Comprehension

At Hayfield School, we use an adapted version of Steps to Read from Literacy Counts to support the development of children’s comprehension skills. For pupils who have completed Read Write Inc but would find Steps to Read too challenging, we use an adapted version of Read Write Inc Comprehension. This approach uses familiar Read Write Inc texts to focus on the early development of comprehension skills, reducing cognitive load by linking comprehension work to texts the children already know and can read confidently.

Blank’s Level Questioning – Comprehension

We use Blank’s Levels of Questioning to support and develop children’s reading comprehension skills in a structured and progressive way. This approach helps staff to tailor questions to each child’s level of understanding and gradually extend their thinking.

Children are first supported to understand concrete information through Level 1 and Level 2 questions, which focus on identifying, naming, describing, and recalling key facts directly from the text or images. Once children are secure at this stage, they are guided towards Level 3 and Level 4 questions, which encourage them to think more deeply by making inferences, predicting outcomes, explaining reasons, and applying understanding beyond the text.

By systematically moving from literal understanding to higher-order thinking, Blank’s Levels ensure that children develop the essential skills needed for deep reading comprehension, while remaining supported and confident as their understanding grows.