A pupil may understand individual sentences but fail to connect them into an explanation, argument or sequence. Support should make the structure visible without reducing the text to isolated notes.

Begin by working through manageable sections and modelling the connections. As the pupil becomes more secure, reduce this to one or two planned prompts to paraphrase and connect.

Set a subject-specific purpose

Tell the pupil what they are reading to understand.

For example:

• “Identify how the writer’s argument develops.”

• “Follow the sequence that causes the reaction.”

• “Find the factors that explain the change.”

• “Work out how the two interpretations differ.”

A clear purpose helps the pupil decide which information matters.

Divide the text at meaningful points

Break after a stage, claim, example or change in argument. Do not split the text into equal-sized chunks without considering its structure.

After a section, ask the pupil to:

1. state the main point in their own words;

2. identify the sentence that carries it;

3. explain how it connects with the previous section.

If the pupil gives a list of details, model how to combine them into a concise statement.

Model a missed connection

Suppose a science text first explains that increasing temperature gives particles more energy, then states that collisions occur more frequently.

Think aloud: “The second sentence is not a new fact on its own. It explains what the extra energy causes, so the relationship is cause and effect.”

In history, a paragraph may present a reform before qualifying its impact. Model how words such as however, although and despite signal that the argument is changing direction.

Use paraphrasing, not copying

Ask the pupil to preserve the subject meaning while changing the wording. If technical vocabulary must remain, let them keep the term and paraphrase the explanation around it.

A copied sentence can be a useful piece of evidence, but it does not demonstrate that the pupil has connected the ideas.

Finish with a coherent overview

After the final section, bring the main points together:

• a short oral explanation;

• a cause-and-effect chain;

• a comparison;

• a brief written summary;

• an annotated diagram.

Avoid producing a page of disconnected bullet points. The final response should show how the parts relate.

Reduce support

Move from:

• teacher-led sections and full modelling;

• joint identification of main points;

• one prompt to paraphrase and connect;

• planned pauses chosen by the pupil;

• independent reading followed by a coherent overview.

Do not interrupt pupils who are already following the text successfully. Prompts should respond to a need, not become a ritual.

Check the underlying barrier

If connection remains difficult, consider whether the pupil lacks essential vocabulary, background knowledge, understanding of sentence structure or reading fluency. A generic summary routine will not resolve a specific knowledge gap.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Dividing text mechanically by paragraph length.

• Accepting copied sentences as a summary.

• Collecting details without connecting them.

• Prompting after every paragraph.

• Simplifying away the subject’s important complexity.

• Treating all texts as though they have the same structure.

• Continuing scaffolds after the pupil can connect ideas independently.

Evidence and further reading

The Education Endowment Foundation’s Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools emphasises subject-specific approaches to reading. Its Reading Comprehension Strategies summary covers modelling and guided practice in comprehension.