ReadingWise Comprehension for Years 5 - 9, KS2 - KS3

ReadingWise Comprehension is a powerful, engaging, and fun literacy intervention module to develop the quest for meaning behind a narrative. Its content, structure, and design deliver age-appropriate sessions for primary and secondary schools. Over 300,000 pupils across the UK have benefited from ReadingWise modules.

ReadingWise Comprehension empowers learners through key reading and literacy strategies from years 5 through to year 9 (KS2 - KS3), across both primary and secondary schools, and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs).

Delivery: 10-week programme, 45-minute sessions run twice a week in groups of 10, with one trained member of staff (a TA, literacy lead, or teacher).

What is ReadingWise Comprehension?

ReadingWise Comprehension is a powerful, engaging, and fun literacy intervention module to develop the quest for meaning behind a narrative. Its content, structure, and design deliver age-appropriate sessions for Primary and Secondary schools in Years 5-9 (KS2 - KS3).

Struggling pupils work in groups of 10 with 1 staff member (normally a TA) supervising. There are 20 sessions. Each session is 45 minutes. We recommend 2 sessions per week minimum. So that's a 10-week programme.

“We have seen it as being a highly effective intervention that offers personalised learning to large numbers of children and has a measurable impact in a short amount of time.”
Hear more from Horfield Primary, Bristol >

How it works:

In a nutshell, Comprehension uses 3 main components (mega-skills & mini-skills, classroom discussion, and a gripping adventure!) to engage learners and build their skills and confidence.

Learners work independently on computers (or iPads) for 20 minutes. They practice the mega skills. They learn strategies. They progress through the adventure narrative. Then the group comes together to discuss the new chapter. This is an open discussion, our training prepares your staff for this. 

We like learners to be really vocal, and the staff to be much quieter! We provide lesson plans for every session, making it easy for your staff to implement this without extra admin and planning work.

Evidence that Comprehension works

According to the Education Endowment Foundation toolkit: "On average, reading comprehension approaches deliver an additional six months’ progress. Successful reading comprehension approaches allow activities to be carefully tailored to pupils’ reading capabilities, and involve activities and texts that provide an effective, but not overwhelming, challenge."

The evidence is secure. The EEF states: "There is extensive evidence in this area from a range of studies over the last 30 years."

Every module ReadingWise has developed is evidence-based and tested under academic conditions and in close collaboration with schools. Take a look at the research that underpins Comprehension and our other modules and programmes.

ReadingWise Comprehension Strategies

1. Mega-Skills and Mini-Skills

Evidence points to learning strategies to improve comprehension like questioning and thinking ahead. At ReadingWise, we call these strategies Mega-skills and there are four Mega-skills in the Comprehension programme. Each Mega-skill has 3 Mini-skills. Here they are:

We have developed a bright and engaging classroom poster to reinforce the key comprehension strategies.

Find out more and order your poster.

2. Discussion is crucial for developing understanding 

Discussion is important. Each session has time for discussion, where learners discuss the story and the skills providing a blend of independent work and structured collaborative learning.

3. The adventure narrative to drive engagement

Engagement is important. We've looked at what your learners are reading and have written a compelling story to hook them. This story is called The Red Stone of Calcutta. It creates a thread through the programme to keep it more engaging and ensure you don’t have to think of a book that would fit the programme, the curriculum, and one that would keep pupils of diverse reading ages entertained. 

Step-by-step, learners uncover new characters and new twists to the plot. They can't wait for the next session!

The Red Stone of Calcutta is presented online with rich audio support. Learners can listen to the story, recap passages, and pick out words and phrases. They can do this independently, and many choose to spend time at home getting a better understanding of the text.

ReadingWise interactive technology

Here’s a taster of how the Comprehension module's mega-skills, mini-skills, and narrative are brought together in our interactive technology:

The different skills are colour coded throughout...

The interactive comprehension activities work through the skills...

These examples are from Roald Dahl's The Twits ⏤ one of the books from the ReadingWise Learners Library - Click on the buttons below to view each comprehension 'mini-skill'.

The introduction to the Red Stone of Calcutta and it's characters...

Training for Teachers and TAs

As part of the Comprehension module, we deliver a 2-hour training session for your staff*. These are great sessions for schools interested in training their staff (in particular TAs) in effective comprehension. Best to have your literacy coordinator and TAs there. An SLT member would be great too.*Training can be delivered online or in-house depending on preferences and schedules. 

Is Comprehension accessible for those with dyslexia or visual impairments?

Across the UK, anywhere from 15% to 20% of children are either dyslexic or have visual impairments, according to the British Dyslexia Association (BDA). Dyslexia and visual impairments are usually picked up by schools, and this means pupils can benefit from extra resources and support as required under SEND provisions. 

We have designed every ReadingWise module to be accessible for everyone by default, with dyslexia-friendly font and audio support that comes as standard. Both can make a massive difference for pupils who are struggling to read as early setbacks can often impact them for life unless a suitable intervention is provided.  

Is ReadingWise worth the investment?

“As a school, we ended the year 22-23 with an outstanding 90%+ fluent readers across year groups 7-11. We made a remarkable 18% impact in reading following the launch of Star’s World Class Book Culture Programme.”

"Since implementing ReadingWise in our curriculum, we have observed a substantial improvement in the students' vocabulary acquisition. The interactive and engaging nature of the software has captivated their interest, making the learning process enjoyable and effective.”

“ Comprehension : this module stands out for us as it promotes engaging in discussions that help improve pupils' reading ages by enhancing comprehension, critical thinking, and vocabulary. The discussion questions deepen understanding while expressing and expanding their language skills, which ultimately contribute to improved reading proficiency.”

“In addition to the software having a pupil-friendly interface, we have found that coupling ReadingWise programmes with regular literacy assessment has incentivised engagement for learners; the faster they progress, the quicker they graduate from the modules.”

Sumaya Omerji, Assistant Principal, Quality of Education and Book Culture Lead, Eden Boys' Leadership Academy (a Star Academy secondary school in Manchester)

Find out more about how ReadingWise supports Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) . 

See what other headteachers and literacy leads say about ReadingWise in our case studies and frequently updated testimonials. 

Boost your school's literacy results: Arrange your 20-minute demo at a time to suit you. 

We highly recommend you spend 20-minutes running through the programme with our friendly and knowledgeable team by booking a demo to suit your diary.

How to implement ReadingWise Comprehension in my school

Here are the next steps to implementing ReadingWise and supporting struggling learners at your school.

What's included in ReadingWise Comprehension?

The cost includes:

What happens after the 10-week Comprehension programme?

Once pupils have completed the Red Stone of Calcutta, you can introduce them to the ReadingWise Learners Library. Pupils will also put their Mega-Skills to the test by completing a series of SAT-style tests.

Arrange your 20-minute demo at a time to suit you.

Arrange your demo

We are proud to work with and support: