Reading Comprehension: The Key to Learning Across All Subjects | Mindset Counts

What Is Reading Comprehension and Why Does It Matter?

When we talk about education, reading is often treated as a basic skill - something children do so they can access books. But reading is more than sounding out words. It is the ability to understand, interpret, and make sense of what those words are saying.

And that’s the true foundation of learning.

At Mindset Counts, we guide children to understand what they read - how to untangle meaning, make connections, think deeply, and use reading as a tool for learning. Because when a child can comprehend effectively, every subject becomes more accessible.

The Hidden Gap Between Reading and Understanding

A child may be able to decode every word on a page, but if they don’t understand what those words mean, the learning stops there.

This is the most common hidden barrier in education:

• A child can read the sentence

• But they cannot explain it

• They cannot use it

• They cannot connect it to what they already know

  
  

This gap - between reading and understanding - is where many children struggle, even if they appear to be fluent readers.

What Strong Comprehension Unlocks:

• Vocabulary

• Higher-level thinking

• Inference and deduction

• Critical analysis

• Confidence

• Independence

Ultimately: comprehension turns reading into learning.

Why Comprehension Is the Gateway to All Subjects

Comprehension is not just for English lessons. It quietly underpins everything children are asked to do.

How Comprehension Supports Science Learning

In science, children must interpret explanations, identify key facts, or compare ideas. Without understanding the text, the science concepts slip away.

Why History and Geography Depend on Comprehension

In history and geography, children must follow narratives, timelines, and cause-and-effect relationships. Comprehension is what makes these subjects meaningful.

Why Reading Comprehension Affects Progress in Maths

In maths (this is the big one): A child may be an excellent mathematician but if they cannot understand what the question is asking, they cannot show what they know.

This is one of the most painful barriers we see:

A child knows how to solve the problem - but the reading gets in the way.

Word problems, reasoning questions, and multi-step tasks rely on comprehension just as much as they rely on number sense.

How Comprehension Helps in Maths

Strong comprehension lets children:

• Pick out the relevant information

• Ignore distractions

• Identify what the question actually wants

• Apply the correct method confidently

Without this, their mathematical ability is often hidden behind the reading.

This is why comprehension is not “an English thing.” It is a thinking thing. It helps children understand the world, the task, and what is being asked of them.

Reading Comprehension as a Life Skill

Strong comprehension skills help children:

• Learn independently

• Solve problems

• Ask better questions

• Build meaning-rich vocabulary

• Understand instructions

• Persevere through challenges

• Think critically and logically

These are the skills that last a lifetime - far beyond primary school.

When children understand what they read, they feel capable, confident, and ready to take on new ideas. That sense of “I get this” is the foundation of academic growth and personal resilience.

How Mindset Counts Helps Children Improve Their Comprehension

Everything we create is designed to strengthen understanding, not just accuracy:

• Structured comprehension steps

• Support with choosing the right books to free up working memory

• Rich vocabulary exposure

• Age-appropriate reading ladders

• Question types that build depth and confidence

• Tools that help children think about their thinking (metacognition)

Our goal is simple:

To help children become readers who truly understand what they are reading - and can use that understanding everywhere.

Final Thoughts: When Children Understand What They Read, Everything Opens Up

Reading is more than saying the words.

Reading is meaning-making.

When children can comprehend confidently:

• They learn more deeply

• They apply what they know

• They show what they’re capable of

• They thrive across the whole curriculum

This is why reading comprehension sits at the heart of Mindset Counts. Not because we want to improve English - but because we want to remove the invisible barriers that stop children from learning, thinking, and showing their true abilities.

When a child understands what they read, the whole world opens up.

How You Can Support Your Child’s Reading Comprehension at Home

1. Explore our Reading Packs for KS2 (Aged 7-11) to build confident, independent readers.

2. Discover our Reading Ladders to help you choose the right reading books.

3. Subscribe to our newsletter to get practical, reassuring advice on comprehension, mindset, and learning strategies.

   
   

References

OECD. (2019). PISA 2018 Results: What Students Know and Can Do. Paris: OECD Publishing.