VIPERS Reading Explained: Parent Guide
What is VIPERS? Learn how this UK reading framework helps develop comprehension skills and how you can practice VIPERS at home with your child.
If you've heard your child's teacher mention "VIPERS" and wondered what it means, you're not alone. VIPERS is one of the most important reading frameworks used in UK primary schools, and understanding it can help you support your child's reading development at home.
What is VIPERS?
VIPERS is an acronym for the six key areas of reading comprehension that children need to master. It was developed to align with the UK National Curriculum and is now used in thousands of primary schools across the country.
The Six VIPERS Domains:
V - Vocabulary I - Inference P - Prediction E - Explain R - Retrieve S - Summarise
Every reading comprehension question your child encounters can be categorized into one of these six areas. By understanding VIPERS, you can help strengthen specific skills your child might be struggling with.
Breaking Down Each Domain
1. Vocabulary (V)
What it means: Understanding the meaning of words and how they're used in context.
Example Questions:
- What does the word 'magnificent' mean?
- Find and copy a word that means the same as 'angry'
- What does the phrase 'heart sank' tell you about how the character felt?
How to Practice at Home:
- When reading together, pause and ask: "What do you think this word means?"
- Play word games like synonym bingo
- Encourage your child to use new words in sentences
- Create a "word wall" of interesting vocabulary
Age-Appropriate Difficulty:
- Years 1-2: Focus on simple adjectives and common synonyms
- Years 3-4: Introduce figurative language like "raining cats and dogs"
- Years 5-6: Explore word roots, prefixes, and complex phrases
2. Inference (I)
What it means: Reading between the lines to understand what's not explicitly stated.
Example Questions:
- How do you think the character felt? Give evidence.
- Why do you think the author used these words?
- What impression do you get of the setting?
How to Practice at Home:
- Ask "How do you know?" after every inference
- Look for clues in both words AND illustrations
- Discuss characters' feelings and motivations
- Play "emotion detective" - spot feeling clues in the text
Key Phrase to Teach: "I know because..." - Every inference needs evidence!
Age-Appropriate Difficulty:
- Years 1-2: Simple emotions from pictures and obvious text clues
- Years 3-4: Character motivations and feelings with some subtlety
- Years 5-6: Complex emotions, themes, and subtle author techniques
3. Prediction (P)
What it means: Using clues from the text to make logical guesses about what might happen next.
Example Questions:
- What do you think will happen next?
- How do you think the story will end?
- What might the character do about this problem?
How to Practice at Home:
- Stop mid-chapter: "What do you predict will happen?"
- Look at book covers and predict the story before reading
- Discuss whether predictions were correct and why/why not
- Encourage predictions based on evidence, not wild guesses
Good Predictions Include:
- What you think will happen
- Why you think that (evidence)
- Connection to what's already happened
Age-Appropriate Difficulty:
- Years 1-2: Simple story predictions based on pictures
- Years 3-4: Chapter-end predictions using plot patterns
- Years 5-6: Complex predictions considering themes and character development
4. Explain (E)
What it means: Understanding WHY the author made certain choices and how the text works.
Example Questions:
- Why did the author use a question at the start?
- How does the heading help the reader?
- Explain how the use of short sentences creates tension
How to Practice at Home:
- Discuss author's techniques: "Why do you think they wrote it this way?"
- Compare different text types (story vs information text)
- Look at how illustrations support the text
- Ask about structure: "Why is this in bold/italics?"
Key Understanding: Authors make deliberate choices about words, structure, and techniques - nothing is accidental!
Age-Appropriate Difficulty:
- Years 1-2: Simple features like headings, bold text, speech marks
- Years 3-4: Paragraphs, chapters, basic literary techniques
- Years 5-6: Complex techniques like flashbacks, metaphors, viewpoint
5. Retrieve (R)
What it means: Finding and copying information directly from the text.
Example Questions:
- What did the character have for breakfast?
- Where did the story take place?
- Who said: "I don't want to go"?
How to Practice at Home:
- Play "find it first" - who can find the answer fastest?
- Teach scanning techniques (look for keywords)
- Practice using contents pages and indexes
- Ask specific fact-finding questions after reading
Top Tips:
- The answer IS in the text - you just need to find it
- Use keywords from the question to scan
- Sometimes you need to look back several pages
- "Find and copy" means write the EXACT words
Age-Appropriate Difficulty:
- Years 1-2: Single facts from one sentence
- Years 3-4: Information spread across paragraphs
- Years 5-6: Scanning long texts, finding multiple pieces of information
6. Summarise (S)
What it means: Pulling out the most important information and presenting it concisely.
Example Questions:
- Sum up what happened in the first paragraph
- What are the three main points the author makes?
- Summarise the character's journey in this chapter
How to Practice at Home:
- After reading, ask: "What were the 3 most important things?"
- Play "story in 10 words" - summarise the whole story briefly
- Create comic strip summaries
- Retell stories to family members in own words
The Challenge: Summarising is often the hardest skill - it requires identifying key information and ignoring less important details.
Age-Appropriate Difficulty:
- Years 1-2: Simple retelling of story beginning/middle/end
- Years 3-4: Main points from paragraphs or chapters
- Years 5-6: Themes, complex summaries, distinguishing fact from opinion
How Schools Use VIPERS
In the Classroom
Teachers use VIPERS to:
- Structure reading lessons around specific domains
- Track progress in each area separately
- Identify gaps in comprehension skills
- Plan targeted intervention for struggling readers
On School Reports
You might see comments like:
- "Strong in Retrieval but needs support with Inference"
- "Working at expected standard in all VIPERS domains"
- "Vocabulary skills exceeding age expectations"
VIPERS and SATs
Every SATs reading question is a VIPERS question!
The test doesn't label them, but knowing VIPERS helps children recognise question types quickly:
| Question Type | VIPERS Domain | Typical Marks |
|---|---|---|
| "What does...mean?" | Vocabulary | 1 mark |
| "How did...feel?" | Inference | 2-3 marks |
| "What will happen next?" | Prediction | 2 marks |
| "Why did the author..." | Explain | 2-3 marks |
| "When did..." | Retrieve | 1 mark |
| "Summarise..." | Summarise | 3 marks |
Practice VIPERS at Home: 5-Day Plan
Monday: Vocabulary Focus
Read for 15 minutes, stop at 5 interesting words, discuss meanings
Tuesday: Inference Challenge
Read a chapter, ask 3 "how do you know?" questions
Wednesday: Prediction Practice
Stop mid-story, predict what happens, check if right
Thursday: Explain & Retrieve
Why did author use these words? Find 5 facts from the text.
Friday: Summarise
Retell the week's reading in 50 words or less
Free VIPERS Question Stems
Download and print these question prompts for each domain:
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does the word _____ mean?
- Find a word that means...
- Which word tells you that...?
Inference Questions:
- How does the character feel? How do you know?
- What impression do you get of...?
- Why do you think...?
Prediction Questions:
- What do you think will happen next?
- How might the story end?
- What might the character do about...?
Explain Questions:
- Why did the author choose...?
- How does this part make you feel...?
- Why is this text effective?
Retrieve Questions:
- What/when/where/who/how...?
- Find and copy...
- True or false:...
Summarise Questions:
- What are the main points?
- Summarise what happens in...
- Retell the story in...words
VIPERS Progress Tracking
Green (Strong)
Child answers most questions correctly with good evidence
Amber (Developing)
Child sometimes struggles or needs prompting
Red (Needs Support)
Child finds this domain challenging
How to Help Red Areas:
- Focus on ONE domain per week
- Use targeted practice questions
- Model your own thinking out loud
- Celebrate small improvements
VIPERS in Different Text Types
Fiction
- Strong on Inference and Prediction
- Focus on character, plot, and theme
Non-Fiction
- Strong on Retrieve and Summarise
- Focus on facts, layout, and structure
Poetry
- Strong on Vocabulary and Explain
- Focus on language and meaning
Common VIPERS Mistakes
Mistake 1: Guessing on Inference
Fix: Always ask "How do you know?" - evidence is essential
Mistake 2: Over-Thinking Retrieve
Fix: The answer IS in the text - scan for keywords
Mistake 3: Too Much Detail in Summarise
Fix: Focus on the 3-5 most important points only
Mistake 4: Ignoring Context for Vocabulary
Fix: The text often gives clues - read the sentence before and after
VIPERS by Year Group
Year 1-2 (Key Stage 1)
Focus: Retrieval and Vocabulary
- Simple facts
- Basic story elements
- Picture clues
Year 3-4 (Lower Key Stage 2)
All VIPERS introduced:
- More complex vocabulary
- Multi-step inference
- Author technique basics
Year 5-6 (Upper Key Stage 2)
Advanced VIPERS:
- Subtle inference
- Complex themes
- Advanced author analysis
Using Primary Story for VIPERS
Primary Story automatically tracks your child's progress across all 6 VIPERS domains:
✅ See exactly which domains need work
✅ Practice questions tailored to weak areas
✅ Track improvement over time
✅ VIPERS-aligned with every question
Final Thoughts
VIPERS isn't just a school thing - it's a framework for life-long reading comprehension. By understanding VIPERS, you can:
- Support your child more effectively
- Understand school reports better
- Make reading discussions more purposeful
- Celebrate specific improvements
Remember: Every reader has stronger and weaker domains. The goal isn't perfection - it's progress.
Ready to Track Your Child's VIPERS Progress?
Primary Story provides:
- ✅ Automatic VIPERS tracking
- ✅ Targeted practice for weak areas
- ✅ Detailed progress reports
- ✅ Aligned with UK National Curriculum
No credit card required.
Help Your Child Excel
Use Primary Story to help your child boost their reading age.
Start Free TrialNo credit card required