Reading comprehension: answering the question asked

Comprehension answers are usually not wrong — they are just answering a slightly different question. That is fixable in a couple of weeks.

Point to the question words

"How do you know?", "Why did she feel that way?", "What does the word suggest?" Each demands a different shape of answer. Highlighting the command word before writing is the single most effective habit we teach.

Insist on evidence

At KS2, nearly every inference question needs a quotation or a line reference plus a short explanation. Two parts, both required.

The three-mark answer

A three-mark question usually wants three separate points, not one long sentence. Teach your child to number their points before writing.

What to practise at home

Read a paragraph aloud, then ask one question and insist on "because" in the answer. Ten minutes, three times a week, makes an enormous difference.