What is reading comprehension?

Reading comprehension is the process of interpreting written information, connecting it with prior knowledge, making inferences and checking meaning.

Understanding a text

Sounding out words helps reading but alone does not guarantee comprehension. Vocabulary, sentence structure, subject knowledge and text organisation all play roles. Before reading, learners can set a purpose; during reading, revisit confusing passages; afterwards, explain the main idea with evidence from the text. An inference is a conclusion justified by clues rather than an arbitrary guess.

Teaching and support

Teachers can model their thinking aloud, teach words in context and gradually support independent reading. Text should be neither trivial nor inaccessible. Questions can invite explanations instead of only choosing an answer. EEF discusses explicit teaching of comprehension strategies and their application with real texts.