KS1 Reading Comprehension: A Complete Guide for Parents

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand, interpret, and draw meaning from text. While phonics teaches children how to decode words, comprehension is what makes reading purposeful and enjoyable. For Key Stage 1 children (ages 5-7), developing strong comprehension skills alongside decoding is essential for future academic success.

Many parents assume that if their child can read words aloud fluently, they must understand what they are reading. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Some children become excellent decoders but struggle to remember what happened in a story or answer questions about a text. This is why explicit comprehension teaching matters from the earliest stages of reading.

The National Curriculum identifies several comprehension skills that KS1 children should develop. These include understanding what they read, making inferences, predicting what might happen next, explaining their understanding, and discussing the sequence of events. These skills do not develop automatically; they require teaching, modelling, and practice.

One of the most powerful ways to develop comprehension is through discussion during shared reading. When reading with your child, pause regularly to talk about the story. Ask questions like 'What do you think will happen next?' or 'Why do you think the character did that?' or 'How do you think they felt?' These questions encourage children to think beyond the literal words on the page.

There are different types of comprehension questions, and children need experience with all of them. Retrieval questions ask children to find information directly stated in the text, such as 'What colour was the dog?' Inference questions require reading between the lines: 'Why was Sarah sad at the end of the story?' The text might not say Sarah was sad directly, but there might be clues such as her not speaking or walking slowly. Vocabulary questions check understanding of word meanings in context.

For [Key Stage 1 reading comprehension](/worksheets/english/key-stage-1/reading-comprehension), texts should be age-appropriate and engaging. Fiction texts help children understand characters, settings, and plots. Non-fiction texts introduce them to information retrieval and text features like headings and captions. Exposure to both types is important.

Worksheets are valuable for comprehension practice because they provide structured opportunities to answer questions about texts. Our [reading comprehension worksheets](/worksheets/english/key-stage-1/reading-comprehension) include a variety of question types matched to the KS1 curriculum. The immediate feedback from checking answers helps children understand where their comprehension needs strengthening.

Building vocabulary is closely linked to comprehension. Children cannot understand texts if they do not know what the words mean. When you encounter unfamiliar words during reading, take time to discuss their meaning. Encourage your child to use context clues to work out meanings independently. Regular exposure to rich vocabulary through quality children's literature expands the words your child understands.

Another helpful strategy is story retelling. After reading a book together, ask your child to tell you what happened in their own words. This requires them to identify the main events and sequence them correctly. If they struggle, you can prompt with questions or look back at the pictures together.

Making connections also aids comprehension. Help your child connect what they read to their own experiences ('Has anything like that ever happened to you?'), to other books ('Does this remind you of another story?'), and to the wider world ('Where do you think this story is set?').

Finally, model good comprehension yourself. When you read aloud, think aloud too. Say things like 'I wonder why the author chose that word' or 'I'm going to guess what happens next based on this clue.' Showing children that good readers actively think as they read teaches them that comprehension is an engaged process, not a passive one.

With consistent practice using [English worksheets for Year 1 and Year 2](/worksheets/english/key-stage-1), daily reading, and rich discussion, your child will develop the comprehension skills they need to become a confident, capable reader.