C Curriculum Explorer
English·Reading Comprehension·meta

Connecting reading to experience

Link what is read or heard to own experiences; draw on background knowledge and vocabulary to support understanding of texts

Suggested ages 5–7

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Learning journey

Your child is building reading skills — understanding stories by identifying characters and events, asking questions about what they read, and connecting books to their own experiences.

Evidence of understanding

  • Make text-to-self connections (e.g. 'This reminds me of when I...')
  • Use personal experience to understand a character's feelings
  • Relate events in a story to own life to deepen comprehension

Assessment prompt

When Connecting reading to experience hears or reads a story about something familiar — like going to school or visiting a grandparent — do they connect it to their own life and use that to help understand what's happening?

Standards alignment

Eng/KS1/Y2/C/2aGB · uk-nc-2013

Draw on existing knowledge

The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1

Eng_Y1_RC_02GB · uk-nc-2013

Link reading to experience

The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key stage 1

Eng_Y1_RC_07GB · uk-nc-2013

Draw on background information

The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key stage 1