Foundations: how comprehension develops

• Simple View of Reading: comprehension = decoding × language comprehension. Difficulties may lie in either or both strands (Gough & Tunmer).
• Scarborough’s Reading Rope: word recognition and language comprehension strands become increasingly automatic and strategic.
• Comprehension is strategic and knowledge-dependent: pupils use vocabulary, background knowledge, syntax, inference, and monitoring to build meaning.
  
  

Core classroom strategies (what to teach and how)

• Think-aloud modelling: teachers make their thinking visible (predict, question, clarify, summarise, infer, visualise). Keep modelling brief and purposeful.
• Self-questioning: pupils generate before/during/after questions; use stems (Who/What/Why/How might…?).
• Reciprocal teaching: rotate roles for Predict–Question–Clarify–Summarise; start highly scaffolded, then fade support; use short, rich texts.
• Text structure instruction: teach narrative and informational structures (cause–effect, compare–contrast, problem–solution, chronological, description); use signal words and graphic organisers.
• Vocabulary and morphology: explicitly teach Tier 2 words and common affixes/roots; use child-friendly definitions, examples/non-examples, and repeated use across the week.
• Fluency to support meaning: model phrasing and expression; use echo/choral/paired reading and brief repeated reading tied to class texts.
• Knowledge building: sequence reading around subject content (history/science/geography) to strengthen background knowledge for inference.
  
  

Practical routines by phase (EYFS, KS1, KS2)

• EYFS: daily storytime with rich talk; pictures-to-text inference (What makes you think that?); nursery rhymes; role play with story language.
• KS1: short think-alouds; sentence combining; simple story maps; decodable texts for accuracy and read-alouds above level for language; begin reciprocal teaching with very short texts.
• KS2: explicit text-structure lessons; reciprocal teaching weekly; morphology mini-lessons; note-taking and summary frames; debate/discussion routines anchored in text evidence.
  
  

Assessment and feedback (little-and-often)

• Questions across levels: literal, inferential, evaluative; require evidence from text.
• Retell and summary: check main idea, key details, coherence; use age-appropriate rubrics.
• Annotation routines: highlight/underline evidence; margin notes for predictions and questions.
• Fluency checks: brief WCPM and a prosody rubric on seen-once passages to ensure decoding supports meaning.
• Work scrutiny: look for increasing precision of vocabulary and use of text evidence in writing.
  
  

Differentiation, inclusion, and equity

• EAL: pre-teach vocabulary with visuals/realia; maintain first language; use bilingual resources; provide sentence frames for talk and writing.
• SLCN: simplify syntax; model and recast; use visuals/gestures; collaborate with specialists.
• Dyslexia/word reading difficulties: ensure secure phonics and fluency support alongside comprehension and oral language activities.
• Disadvantage/attendance: protect daily read-alouds; ensure book access; build community reading routines.
  
  

Technology: helpful uses and guardrails

• Interactive e-books and audio to model prosody and support access—choose high-quality texts and align features with goals.
• Comprehension apps for retrieval and quizzing—use as low-stakes practice with teacher-curated items.
• AI supports for generating question stems or summaries—teachers review for accuracy and age-appropriateness; uphold academic honesty.
  
  

Implementation playbook (first 30 days)

1. Week 1: Audit current comprehension provision vs. DfE Reading Framework and EEF guidance. Identify 2–3 focus strategies (e.g., think-aloud + text structures + vocabulary).
2. Week 1: Plan a read-aloud spine and text sets for knowledge building; map Tier 2 words and key morphology for each unit.
3. Week 2: CPD on modelling (think-aloud), reciprocal teaching, and text structure graphic organisers; agree common language and routines.
4. Week 2: Baseline: short comprehension sample (literal/inferential Qs), brief retell, and a vocabulary probe; identify pupils for keep-up groups.
5. Week 3: Launch routines: daily 10–15 min read-aloud with talk; two comprehension mini-lessons/week; weekly morphology; reciprocal teaching in guided groups.
6. Week 4: Review pupil work and quick checks; adjust grouping and next steps; communicate with families (what to ask at home).
   
   

Bridge to KS3: disciplinary literacy

• Teach how reading differs by subject (e.g., interpreting graphs in science, evaluating sources in history).
• Use subject-specific text structures and signal words; model expert reading moves (skimming for structure, close reading of key paragraphs).
• Unpack technical vocabulary with morphology and etymology; insist on precise use in explanations.