FOR PARENTS · AGES 5–11

My child can read the words but doesn't understand: what helps

Reading is two skills, working out the words and understanding the language. If decoding still takes effort, little attention is left for meaning, so build speed by rereading and talk about the story.

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Reading the words and understanding them are two different skills, and it's common for one to run ahead of the other. This guide explains why it happens, gives you a simple listening check to try at home, and sets out what helps.

By the Litsee team · Last reviewed 3 November 2026 · About this guide

The short answer: reading is two skills, not one

The national curriculum says: “The programmes of study for reading at key stages 1 and 2 consist of two dimensions:” word reading, and comprehension (both listening and reading). It adds that “different kinds of teaching are needed for each.” (DfE national curriculum). The DfE's reading framework puts it another way: “Reading has been described as the product of decoding and comprehension” (DfE reading framework).

So a child can be good at one and still learning the other. That's normal, and it tells you where to put your effort at home.

Why it happens

The words still take effort. The framework explains that when a reader is fluent, “Because the reader has gained accuracy and automaticity in word reading, the brain’s resources are available to focus on lifting the meaning from the page”. When every word is hard work, the story gets lost.
The language is the hard part. “Comprehension does not refer to reading itself but, rather, to the way in which we make sense of words, sentences and the wider language we hear or read.” A child who decodes well may still meet words, sentences or ideas they don't know yet.
Or simply attention. Tired, rushing to finish, or not interested in this book: all of these make anyone read without taking it in.

A listening check to try at home

This isn't a test, and it doesn't tell you what's wrong. It's a way to notice something useful to tell the teacher. Do it as a chat, on a day when your child isn't tired.

Read a page to them. Choose a story at about their level and read one page aloud, with expression.
Ask what happened. “What's going on so far?” Let them tell you in their own words. Don't correct yet.
Now they read a page. Let them read the next page aloud to you, at their own speed. Help with a word if they're stuck.
Ask again, and compare. “What happened on that page?” Notice whether they could tell you more when they listened or when they read.

They understood more when you read

Their understanding may be ahead of their reading speed. Rereading for fluency is a good next step.

They struggled either way

The language or ideas may be the hard part. Lots of talk about stories and words can help.

Need a story for it? Our free stories show the reading age on each one, and can be read aloud by a narrator.

If it's speed: reread, don't rush

The reading framework is clear: “Urging pupils to read at speed will not increase their fluency: they can read only at the speed they can decode.” What does help is rereading: “Re-reading a text, therefore, gradually increases the number of words in it that they can read ‘at a glance’.” (DfE reading framework).

Read the school book two or three times across the week. The second time is often much smoother.
Take turns: you read a page, they read a page, so the story keeps moving.
Pick books just below their limit for reading alone, so they can enjoy the story.
Read a page aloud first, then let them read the same page. Hearing it once makes the second read smoother.

Fluency takes time to grow, and it grows with practice on books they can manage. A few minutes most days, on a book they've met before, does more than a long session on something new and hard.

If it's understanding: talk, talk, talk

Stop at the end of a page and ask what just happened, or what they think will happen next.
Talk about new words. “Ooh, ‘peculiar’. What do you think that means?” Then use it yourself later.
Keep reading aloud to them, from books above their own level, and chat about them.

The DfE's tips for parents include “Talk about books” as one of the ten (DfE), and the Education Endowment Foundation's guidance suggests, for older primary children, “in later primary, activities that support reading comprehension through shared book reading” (EEF). The Year 6 reading test checks understanding too, through questions on word meaning, finding information and inference (STA framework). Our guide to questions to ask about a book has questions by age.

When to tell the teacher

Tell the class teacher whenever you notice a pattern, with an example: “She read chapter 3 fluently but couldn't tell me anything about it,” or “He follows stories I read to him, but not the ones he reads.” That helps them choose the right book and the right practice. If reading is getting harder over time, or upsetting your child, ask to talk to the school's SENCO too.

Questions parents ask

Why can my child read the words but not understand them?

Reading needs two skills: working out the words and understanding the language. If working out the words still takes a lot of effort, there is little attention left for the meaning. Some children decode well but need more help with vocabulary and understanding stories. The class teacher can help you tell which.

How can I help my child understand what they read?

Reread favourite books so they get smoother, pause at the end of a page to ask what just happened, talk about new words, and keep reading aloud to them from books above their level. Short, regular chats about stories help more than long question sheets.

Should I make my child read faster?

No. The DfE's reading framework says urging children to read at speed won't increase their fluency, because they can only read at the speed they can decode. Rereading the same book is what builds speed.

When should I talk to the teacher about comprehension?

Any time you notice a pattern, such as your child reading fluently but never being able to tell you what happened, or understanding stories read to them but not ones they read alone. Tell the teacher what you've noticed, with an example.

Sources

National curriculum in England: English programmes of study (key stages 1 and 2) Department for Education, September 2013, updated 16 July 2014, checked 3 November 2026
The reading framework (sections 1 and 4: the Simple View of Reading; developing fluency) Department for Education, July 2023, updated 22 September 2023, checked 3 November 2026
Key stage 2: English reading test framework Standards and Testing Agency, 2015, for tests from 2016, checked 3 November 2026
Working with Parents to Support Children's Learning (guidance report) Education Endowment Foundation, undated PDF, checked 3 November 2026
10 top tips for parents to support children to read Department for Education, 16 July 2020, updated 25 April 2022, checked 3 November 2026

About this guide

Written by the Litsee team and checked line by line against the sources listed on this page.

The listening check is our own suggestion for a conversation at home. It is not an assessment and doesn't diagnose anything; the class teacher is the right person to judge your child's reading.

Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email info@litsee.com and we will fix it. Last reviewed: 3 November 2026.

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