EloqovaBook free demo

For parents of young learners

Reading comprehension tips for kids

Many children can read the words aloud but struggle to answer questions about what they read. Comprehension, or understanding a text, is a separate skill from reading words. It grows when children learn to think and talk about what they read. Here are 8 strategies, 10 questions and a short practice passage.

By the Eloqova team · Updated 11 November 2026

Free printable kit for your child's class: speaking worksheets and a speech planner.Get it free

Talk about it: Children who discuss a story aloud understand and remember it far better than those who only read it silently.

8 strategies to practise

  1. Look at the title and pictures first and guess what the text is about.
  2. Read the passage once fully, then again slowly.
  3. Stop after each paragraph and say what happened in one sentence.
  4. Underline new words and guess their meaning from the sentence.
  5. Picture the scene in your mind as you read.
  6. Ask who, what, where, when, why and how questions.
  7. Find the answer in the text and point to the line.
  8. Retell the whole story in your own words at the end.

10 questions to ask while reading

  1. What do you think this will be about?
  2. Who are the main characters?
  3. Where does the story happen?
  4. What happened first?
  5. What is the problem in the story?
  6. How did the character feel? How do you know?
  7. What do you think will happen next?
  8. Why did the character do that?
  9. How was the problem solved?
  10. What did you learn from this story?

A short practice passage

Riya planted a small seed in a pot. Every morning she watered it and kept it in the sun. After a week, a tiny green shoot came out. Riya was so happy that she ran to show her grandmother. "Plants need care, just like people," said her grandmother with a smile.

Questions on the passage

QuestionAnswer
What did Riya plant?A small seed in a pot.
What did she do every morning?She watered it and kept it in the sun.
When did the shoot come out?After a week.
How did Riya feel?She was very happy.
What did her grandmother say?Plants need care, just like people.

How to practise at home

  1. Read one short story a day and ask 3 questions from the list.
  2. Ask your child to retell the story to another family member.
  3. Let your child ask you questions about a story too.
  4. Keep a list of new words from each story.

Questions parents ask

Why can my child read but not understand?

Reading words and understanding them are different skills. Children need practice thinking and talking about what they read.

How can I improve my child's reading comprehension?

Read together daily, stop to talk after each paragraph, ask who, what, why and how questions and have your child retell the story.

How do I teach my child to answer comprehension questions?

Teach them to find the line in the text that has the answer, and then write the answer in a full sentence.

More free guides

Want expert help? See our phonics classes for kids: live 1:1 online classes for UKG to Grade 8.