CBSE Class 6 English Honeysuckle Chapter 5: A Different Kind of School - NCERT Solutions

Reviewed by · Updated on

NCERT Solutions PDF Class 6 PDF

This resource provides detailed NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English, Chapter 5, 'A Different Kind of School' from the Honeysuckle textbook. It covers the story's narrative, focusing on the unique educational methods employed by Miss Beam. The solutions help students understand the purpose behind the 'game' of experiencing different disabilities, the challenges faced by the children, and the overall aim of fostering empathy and good citizenship. By offering clear explanations and step-by-step answers to comprehension questions and vocabulary exercises, these solutions are designed to aid students in grasping the chapter's core concepts and preparing effectively for their exams.

Home

Quick info

BoardCBSE
ClassClass 6
SubjectEnglish
Session2026
LanguageEnglish
TypeNCERT Solutions
ChapterHoneysuckle - Chapter 5 A Different Kind of School

Chapter summary

Chapter 5, 'A Different Kind of School,' explores an unconventional educational approach where children experience temporary disabilities like blindness, lameness, and deafness. This NCERT Solutions set breaks down the story's narrative, explaining the 'game' played by students, the purpose behind these simulated hardships, and the emotional impact on the children. It includes answers to text-based questions and vocabulary matching exercises, helping students understand the importance of empathy and resilience.

Learning outcomes

  • Understand the unique teaching methods at Miss Beam's school.
  • Analyze the purpose and impact of the 'different kinds of days' on the children.
  • Identify and define new vocabulary words from the chapter.
  • Sequence events from the story in the correct order.
  • Explain the importance of empathy and understanding misfortune.
  • Answer comprehension questions based on the text.

Topics covered

Paper topics

  • Understanding narrative structure
  • Character analysis
  • Vocabulary building
  • Comprehension skills
  • Empathy and social awareness
  • Figurative language
  • Sentence ordering
  • Dictionary skills

Important topics

  • The purpose of Miss Beam's teaching method
  • The experience of the 'different days' (blind, lame, deaf, dumb)
  • The hardest day and its reasons
  • Vocabulary related to emotions and experiences
  • Developing empathy and understanding

PDF preview

Read page by page below. PDF is streamed from the official NCERT website — no download button on this page.

Loading document …
Page of
Loading page …

Questions and Solutions

Working With the Text (Page 62)

A. Put these sentences from the story in the right order and write them out in a paragraph. Don't refer to the text.
  • I shall be so glad when today is over.
  • Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess.
  • I don't think I'll mind being deaf for a day—at least not much.
  • But being blind is so frightening.

Only you must tell me about things.

Let's go for a little walk.

The other bad days can't be half as bad as this.

Solution: The sentences from the story, when arranged in a logical and chronological order reflecting the narrator's thoughts, form the following paragraph: "Let's go for a little walk. Only you must tell me about things. I shall be so glad when today is over. The other bad days can't be half as bad as this. Having a leg tied up and hopping about on a crutch is almost fun, I guess. I don't think I'll mind being deaf for a day, at least not much. But being blind is so frightening." This sequence moves from a desire for activity to a reflection on the difficult days, comparing the experience of being lame with being deaf and finally expressing the fear associated with being blind.
  1. Answer the following questions:

1. Why do you think the writer visited Miss Beam's school? (1)

Solution: The writer visited Miss Beam's school because he had heard a great deal about her innovative and unique teaching methods. He was curious to see this new 'play-way' method of education in action and observe how it was implemented firsthand.

2. What was the 'game' that every child in the school had to play? (9)

Solution: The 'game' that every child in the school was required to play involved them taking on the role of a child with a disability for a period. Specifically, each child had to experience being blind for one day, lame for one day, deaf for one day, and dumb for one day during their term at the school. This was a form of experiential learning.

3. "Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day ...". Complete the line. Which day was the hardest? Why was it the hardest? (9, 11, 15)

Solution: The complete line is: "Each term every child has one blind day, one lame day, one injured day and one dumb day." The hardest day for the children was the blind day. It was the hardest because during this experience, the children felt a constant sense of fear and vulnerability, as if they were in danger of being hit by something at any moment.

4. What was the purpose of these special days? (5, 9)

Solution: The primary purpose of these special days was to provide the children with a personal and direct experience of misfortune and hardship. By simulating disabilities, the school aimed to cultivate empathy, compassion, and a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by less fortunate individuals in society. This experiential learning was intended to shape them into more considerate and responsible citizens.

A. Match the words and phrases with their meanings in the box below.

paragraph numbers

  1. homesick (3)
  2. practically (4)
  3. it pains me (7)
  4. appreciate (9)
  5. thoughtless (10)
  6. exercise (11)
  7. relief (13)
  8. ghastly (14)

Meanings: almost, it hurts me, terrible, test the strength of, understanding the difficulties, wanting to be home, a welcome change, not very caring

Solution: Here are the correct matches between the words/phrases and their meanings as used in the story:
  1. homesick - wanting to be home
  2. practically - almost
  3. it pains me - it hurts me
  4. appreciate - understanding the difficulties
  5. thoughtless - not very caring
  6. exercise - test the strength of
  7. relief - a welcome change
  8. ghastly - terrible

B. Re-word these lines from the story:

  1. I had heard a great deal about Miss Beam's school.
  2. Miss Beam was all that I had expected – middle-aged, full of authority.
  3. I went to the window which overlooked a large garden.
  4. "We cannot bandage the children's mouths, so they really have to exercise their will-power".
Solution: Here are the re-worded versions of the lines from the story:
  1. The writer had heard many positive accounts and extensive information regarding Miss Beam's school.
  2. The writer found Miss Beam to be exactly as he had imagined: a woman of middle age who possessed a commanding presence and authority.
  3. The writer moved towards the window, from where he could see a large and expansive garden.
  4. The teacher explained that since they could not physically prevent the children from speaking, the children themselves had to actively use their self-control and determination to remain quiet.

C. Given below is a page from a dictionary. Look at it carefully and

(i) find a word which means the same as Write down the word and its two meanings.

(ii) find a word meaning a part of the school year.

(iii) find a word that means

(b) very bad.

Solution: Based on the provided dictionary excerpt:

(i) The word that means the same as 'terrible' is ghastly. Its two meanings given are: (a) causing fear, and (b) very bad. (Note: The source text seems to have a slight mix-up here, listing 'terrible' as a meaning for 'ghastly' and then asking for a word meaning 'very bad' which is also 'ghastly'. The dictionary excerpt itself defines 'ghastly' as 'terrible' and 'causing fear'. The word 'terrible' is also listed as a meaning for 'ghastly'.)

(ii) The word meaning a part of the school year is term. One of its meanings is 'a part of the school year'.

(iii) The word that means 'very bad' is ghastly. The dictionary excerpt provides 'terrible' as a meaning for 'ghastly'.

Common mistakes

  • Difficulty in ordering the sentences from the story correctly.
  • Misinterpreting the purpose of the 'game' played by the children.
  • Struggling to match vocabulary words with their correct meanings.
  • Confusing the hardest day with other simulated disabilities.

Revision tips

  • Read the chapter thoroughly to understand the narrative and characters.
  • Focus on the 'game' and its underlying message of empathy.
  • Practice ordering the sentences to improve narrative comprehension.
  • Review the vocabulary matching exercise to reinforce word meanings.
  • Discuss the purpose of the special days with classmates or teachers.

Practice MCQs

Q1. What was the primary goal of the 'game' played at Miss Beam's school?

Q2. Which day was considered the hardest for the children in the story?

Q3. What did the writer visit Miss Beam's school to observe?

Q4. What does 'practically' mean in the context of the story?

Q5. What was the purpose of the 'blind day' and 'lame day' for the children?

Frequently asked questions

What is the main theme of 'A Different Kind of School'?

The main theme is about an unconventional educational approach that aims to teach children empathy and understanding of misfortune by having them experience temporary disabilities.

Why did the writer visit Miss Beam's school?

The writer visited Miss Beam's school out of curiosity to observe her unique teaching methods, which he had heard a great deal about.

What was the 'game' every child had to play?

Every child had to play the role of being blind, deaf, lame, or dumb for a day during their term as part of their education.

Which day was the most difficult for the children and why?

The blind day was the most difficult because the children felt constantly frightened, fearing they might bump into something or someone.

What is the purpose of these special 'disability' days?

The purpose is to give children a personal taste of misfortune, making them more compassionate and encouraging them to help others in need.

How do these NCERT Solutions help students?

These solutions provide clear, rewritten answers to all questions, helping students understand the chapter's content, vocabulary, and underlying messages for better exam preparation.

Important links

Content reviewed by the NCERT Help team. Editorial Team and update policy

NCERT Solutions PDF PDF on NCERT Help. URL unchanged for search indexing.