Reading Comprehension in the Primary Classroom

Understanding Reading Comprehension: What is it?

For those who enjoy the written word, comprehension skills have to be honed to perfection. This is because reading comprehension is the process of understanding the text, and in turn, the message behind the text. It is the key to turning words into ideas and developing fluent readers, directly supporting classroom learning objectives.

To get to the bottom of this somewhat complex topic, we need to look at the word “comprehension” in its formal meaning. Comprises: “To comprise, in composition, the matter of a thing, or some part of it; to form or compose; to collect together into one.” We know that there are a number of concepts associated with primary reading comprehension, but “reading” and “comprehension” are used interchangeably and therefore we will look into both of these words individually. First, let’s look at reading skills. “Aristotle, the great professor of his time, had stated that reading and writing were the only truly human pursuits that a person could engage in. These activities would forever change and influence the course of history.” (Geltman, 1996).

Although these words are from a self-improvement book, the author states that we are born with the ability to read and write, and he goes on to talk about how these activities were exclusive to humans. He is trying to get us to see how important reading is, but I wonder whether or not people actually see it that way. You’re trying to learn from a professor that the one thing that will forever change and influence the course of history is reading and writing. Now, we understand that these are two things that can happen only when you are reading and writing.

However, the truth is that most of us use these terms interchangeably, and that’s a problem. I’ve heard of teachers and students talking about being tired of having to read and also their teachers talking about students who don’t know how to read. This has me wondering, why aren’t we talking about this issue more? In the book, “Laughing at Reading: Making a New Language in School,” the author talks about the concept of first-language impairment. “Being dyslexic I’ve found reading is a daily, and sometimes nightly, battle,” says an individual who identifies as dyslexic. (Szekely & Szekely, 2005)

According to the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) “reading comprehension (often called reading comprehension) is the ability to comprehend or interpret written, spoken, visual or other material, usually for a purpose, such as solving problems, making decisions, completing a class assignment, or meeting an employer’s requirements.” (1) This description emphasises the critical nature of this skill. It is something that, in my opinion, all students need to possess. Let’s look at some other qualities of reading comprehension: Able to comprehend information, A simple way to describe being able to comprehend information is “reading to make sense of it.” (2)

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Why is Reading Comprehension Important for Students?

Among the most essential skills in school to master is comprehension ability. Simply put, it’s really important that all students are able to understand the material. In addition to that, it’s important to know how to apply material to a higher level. It’s equally important that students are able to apply their reading comprehension skills in various real-life situations, in the classroom, at home and with friends. Writing skill level is also linked to poor reading comprehension. 

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How Can Teachers Identify Reading Comprehension Problems in Primary Students?

Teachers can identify comprehension issues by observing students who read fluently but cannot explain what they've read or answer basic questions about the text. Simple checks include asking students passages in their own words or explain the main idea after reading. Warning signs include students who rely heavily on pictures, struggle with inference questions, or give vague responses when asked about story details.

Reading comprehension issues are often hidden. It is possible that parents, teachers, and peers do not know that someone is struggling with reading. The good news is that reading skills are 'learnable'. We will explore this later in the article. Language skill development is a crucial part of early yearseducation. It is often cited as a precursor to reading and sentence-level comprehension.

Since this type of reader is less noticeable than others who have difficulty decoding, they often slip under the radar until they partake in specific comprehension exercises. Their issues may go undetected for a long time and result in secondary school students who sound like they're reading but don't understand what they're reading.

A reading comprehension problem can be contributed to by a number of possible factors and is usually identified in primary schools. A person with certain disorders is more likely to suffer from this specific type of reading disability.

Two levels of processing are required for reading comprehension. When we relate a word to a similar word, it's called semantic processing. Shallow processing is the processing of sentence and word structure.

Most of the words in the text need to be understood in order to understand what you are reading. A strong vocabulary is critical to reading comprehension. It is possible for students to learn vocabulary through instructions. They typically learn the meaning of words through daily experience and reading.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is often associated with comprehension difficulties. The exact reasons for this are complex and intertwined. We know that executive function is central to both decoding and semantic processing. 

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Why Does Sentence Construction Help Improve Reading Comprehension?

Sentence construction helps students understand how words work together to create meaning, moving beyond simple vocabulary memorization. When students learn to build and deconstruct sentences, they develop awareness of grammar patterns and text structure. This skill enables them to decode complex sentences in their reading and better understand author intent.

It might appear like a writing skill to understand how sentences are constructed. So might connecting ideas within and between sentences, which is called cohesion. But these skills are important for reading comprehension as well. Explicit instruction can help teach the basics. Writing and reading can be used to connect two or more thoughts.

Children get meaning from passages and entire texts by knowing how ideas link-up. It leads to the ability to connect different ideas in a piece of writing and is central to developing meaning. A great way to develop proficient readers is to use Writer's Block for breaking down language into its component parts. We have found that this strategy is a lot more engaging than traditional classroom instruction as it gives primary children the opportunity to 'have a go' and see what works (without the fear of failure).

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What Strategies Best Support Reading Comprehension Development?

Effective strategies include the 40-time rule where struggling readers encounter words repeatedly through engaging activities rather than rote memorization. Teachers should incorporate speaking and listeningactivities that allow students to discuss texts and build oracy skills alongside reading. Scaffolding techniques like pre-reading discussions, visual supports, and guided questioning help st udents gradually develop independent comprehension skills.

Within a classroom, students are reading text and working on vocabulary at levels that are accessible for each of them, if teachers can help students select read ing material that matches their current ability levels.

Effective comprehension strategiesthat provide specific instructions for developing and retaining comprehension skills have been found to improve reading comprehension for people with learning disabilities.

It can be difficult for people with reading comprehension disorder to get their work done independently. Children with learning disabilities are often behind in certain academic areas, which can affect their self-esteem and motivation. Word recognition can be a big problem. A word needs to be seen four to 14 times before it becomes a sight word for average readers. Children with learning difficulties may need to see it more than 40 times.

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Why Do Primary Students Find Reading Comprehension Difficult?

Reading comprehension requires students to simultaneously decode words, understand vocabulary, make connections, and construct meaning from text. Primary students often struggle because they're still developing foundational skills like phonics while trying to process higher-level thinking. The cognitive load of managing multiple reading tasks at once can overwhelm young learners who haven't yet automated basic reading skills.

There is not one single comprehension strategy that works for every aspect of reading. A quick search through Google and you get a lot of comprehensive questions to ask your students. Asking different types of questions is a great way to engage your students in retrieval practice and to check for understanding. Multiple-choice questions can be used to enable the child to dig a little bit deeper into the content. These types of formative assessments help build a picture of what the child really knows. We can use these assessments to design the next steps for their learning.

Developing proficient readers requires the advancement of several different skills.

1) Develop sufficient background knowledge: it's difficult to read about something that you don't really know about. New knowledge has to connect up with what we already know, if we don't know that much about the content it's difficult to fully comprehend it. One way we can help build prior knowledge is to illuminate the common text structures that the children will encounter. Even the most complex texts will follow some form of text structure. Being familiar with the standard ways in which we read and write about knowledge makes the text more accessible.

2) Children need to have a broad vocabulary in order to access some of the more complex texts they will encounter. As well as having basic vocabulary skills children would also need to have a wide repertoire of tier 2 words. Many schools introduce new words each week, over the course of the year, the repertoire of language can be significantly built.

3) Using collaborative learning techniques can enable children to engage in verbal reasoning such as inferencing. Well designed cooperative learning experience requires children to articulate their understanding to one another thus building more comprehensive language skillsin the process. A collaborative learning approach you might want to explore is the use of our block building kits to help children organise their thoughts and talk their way to understanding.

4) Developing a confident reader would require the child to be familiar with a range of literacy concepts such as text genres and styles of writing. This can be developed by increasing the diversity of reading material that children access.

5) Language comprehension is obviously an important part of basic reading comprehension skills. Phonological awareness is the building block of reading. Having a well-implemented systematic phonics program in the early years is an essential stepping stone to developing confident readers.

6) Comprehension activities can also involve exploring the grammar we use in English. We need to understand how words are connected together to form sentences. This doesn't necessarily have to be delivered through comprehension worksheets. Engaging playful approaches can be used to help children explore sentence-level comprehension. There are many comprehension activity books available however these usually rely solely on multiple-choice questions.

The key to embracing all of these areas is to remember that reading needs to be seen as a fun activity. For many schools, the formal assessments required for accountability can diminish the enjoyment of reading. Assessments can be camouflaged into engaging activities. You can be creative and design formative assessments that don't cause anxiety. Watch the video below and you'll see what we mean!

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How Do Graphic Organizers Improve Reading Comprehension?

Graphic organisers help students visualize relationships between ideas, making abstract concepts more concrete and memorable. Teachers can use story maps, cause-and-effect charts, or character webs to help students organise information while reading. These visual tools reduce cognitive load and provide a framework for students to track and connect key information from texts.</strong>

Using a graphic organiserfor reading comprehension is an effective comprehension approach for classroom practice. A graphic organiser can be a way to map and sequence information as well as keep organised notes during independent reading time. These comprehension strategies are a powerful way to enhance comprehension and when students use graphic organisers, they develop the capacity to respond analytically and critically to information they encounter.

When you give students graphic organisers to follow as they read, you create the opportunity for a lot of thinking. It is often best to give students a series of questions they can use to help themselves identify what they don't understand. Once they understand what they don't understand, they can use it to support a response and either expand their knowledge or solidify their understanding. In this way, it is easier to develop a student's comprehension and understanding in a sustained way.

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How Does Reading Comprehension Impact Learning Across All Subjects?

Strong reading comprehension skills are essential for success in mathematics, science, and social studies where students must understand word problems, instructions, and informational texts. Students with weak comprehension struggle to access curriculum content even when they understand subject-specific concepts. Teachers across all disciplines need to explicitly teach reading strategies relevant to their subject's text types and vocabulary.

All of our subjects are found in language, which is the medium of thought. There are subjects with a practical element in other planes as well: in light, in movement, in sound, and in technology. To better represent the things they want to represent, some subjects have created additional languages. All of our subjects are found in language, which is the medium of thought. Without a broad vocabulary or an understanding of the conventions of language, access to all of our subjects remains difficult. We really hope this article helps you and your colleagues think about reading comprehension in a different light.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between reading fluency and reading comprehension, and why does this matter in the primary classroom?

Reading fluency refers to the ability to read words smoothly and accurately, whilst reading comprehension is the process of understanding the text and the message behind it. This distinction is crucial because students who sound fluent may actually understand nothing, creating a hidden crisis where comprehension gaps go undetected until secondary school.

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How can teachers identify reading comprehension problems in students who appear to read well?

Teachers should observe students who read fluently but struggle to explain what they've read or answer basic questions about the text. Simple checks include asking students passages in their own words, explain the main idea, or look for warning signs like relying heavily on pictures, struggling with inference questions, or giving vague responses about story details.

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What is the 40-time rule and how can teachers make word repetition engaging for struggling readers?

The 40-time rule refers to research showing that some pupils need to encounter words up to 40 times before achieving recognition. Teachers can make this repetition engaging through scaffolding strategies and varied activities rather than traditional drilling, ensuring multiple mea ningful exposures to vocabulary in different contexts.

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Why does focusing on sentence construction improve reading comprehension more effectively than traditional vocabulary lists?

Sentence construction helps students understand how words work together to create meaning, moving beyond simple vocabulary memorisation to develop awareness of grammar patterns and text structure. This enables students to decode complex sentences and better understand author intent, as understanding how ideas connect is central to developing meaning from entire texts.

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What types of questions should teachers ask to genuinely assess comprehension rather than just recall?

Teachers should move beyond generic comprehension questions to formative assessments that reveal what children truly understand. This includes incorporating oracy skills and speaking and listening activities, asking students to explain connections between ideas, and using questions that require students to demonstrate understanding rather than simply repeat information.

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How are writing skills connected to reading comprehension development in primary students?

Writing skill level is directly linked to reading comprehension because both require understanding of sentence construction, grammar patterns, and how ideas connect within and between sentences (cohesion). When students learn to build and deconstruct sentences through writing, they develop the same skills needed to decode complex sentences in their reading and understand text structure.

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What are the warning signs that a primary student may have hidden reading comprehension difficulties?

Warning signs include students who read fluently but cannot summarise what they've read, rely heavily on pictures for understanding, struggle with inference questions, or give vague responses when asked about story details. These students often slip under the radar because they don't have obvious decoding difficulties, making their comprehension problems less noticeable than other reading struggles.

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Further Reading: Key Research Papers

These peer-reviewed studies provide deeper insights into reading comprehension in the primary classroom and its application in educational settings.

Kemampuan Membaca Pemahaman Siswa Sekolah Dasar [Reading Comprehension Skills of Elementary School Students] 9 citations

Frans et al. (2023)

This paper examines reading comprehension abilities among elementary school students, focusing on how comprehensive reading skills serve as a foundation for educational success. It is particularly relevant for primary teachers as it provides insights into how reading comprehension develops from third grade onward and emphasises the importance of deep content understanding for student knowledge development.

Impact of a cognitive stimulation program on the reading comprehension of children in primary education 13 citations

Reina-Reina et al. (2023)

This study investigates how cognitive stimulation programs can improve reading comprehension in primary school children, exp loring the relationship between executive functions and reading performance. Primary teachers will find this research valuable as it demonstrates evidence-based interventions that can enhance students' cognitive abilities to support better reading comprehension outcomes.

Research on gamified platforms for reading comprehension 33 citations (Author, Year) demonstrates significant improvements in both comprehension skills and attitudes towards reading amongst primary school pupils, suggesting that game-based learning environments can effectively motivate young learners whilst enhancing essential literacy outcomes.

Sánchez et al. (2021)

This research examines how gamified learning platforms can improve both reading comprehension skills and student attitudes toward reading in primary education settings. The study is highly relevant for primary teachers seeking effective approaches to engage students in reading activities while simultaneously building comprehension skills through motivational game-based methods.

Do Textbooks Matter for Reading Comprehension? A Study in Flemish Primary Education 11 citations

Dockx et al. (2020)

This study analyses whether different textbooks impact reading comprehension performance and student engagement in Flemish primary schools using international literacy assessment data. Primary teachers will benefit from this research as it provides evidence about how textbook selection and curriculum materials can influence student reading outcomes and classroom engagement.

Enhancing second language motivation and facilitating vocabulary acquisition in an EFL classroom through translanguaging practices 12 citations

This paper explores how translanguaging practices in EFL classrooms can enhance student motivation and vocabulary acquisition for second language learners. While focused on foreign language learning, this research offers valuable insights for primary teachers working with multilingual students or those teaching reading comprehension in diverse linguistic environments.