Pathways

What does the Curriculum for Wales say about comprehension?

The National Literacy and Numeracy Framework for Wales is divided into two elements for reading across the curriculum:

• Locating, selecting and using information, which covers reading strategies
• Responding to what has been read, which includes comprehension.

The yearly expectations for comprehension in the LNF are developed in the Foundation Phase Framework and programmes of study for English and Welsh at key stage 2.

By the end of the Foundation Phase, children are expected to be able to:

• recall and retell narratives and information from texts with some detail
• identify information from a text accurately and sort into categories or headings
• explain relevant details from texts
• draw upon relevant personal experience and prior knowledge to support understanding of texts
• refine and revise predictions in fiction and non-fiction texts.

Curriculum for Wales: Foundation Phase Framework (Revised 2015). p21
https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales-2008/foundation-phase/foundation-phase-framework/

By the end of key stage 2, children are expected to be able to:

• show understanding of main ideas and significant details in different texts on the same topic
• infer ideas which are not explicitly stated
• identify ideas and information that interest them to develop further understanding
• identify and begin to comment on similarities and differences between continuous and/or non-continuous texts in terms of language, techniques, structure, character and form.

Curriculum for Wales: Programme of Study for English: Key stages 2-4. p7

While there is progression in the expectations for comprehension, much of the development in this area comes from reading increasingly sophisticated texts.

Detailed curriculum guidance can be found on the Learning Wales website.

In January 2020, the Welsh Government published its Curriculum for Wales guidance. Although the new curriculum will not become statutory until 2022, this guidance can provide a useful insight into what will be expected from teachers and learners. You can find the new curriculum guidance here.