VIPERS skills progression

• VIPERS is a framework used in many primary schools to help children develop a full range of reading skills. It breaks reading comprehension into six key areas:

• V – Vocabulary: Understanding the meaning of words and phrases.

• I – Inference: Reading between the lines to work out information that is implied, not stated.

• P – Prediction: Thinking about what might happen next in a text.

• E – Explanation: Explaining preferences, viewpoints, and how ideas are developed in the text.

• R – Retrieval: Finding and recalling specific information from the text.

• S – Sequence (KS1) / Summarise (KS2): Putting events in order or summarising the main ideas.

• By teaching and practising each of these skills explicitly, VIPERS ensures pupils don’t just read words but actively engage with, question, and understand what they read. It also provides teachers with a clear structure for questioning and assessment, helping identify which skills children are secure in and where they may need extra support.

• VOCABULARY skills progression
• INFERENCE skills progression
• PREDICTION skills progression
• EXPLAIN skills progression
• RETRIEVAL skills progression
• SEQUENCE SUMMARISE skills progression