“My daughter reads all the time.”

We hear this frequently.

Parents are often surprised when a child who loves books struggles with:

• comprehension questions
• verbal reasoning
• inference
• analysing texts

How can someone read so much but still struggle with comprehension?

The answer lies in understanding the difference between reading and comprehension.

Reading Is Not The Same As Understanding

Reading fluency involves:

• recognising words
• decoding text
• reading smoothly

Comprehension involves:

• interpreting meaning
• making connections
• drawing conclusions
• understanding themes
• evaluating ideas

A student can be highly fluent while still finding these higher-order thinking skills difficult.

The Role of Inference

One of the biggest shifts students encounter in upper primary school is inference.

Instead of answering:

“What happened?”

they are asked:

“Why did it happen?”

or

“What can we infer?”

Research shows that inference is one of the strongest predictors of reading comprehension success (Cain & Oakhill, 2007).

Students who struggle with inference often appear capable readers until comprehension tasks become more demanding.

I’ve been an English teacher for 21 years, and even I’ve found that I’m asking myself ‘what the heck is inference’ when teaching my 9 year old son English. Simply put, inference is all about representation. When something happens, or when something is written, a student needs to ask (or be asked!) what does this represent? I have found that the word represent translates so much easier than the word infer. But the discussion is key. 

Why Verbal Discussion Matters

Many children complete reading independently.

What they often miss is discussion.

When students discuss a text, they learn to:

• justify opinions
• explain reasoning
• identify evidence
• consider alternative interpretations

Research suggests that structured discussion significantly improves comprehension outcomes (Murphy et al., 2009).

The Shift in Upper Primary

By Years 5 and 6, schools increasingly assess:

• critical thinking
• text analysis
• interpretation
• evidence-based responses

Students are expected to move beyond simply understanding what happened.

They must explain why it matters. This is where an understanding of language techniques, representation and ‘inference’ comes into play.

How Parents Can Help

Simple questions can make a huge difference.

Instead of asking:

“Did you like the book?”

Try:

“Why do you think the character made that choice?”, “What choice of words, sentence or technique in the text suggests that to you” (ie. justify your choice) 

or

“What message do you think the author wanted readers to learn?”

These conversations help develop deeper thinking.

Final Thoughts

A child who reads regularly has a tremendous advantage.

However, reading volume alone does not automatically develop sophisticated comprehension skills.

The students who thrive academically are often those who learn to think deeply about what they read, discuss their ideas, and support their opinions with evidence.

References

Cain, K., & Oakhill, J. (2007). Children’s Comprehension Problems in Oral and Written Language. Guilford Press.

Murphy, P. K., Wilkinson, I. A. G., Soter, A. O., Hennessey, M. N., & Alexander, J. F. (2009). Examining the effects of classroom discussion on students’ comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(3), 740–764.

Snow, C. (2002). Reading for Understanding: Toward an R&D Program in Reading Comprehension. RAND Corporation.