Reading vs Comprehension: What’s the Difference – and How to Improve Both

Reading is often celebrated as one of the most important skills a child can develop. Yet many of us have experienced this moment: you finish a page of a book, blink… and realise you have no idea what you just read.

Your eyes moved over the words. You recognised the vocabulary. You even read the sentences perfectly in your head. But the meaning? It's gone. It evaporated somewhere between the first and last paragraph.

This same thing often happens with children.

A child may read a page fluently, pronounce every word correctly, and still struggle to explain what the text means. This gap is the fundamental difference between reading and comprehension.

In our previous blog on the Importance of Reading, we followed the story of Alex, a young boy who discovered that books were gateways to new worlds. But for Alex to truly become an ‘avid reader’, he needs more than fluency – he needs understanding.

In this post, we’ll break down the difference between reading and comprehension, explain why both matter and share practical ways you can support your child’s reading and comprehension skill.

What is Reading?

Reading is the ability to recognise letters, decode words, and read text aloud or silently. It involves skills such as;

• phonics (connecting letters to sounds)

• word recognition, and

• reading fluency (speed, accuracy and expression).

For example, your child is asked to read this  sentence:

“The curious cat climbed the tall tree.”

If they can pronounce every word correctly and read it smoothly, they are demonstrating their reading ability.

What is Comprehension?

Comprehension is the ability to understand, interpret, and make meaning from what has been read. It goes beyond recognising words and includes:

• Understanding vocabulary in context

• Identifying the main idea

• Making inferences and predictions

• Connecting the text to prior knowledge

• Remembering and explaining information

Using the same sentence, and the context around it, a child with strong comprehension can answer the following questions:

• Why was the cat curious?

• How did it feel climbing the tree?

• What might happen next?

When comprehension is secure, a child can explain ideas in their own words and answer questions confidently.

Why Comprehension Becomes More Important Over Time

In the early years, children are praised for being good readers because they can read aloud confidently. However, as they progress, schoolwork becomes more demanding, comprehension becomes critical.

Subjects like maths, science, and social studies all rely heavily on understanding written instructions, questions and explanations.

A child who can read but struggles with comprehension may:

• Find it difficult to answer questions accurately

• Memorise information without truly understanding it

• Lose confidence as lessons become more complex

• Fall behind despite appearing to read well

Signs your child might be struggling with comprehension

Some common signs include:

• Reading fluently but struggling to summarise what they’ve read

• Difficulty answering “why” or “how” questions

• Forgetting what they’ve just read

• Avoiding reading longer or complex texts

• Guessing answers rather than explaining them

These signs don’t mean a child isn’t capable, they simply indicate that targeted support is needed.

How to improve reading skills

• Read regularly

Daily reading, even for 10–15 minutes, builds fluency and familiarity with words. 

• Choose the right level

Books should be challenging but not overwhelming. Too difficult, and reading becomes frustrating; too easy, and progress slows.  

• Read aloud together

Hearing fluent reading helps children model pronunciation, expression, and pacing.  

• Re-read favourite books

Repetition improves fluency and confidence, and children love revisiting familiar stories. 

How to improve comprehension skills

Ask open-ended questions

Instead of asking, “Did you like the story?”, try:

• What was the story mostly about?

• Why do you think the character did that?

• What do you think will happen next?

Encourage retelling

Ask your child to retell the story in their own words. This shows how much they truly understood.

Build vocabulary naturally

When unfamiliar words appear, encourage your child to ask questions about it. Then explain it to them using simple examples. Strong vocabulary supports strong comprehension.

Make connections

Help your child relate the text to real life:

• Have you ever felt like this character?

• Does this remind you of something that happened before?

Read different types of texts

Stories, instructions, articles, and poems all develop comprehension in different ways and prepare children for real-world reading.

Every child’s learning journey is different. Some may need more support with decoding words, while others need guidance in understanding and interpreting the text. What matters most is recognising the difference and responding early.

Strong reading makes comprehension possible. Strong comprehension gives reading purpose and meaning.

Not sure whether your child’s challenge is reading, comprehension, or both?

You don’t have to figure it out alone.

Give us a call — we’d be happy to discuss your child’s needs and recommend the most suitable support, whether that’s group lessons or personalised tutoring.