Reading - Comprehension

Non-chronological reports about animals are the standard entry point to information writing at KS1 because children are naturally interested in animals and already have background knowledge. The cross-curricular link to Science (living things, habitats) provides authentic content. The structured layout (title, subheadings, facts) teaches organisational skills transferable to all non-fiction writing.

Poetry is the first literary form most children encounter through nursery rhymes. At Y1, the focus is on enjoyment, recitation, and pattern recognition. Rhyming poems develop phonological awareness (hearing sounds in words) which supports phonics. Writing a simple rhyming poem using a pattern from a model is achievable and builds confidence with creative composition.

Y2 poetry builds on Y1 recitation by introducing alliteration and more varied forms. Silly poems and tongue twisters engage reluctant writers because the emphasis is on word play and sound rather than narrative coherence. Alliteration develops phonological awareness and vocabulary simultaneously. The performance element fulfils the statutory spoken language requirement.

Teach prediction as an active reading strategy by modelling it during shared reading. Before reading, ask children to look at the cover, title and illustrations and say what they think the book will be about. During reading, pause at key moments and ask 'What do you think will happen next? What makes you think that?' Encourage children to use clues from the text and pictures to support their predictions. After reading, revisit predictions to confirm or revise them.

Children often make wild guesses unconnected to the text rather than using evidence from what they have read or seen. Some children are reluctant to predict because they fear being wrong — emphasise that predictions are not right or wrong but should be supported by evidence. Others make predictions but do not revisit them to check against what actually happens.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.

Introduce inference at KS1 through picture books and illustrations, asking 'How do you think this character is feeling? How do you know?' Model the thinking process: 'The picture shows tears on her face and she is looking down, so I think she feels sad.' Use stories with clear emotional content. Ask questions that require children to think beyond the literal text, such as 'Why did the character do that?' Teach children to use the phrase 'I think... because...' to justify inferences.

Young children often state what is explicitly shown rather than inferring meaning (e.g., 'She is crying' rather than 'She is sad because she lost her toy'). They may project their own feelings onto characters without evidence from the text. Some children do not understand the difference between what the text says and what it implies.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.

Teach retrieval by modelling how to find specific information in a text. Start with simple questions where the answer is stated explicitly (e.g., 'What colour was the dog?'). Teach children to scan the text to find the relevant part rather than rereading the entire text. Use shared reading to practise pointing to where in the text the answer can be found. Progress from finding single facts to finding and combining information from different parts of a short text.

Children often answer retrieval questions from memory or general knowledge rather than checking the text. They may give the answer to a different question because they have not read the question carefully. Some children answer with a whole sentence copied from the text when a specific detail is required.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.

Encourage children to make personal connections to texts during shared and guided reading. Ask questions like 'Has anything like this ever happened to you?' or 'Does this remind you of another story you know?' Model making connections yourself: 'This reminds me of when I...' Ensure connections are relevant to the text and support comprehension rather than being purely anecdotal. Use texts that reflect children's real-life experiences to build this skill.

Children sometimes share personal anecdotes that are tangential to the text rather than genuine connections that deepen understanding. They may make connections only to their own experience and not to other texts or wider knowledge. Some children struggle to explain how their connection helps them understand the text better.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.

Teach story structure using simple frameworks: beginning (who, where), middle (what happens, the problem) and end (how it is resolved). Use story maps and story mountains as visual scaffolds. Retell familiar stories together, identifying the key structural elements. During shared reading, pause to discuss where the story is in its structure. Use traditional tales with clear, repetitive structures as models before introducing more complex narratives.

Children often think a story's beginning is just the first sentence, rather than the section that introduces characters and setting. They may confuse story events with story structure, listing 'then... then... then...' without identifying the key turning point or problem. Some children assume all stories follow the same structure.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.

Develop vocabulary through read-alouds, explicitly teaching 2-3 new words per text. When encountering unfamiliar words, use the context and illustrations to discuss meaning. Create a class 'word wall' or 'word of the day' display. Encourage children to use new words in their own speech and writing. Teach simple strategies for working out word meanings: look at the picture, read around the word, think about what would make sense.

Children may assume they cannot understand a text if they encounter an unfamiliar word, rather than using context to work out its meaning. They may use familiar words to define new words inaccurately (e.g., saying 'enormous' means 'big' without understanding the degree). Some children passively skip unfamiliar words without noticing them.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.

Create regular opportunities for structured discussion about books during shared reading, guided reading and class story time. Use open-ended questions that invite discussion rather than single-word answers: 'What did you think about...?' 'Why do you think the author chose...?' Model turn-taking and active listening in book discussions. Encourage children to respond to each other's ideas, not just the teacher. Use partner talk ('turn and tell your partner...') to ensure all children participate.

Children may retell the plot rather than discussing their response to it. They may give one-word answers rather than explaining their thinking. Some children dominate discussions while others are reluctant to contribute — structured pair and group talk helps ensure all voices are heard.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.

Teach a range of poems by heart across KS1, beginning with simple nursery rhymes and action rhymes in Year 1 and progressing to poems with more complex patterns and vocabulary in Year 2. Use performance techniques — clapping rhythms, adding actions, varying volume and pace. Recite poems together as a class before asking individuals to perform. Choose poems with strong rhythm and rhyme to support memorisation, and discuss how the poet's word choices create effects.

Children sometimes think poetry must rhyme, limiting their appreciation of free verse. They may memorise words without understanding meaning, reciting mechanically without expression. Some children confuse reciting a poem with reading it aloud from a page.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.

Draw attention to repeated language patterns, refrains, and literary language during shared reading of stories and poems. Use texts with predictable patterns (e.g., 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', 'Each Peach Pear Plum') so children can join in and internalise the structures. Discuss how authors use language differently from everyday speech — 'Once upon a time', 'happily ever after', repeated phrases and refrains. Encourage children to use literary language patterns in their own storytelling and writing.

Children may not distinguish between everyday language and literary language, using conversational register in story writing. They may think 'story language' means using complicated words rather than recognising specific structural and formulaic features. Some children learn formulaic openings and endings but struggle to use patterned language within the body of their writing.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.

Teach sequencing through retelling stories in the correct order using visual supports such as picture cards, story maps and sequencing strips. Begin with stories that have a clear chronological structure. Ask children to identify 'What happened first? Then what? What happened at the end?' Use time connectives (first, then, next, after that, finally) to support oral and written sequencing. Practise sequencing events from children's own experiences before applying to texts.

Children often include excessive detail about one event while omitting others, resulting in unbalanced retellings. They may confuse the order of events, particularly in stories with flashbacks or parallel narratives. Some children struggle to distinguish between important plot events and minor details when sequencing.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.

Teach children to monitor their own reading by noticing when something does not make sense. Model this during shared reading: 'That didn't sound right — let me go back and try again.' Encourage children to reread sentences that do not make sense, checking the sounds, the meaning and the grammar. Teach the three checking strategies: Does it look right? Does it sound right? Does it make sense? Praise children who self-correct rather than reading on regardless.

Children may read through errors without noticing because they are focused solely on decoding individual words rather than constructing meaning. Some children stop at an error but wait for an adult to correct them rather than attempting self-correction. Others correct pronunciation but do not reconsider meaning.

Reading/word reading concept — decoding and retrieval skills are digitally assessable.