Comprehension in reading

To truly understand a text, especially non-fiction texts, readers need more than vocabulary knowledge or sentence-level fluency. They need comprehension strategies that allow them to build mental models, ask questions, and check for understanding as they go.

‍Oral comprehension plays a key role in this, especially in younger or less experienced readers. If a child can't understand something when it's read aloud, they're unlikely to understand it when reading independently. This connection between listening and reading comprehension is fundamental to oracy development.

Effective comprehension instruction and reading comprehension development focuses on explicitly teaching students how to think about their thinking. Active readers are taught how to pause, predict, clarify, and summarise, helping them become lifelong readers who don't just consume information but engage with it. This requires scaffolding. For example, asking comprehension questions, modelling how to unpack a complex paragraph, or supporting students in making connections across texts are all ways to strengthen the language comprehension strand of the rope.

Ultimately, the goal of reading is understanding, and that means comprehension must be intentionally taught, not simply assumed. Building strong reading skills takes time, explicit teaching, and regular opportunities to practise with meaningful texts.

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What Does Research Say About Reading Comprehension Development?

Research shows that reading comprehension develops through the integration of multiple cognitive processes, including vocabulary knowledge, background knowledge, and inference-making abilities. Studies consistently demonstrate that students who receive explicit instruction in comprehension strategies score 20-30% higher on standardised reading tests than those who don't. The most effective interventions combine strategy instruction with vocabulary development and regular practice across different text types.

Reading comprehension isn't just about understanding words, it's about how the brain connects language, context, and meaning across different systems. Research by Zimmerman (2003) and others in the field of neuroscience (Bookheimer, 2002; Ferstl et al., 2008; Just et al., 1996; Xu et al., 2005) confirms that comprehension relies on complex, highly interconnected networks in the brain. These networks draw on multiple areas to process meaning, link ideas, and decode what's on the page, a process easily disrupted by distraction, limited vocabulary, or unfamiliar language structures in learning materials. This involves both working memory and existing schema to build understanding.

These cognitive demands help explain why comprehension difficulties persist, even into adulthood. Studies focusing on higher education (Barletta et al., 2005; Yáñez Botello, 2013) reveal that many university students still operate at a literal level when engaging with non-fiction books and academic texts. Making inferences, recognising text structure, or using context clues to unpack deeper meaning remains a significant challenge. This often requires developing critical thinking skills. Alarmingly, Ntereke and Ramoroka (2017) found that only 12.4% of students scored well in a reading comprehension test, while over a third struggled significantly.

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The picture in secondary schools mirrors this concern. Around 25% of 15-year-olds have a reading age of 12 or below, with the gap between boys and girls growing wider after primary school. This has clear implications for English lessons, where students are expected to interpret increasingly complex reading materials without always having the strategies or support in place to succeed. This is particularly important in inclusive classrooms that support all learners.

To respond to these challenges, teachers need more than content, they need to build in regular opportunities for reading comprehension to be practised, modelled, and developed. Effective questioning techniques can help students engage more actively, especially when reading non-fiction o r tackling unfamiliar vocabulary. Collaborative approaches like think-pair-share can also support deeper understanding.

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How Do Graphic Organizers Improve Reading Comprehension?

Graphic organisers improve reading comprehension by helping students visualize relationships between ideas and organise information systematically. Research shows that students using graphic organisers demonstrate 40% better retention of key concepts and can identify main ideas more accurately. The most effective tools include story maps for narrative texts, cause-and-effect charts for expository texts, and concept webs for building vocabulary connections.

To move beyond surface-level reading and support deeper comprehension, it helps to structure classroom experiences that activate mental processes and build on both word reading and comprehension (both listening and reading). The Structural Learning Toolkit offers a wide range of graphic organis that align with bloom's taxonomy levels to support different levels of thinking. These visual tools are particularly effective for students with sen, as they provide structure and support for organising thoughts and ideas.

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Practical Strategies to Improve Reading Comprehension

So, what can teachers do to creates better reading comprehension in the classroom? Here are some strategies:

• Explicit Instruction: Directly teach comprehension strategies such as summarising, questioning, predicting, and clarifying.
• Think-Alouds: Model your own thinking process while reading, showing students how you make connections and solve problems.
• Graphic Organisers: Use visual tools to help students organise their thoughts and understand relationships between ideas.
• Collaborative Activities: Encourage students to discuss texts with their peers, sharing their interpretations and insights.
• Background Knowledge Activation: Before reading, engage students in activities that activate their prior knowledge and make connections to the text.
• Vocabulary Development: Explicitly teach vocabulary and encourage students to use new words in their own writing and speaking.
• Oracy: Develop speaking and listening skills. If a student can't *say* what they understand, they probably can't read it either.

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Conclusion

Reading comprehension is a complex skill that requires a multifaceted approach. By understanding the underlying processes involved, and by implementing effective teaching strategies, educators can helps students to become confident, engaged, and successful readers. Don't underestimate the impact of consistent, explicit instruction and the power of making thinking visible.

Ultimately, comprehension is the key that enables a world of knowledge and opportunity for our students. When we prioritise reading comprehension, we are investing in their future success and developing a lifelong love of learning.

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Further Reading

Reading comprehension research

Text understanding strategies

Comprehension instruction

For educators seeking to deepen their understanding of reading comprehension and evidence-based strategies, the following research papers offer valuable insights:

• Duke, N. K., & Cartwright, K. B. (2021). *The Science of Reading Progresses: Communicating Advances Beyond the Simple View of Reading.* Reading Research Quarterly, 56(S1), S25-S44.
• Elleman, A. M., Lindo, E. J., Morphy, P., & Compton, D. L. (2009). *The Impact of Vocabulary Instruction on Passage-Level Comprehension: A Meta-Analysis.* Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 2(1), 1-44.
• Oakhill, J., Cain, K., & Elbro, C. (2015). *Understanding and Teaching Reading Comprehension: A Handbook.* Routledge.
• Scarborough, H. S. (2001). *Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities: Evidence, theory, and practice.* Handbook of early literacy research, 1, 97-110.
• Wilkinson, I. A. G., Comber, B., & Homer, C. M. (2002). *The quality of the language and literacy environment in classrooms: An ecological perspective.* Reading Research Quarterly, 37(4), 374-396.