagine how someone else might see the same moment. This builds empathy as well as writing skill, and it shows why one event can sound different when told by different people.
Did you know?
- A legend is a story passed down over many years. Some parts may be real and some may be made up.
- St George is the patron saint of England.
- St George's Day is on 23 April.
- The flag of England is a red cross on a white background. It is called St George's Cross.
- Dragons appear in stories from many parts of the world. The flag of Wales has a red dragon on it.
Skills and curriculum link
- Reading a legend
- Checking facts in a text
- Putting events in order
- Writing in the first person
- Retelling from a new point of view
Ideas for helping at home
- Read it aloud firstTake turns reading. Hearing the legend helps children notice details they might miss when reading silently.
- Go back to the wordsWhen checking a fact, ask your child to point to the line in the text that shows it. The text is the judge.
- Talk before writingAsk what the dragon might see, hear and feel. Let ideas come out loud before any pencil moves.
- Keep the voice steadyRemind your child that the dragon is the speaker. Listen for I, me and my as they read their writing back.
Key words
- LegendA story handed down over many years, often about a hero. It may mix real and imagined things.
- FactSomething that is true and can be checked.
- First personTelling a story as the speaker, using words such as I, me and my.
- Point of viewHow one character sees and feels about what happens.
- SequenceThe order in which things happen.
- Fronted adverbialA word or phrase at the start of a sentence that says when, where or how. It is followed by a comma.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the legend aloud together. Ask your child what they picture before they pick up a pencil.
- Let them complete the fact check and the order task. Remind them to look back at the text for each choice.
- Talk about the dragon. Then your child writes the tale as the dragon, using I and my.
- Check together using page 2. Ask what the dragon felt and why. Come back another day to improve the writing.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Give sentence starters such as I lived by the lake and I felt. Let your child say each sentence aloud before writing it. Write the first sentence together, then let them carry on. Short, simple sentences are fine to begin with.
To stretch confident children
Add a surprise ending in which the dragon and George become friends. Try to begin every paragraph with a fronted adverbial, such as Early one morning, followed by a comma. Read the finished tale aloud to check that it sounds like the dragon speaking.
Make it a game
Read dragon retellings aloud in a deep, grumbly voice. Everyone else guesses which part of the story is being told. Take turns, and try to give clues with your voice and the dragon's feelings, not only the events.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child slips between I and he, she or the dragon's name partway through the writing.
Try thisRead the writing aloud and listen for I. Underline any sentence that talks about the dragon from outside and change it to I or my.
Watch forA child copies the legend word for word.
Try thisCover the legend and tell the tale aloud first as the dragon. Then write down what the dragon would say, adding feelings.
Watch forA child answers a fact check question using a different version of the story they have heard before.
Try thisAsk them to point to the line in this legend that shows the answer. For the fact check, only this text counts.
Talk about it
- Why might the dragon tell the story differently from George?
- How do you think the dragon felt about the town? What makes you say so?
- What is the difference between a fact and an opinion?
- Which part of the legend would you change if you could? Why?
- How does a story sound different when it uses I instead of he or she?
- Can you think of another story where the other side is never heard?
Take it off the page
Hot seat dragon
One person is the dragon and answers questions from the others in the dragon's voice. Ask about home, feelings and what the dragon wants.
Map the legend
Draw a map of the places in the legend and label them. Use it to retell the tale aloud, pointing to each place as you go.
Swap the side
Choose another story you know well. Retell it from the point of view of a character who is not the hero. Notice what changes.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Read the legend aloud together. Praise good thinking, not only correct answers. If writing feels hard, let your child talk the dragon's story first, and scribe a sentence or two if needed.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, a homework task or cover work. It links to reading comprehension and writing composition at Key Stage 2. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas, so it suits mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with a picture book or a library visit on legends and dragons. Let your child act out the dragon before writing. The sheet is free to reprint, so it works again for brothers, sisters or revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in your child's learning
Before this, children read and retell familiar stories in the third person, and learn to put events in order. They also practise finding answers in a text. This sheet builds on all three.
After this, children can write from different points of view, plan stories in paragraphs and use fronted adverbials with confidence. They can also compare two versions of the same tale and talk about what changes.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is The Dragon's Side for?
It is written for Year 4, ages 8 to 9, in Key Stage 2. Some Year 3 readers may enjoy it with support, and older children can try the stretch idea on page 2.
- What do children actually do on the sheet?
They read a legend, check facts against it, put steps in order and then write the tale as the dragon. There are lines for writing, so children need only a pencil.
- Do children need to know the story of St George already?
No. The legend is on the sheet, and the fact check is about what that text says. Children who know another version should use the sheet's own words when they answer.
- What does writing in the first person mean?
It means telling the story as the character, using I, me and my. Here the dragon is the speaker, so children say what the dragon did, saw and felt instead of describing it from outside.
- What if my child finds the writing hard?
Give sentence starters such as I lived by the lake and I felt. Let them say ideas aloud first, then write. You can also write the opening sentence together to get them started.
- Is it free and screen free?
Yes to both. It is free to print for home and classroom use, and it needs only paper and a pencil. Black and white printing on plain A4 paper works well.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or homework. Home educators can use it alone or within a wider plan, and reprint it for siblings or revision.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.