A brief prompt can help a pupil restart when they hesitate over an unfamiliar word. The prompt should direct attention to a strategy the pupil already knows, not do the reading for them. As soon as the pupil begins selecting the strategy independently, reduce the prompt.

This light-touch approach is appropriate when the underlying knowledge has been taught and the pupil needs help applying it. Repeated difficulty with basic patterns may require more assessment or structured teaching.

Use one short prompt hierarchy

Agree a small set of prompts and use them consistently across reading and spelling. Give the pupil time to attempt the word before stepping in.

A useful sequence is:

1. Say it slowly.

2. Find the part you know.

3. Try the whole word.

4. Check whether it makes sense.

For spelling, the same sequence can be adapted: say the word slowly, identify the sounds and known patterns, write it, then check it.

Do not deliver every prompt at once. Use the least support needed and pause so the pupil can act.

See what this looks like in class

If a pupil pauses at market, the teacher might wait, then say, “Find the part you know.” If the pupil identifies ar and reads the word, the teacher returns attention to the sentence.

If the pupil cannot begin because the pattern has not been learnt or the word is unusually complex, supply the word and continue. The purpose is to support reading, not to turn every hesitation into a test.

During spelling, a discreet prompt such as “Say it slowly and mark the sounds” may be enough. Avoid giving a different strategy each time.

Fade the prompt deliberately

Move through these stages:

• use the agreed verbal prompt;

• shorten it to one key phrase;

• point to a small prompt card or classroom display;

• wait and allow the pupil to choose the strategy;

• acknowledge independent use briefly.

Fading is not withholding help. If the pupil becomes stuck or loses the meaning of the text, provide the word and continue. Return to teaching the underlying pattern at a suitable time.

Keep the prompt from interrupting reading

Over-prompting can make reading hesitant and shift attention away from meaning. Avoid interrupting every small error, especially when it does not change the meaning of the sentence.

Choose when to intervene. Prompt when the word is important, the pupil has the knowledge needed to solve it, and a brief cue is likely to help. Supply the word when extended decoding would disrupt understanding or embarrass the pupil.

Check whether the strategy is becoming independent

Over several lessons, notice whether the pupil:

• begins without waiting for an adult;

• selects a useful known pattern;

• blends the whole word after analysing a part;

• checks the result against the sentence;

• uses the same approach in spelling.

If the pupil remains dependent on prompts, identify whether the problem is insecure knowledge, text difficulty, attention or confidence. Adjust the support rather than repeating the same cue indefinitely.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Prompting immediately without giving thinking time.

• Asking vague questions such as “What do you think?”

• Giving several strategies at once.

• Making the pupil decode every difficult word when the lesson depends on meaning.

• Continuing the prompt after the pupil can use the strategy alone.

• Assuming persistent basic decoding difficulty can be solved through reminders.

Evidence and further reading

The Department for Education’s Reading Framework discusses systematic phonics teaching and practice. The Education Endowment Foundation’s Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1 includes guidance on developing fluent reading and using structured support.