How can you tell they’ve got it: Reading between the lines?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: Answer 'who', 'what', 'where' questions about a text using evidence; Infer a character's feelings from their actions (e.g. 'She's sad because she's crying'); Make logical guesses about unstated information using text clues. Or just try it together: While reading a story, can your child answer questions like "Why did the character do that?" or "How do you think they felt?" — using clues from the text rather than just guessing?

English Reading Comprehension Ages 5–10

Reading between the lines

Your child can answer who, what and where about a text. They can work out how a character feels, like sad because they are crying.

In curriculum terms

Ask and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts; make simple inferences based on what characters say and do

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

Answer 'who', 'what', 'where' questions about a text using evidence
Infer a character's feelings from their actions (e.g. 'She's sad because she's crying')
Make logical guesses about unstated information using text clues

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Try this together

While reading a story, can your child answer questions like "Why did the character do that?" or "How do you think they felt?" — using clues from the text rather than just guessing?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Characters, settings, and eventsages 5–8Need story elements to extract key details

Reading between the linesthis skill · ages 5–10

Unlocks

Story Sequence and Central Messageages 6–8Retelling key details builds on Y1 key details and inference

Inferring Characters' Feelings and Motivesages 7–10Inferring characters' feelings/motives with evidence builds on identifying key details and making simple inferences

Main Ideas & Note-Takingages 7–10Key details and inference support identifying main ideas

Story Lessons and Moralsages 7–8Identifying key details supports determining what the story's message is

Using evidence to answer questionsages 7–9Using evidence to answer scientific questions mirrors the skill of asking and answering questions about key details in informational texts in English

Questioning Historical Sourcesages 8–10Interrogating historical sources with critical questions builds on the skill of asking and answering questions about key details in non-fiction texts

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

Show candidate curriculum codes · 3 ACARA · 2 NSW · 3 VIC

Australian Curriculum v9 candidate

AC9E4LY05medium confidenceYear 4 · Literacy

use comprehension strategies such as visualising, predicting, connecting, summarising, monitoring and questioning to build literal and inferred meaning, to expand topic knowledge and ideas, and evaluate texts

AC9E5LE03medium confidenceYear 5 · Literature

recognise that the point of view in a literary text influences how readers interpret and respond to events and characters

AC9EFLE02medium confidenceFoundation · Literature

respond to stories and share feelings and thoughts about their events and characters

NSW syllabus codes & stages only

ENE-UARL-01medium confidenceEnglish K-10 · Early Stage 1

EN1-UARL-01medium confidenceEnglish K-10 · Stage 1

Victorian Curriculum 2.0 codes & levels only

VC2E4LY09medium confidenceEnglish · Level 4 · Literacy strand

VC2EFLY12medium confidenceEnglish · Foundation · Literacy strand

VC2E3LY10medium confidenceEnglish · Level 3 · Literacy strand

These are candidate alignments generated by semantic matching — machine-suggested and unreviewed (v0.1), not official or verified mappings. For official curriculum content see australiancurriculum.edu.au, curriculum.nsw.edu.au and f10.vcaa.vic.edu.au. Don’t rely on them for registration or compliance purposes.

Nearby on the map

Book Features and Author's Reasonsages 5–8 Characters, settings, and eventsages 5–8 Comparing Characters Across Storiesages 5–9 Connecting reading to experienceages 5–7

All Reading Comprehension skills →