'He reads the whole page beautifully, but cannot tell me what happened'
This is a recognisable concern among parents and teachers. Reading aloud fluently does not prove that every word, inference or sequence of events has been understood. Equally, a child who reads slowly may understand a story well when someone else reads it aloud. The first useful step is to identify whether decoding, vocabulary, background knowledge or comprehension is the main barrier.
A conversation that goes beyond 'What happened?'
Choose a short text your child can read without constant interruption. After one paragraph ask: 'What changed?', 'Which words helped you work that out?' or 'What do you think the character will do, and why?' Accept an answer in the child's stronger language if your aim is to test understanding rather than English production. Then help them express the idea in English.
Reading is more than sounding out
The EEF reviews reading-comprehension strategies such as questioning, predicting, clarifying and summarising. These are most useful when explicitly modelled and practised with suitable texts.
Try a five-minute conversation
After reading a short passage, ask: What happened? What clues tell you why? Which word was unfamiliar? Let your child point to evidence in the text rather than guessing what the adult wants.
Match support to the stage
If decoding remains difficult, comprehension questions alone may not address the cause. Discuss phonics and reading fluency with the school. The DfE reading framework describes approaches used in England, not a universal rule for every Madrid school.
What if the child only guesses?
Return to one sentence and look for evidence together. Show how you infer a feeling from an action rather than from a word that explicitly names the emotion. Avoid asking so many questions that reading becomes an interrogation. Shared reading should still be enjoyable.
Writing difficulties can have different causes
A child may have excellent spoken ideas but struggle to spell, organise paragraphs or start a blank page. Ask them to tell you their idea first, jot a few key words, and then write one clear sentence. If reading or writing problems persist despite appropriate teaching, ask the school about a more detailed assessment.