Reading
Reading Comprehension
At Bottesford Junior School, we use Reading VIPERS to help our children become confident, skilled, and enthusiastic readers. This approach, developed by The Literacy Shed, gives children the tools to understand and discuss what they read in a structured and engaging way.
What are Reading VIPERS?
VIPERS is an acronym that stands for the six key reading skills children need to develop strong comprehension:
|
Letter |
Skill |
What it means |
|
V |
Vocabulary |
Understanding the meaning of words and phrases in context. |
|
I |
Infer |
Reading between the lines — using clues to work out what’s really happening or how someone feels. |
|
P |
Predict |
Thinking about what might happen next in a story, using what we already know. |
|
E |
Explain |
Explaining how and why things happen, and giving reasons for our answers. |
|
R |
Retrieve |
Finding key facts or information directly from the text. |
|
S |
Sequence / Summarise |
For younger children: putting events in order. For older children: summarising the main ideas clearly. |
These six skills are taught and practised throughout our reading lessons.
How We Use VIPERS in School
- Teachers use VIPERS-style questions during whole-class reading sessions.
- Children learn to recognise question types linked to each VIPER skill.
- We use a wide range of texts — stories, poems, non-fiction, and extracts — to develop a deep love of reading.
- VIPERS questions help children think critically, discuss their ideas, and justify their answers with evidence from the text.
How You Can Help at Home
Here are some simple ways to support your child’s reading using VIPERS at home:
- Vocabulary (V)
- Ask: “What does that word mean?” or “Can you think of another word that means the same?”
- Talk about interesting or unusual words when reading together.
- Infer (I)
- Ask: “How do you think that character feels?” or “Why did they do that?”
- Predict (P)
- Ask: “What do you think might happen next?” and “Why do you think that?”
- Explain (E)
- Ask: “What is this part of the story about?” or “Why do you think the author chose that word?”
- Retrieve (R)
- Ask: “Can you find the sentence that tells us where they went?”
- Sequence / Summarise (S)
- Ask: “What happened first, next, and last?” or “Can you summarise what you just read in one sentence?”
These types of questions help children develop confidence, curiosity, and comprehension — essential skills for lifelong reading.
Why We Love VIPERS
- It builds understanding, not just decoding.
- It encourages active thinking and discussion.
- It helps teachers and parents use a shared language for reading skills.
- It makes reading lessons fun, focused, and meaningful!