KS1 Reading Report Comments (Years 1-2)

Reading here means reading aloud with accuracy and expression, discussing stories, poems and non-fiction, and understanding what is read: word meanings, retrieval, prediction, inference with evidence and summarising. Word reading through phonics sits under Phonics and Spelling.

Below are 9 sample sentences for KS1 (Years 1-2): one strength and one next step for each of the 4 comment levels (Extending / Confident / Developing / Beginning), plus a tip for families. They are a small selection from the 119 reading sentences in the full pack. Copy one, then add a detail only you know about the student.

Jump to: Extending · Confident · Developing · Beginning · Writing tips

Student name Pronouns

Fills in the name and pronouns on this page. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Extending E

Strengths

[Name] retells familiar stories in the right order, using the language of the book and describing how the story begins, builds and ends.

Next step

[Name] could now learn longer poems by heart and perform them to the class, changing [his/her/their] voice to suit each verse.

Confident C

Strengths

After listening to a story, [Name] can retell the main events in order, using a story map as a guide.

Next step

Next, [he/she/they] could practise reading with more expression by changing [his/her/their] voice for different characters in a story.

Developing D

Strengths

With a story map to help, [Name] can retell parts of a familiar story and is working on putting the events in order.

Next step

Rereading a familiar book several times will help [him/her/them] read more smoothly and add expression to the words.

Beginning B

Strengths

With pictures from the story to help, [Name] is starting to retell what happened at the beginning and end of a familiar tale.

Next step

Joining in with a familiar rhyme or repeated phrase each day will help [Name] recite more of it from memory.

Support at home

When you meet an unfamiliar word in a book, a recipe or a sign, talking about what it might mean from the words around it builds vocabulary.

How to write reading comments for KS1 (Years 1-2)

Separate fluency from understanding. Note whether the child rereads a page of a book matched to the sounds taught to make it smoother, then add one thing they can do with the story, such as retelling it in order.
Name a story, poem or rhyme the child joins in with or recites, or a favourite word they picked out. Parents can then return to that book at home and ask the same kind of question.
Keep comprehension next steps small for Years 1 and 2: answering a why question about a character, or predicting what happens next from the pictures, rather than a vague aim to improve understanding.

Watch out: Avoid describing reading only by the book a child is on or how many pages they read. Describe what they do with a text, such as explaining why a character changes their mind.

The scale describes how independently the child shows the learning. Extending suits independently, applies it in new contexts and explains reasoning; Confident suits usually and with occasional support; Developing suits sometimes, or with a model or word mat; Beginning names what the child does with adult support. Show the point through one piece of learning rather than writing the scale word itself.

What Reading covers

In these comments, reading covers these behaviours:

reads aloud accurately and fluently, rereading to check sense (word reading through phonics is under Phonics and Spelling)
listens to, discusses and enjoys a wide range of stories, poems and non-fiction, and reads for pleasure
retrieves and records information, and explains the meaning of words in context
predicts, infers characters' feelings and motives, and justifies ideas with evidence from the text
summarises, compares texts and discusses how authors use language, structure and presentation

More UK primary subjects comments

How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.