How do we know whether support for reading questions in maths and science is working?

Establish the original barrier

Ask the pupil to explain the question before calculating or describing a scientific process. They may decode it accurately yet misunderstand a word such as 'difference', overlook 'not' or confuse information given with information requested. A subject error later in the task is not necessarily a reading error.

Keep a short sample of the pupil's explanation and response. Include the wording of the question and any diagrams. This allows a later review to compare the actual demand rather than simply compare scores from unrelated worksheets.

State what the support is intended to change

Choose a specific approach, such as clarifying the command word, identifying the unknown quantity or relating a sentence to a diagram. Model the reasoning on one question, then ask the pupil to use it on a different example. Avoid training a rule such as 'circle numbers and add' that bypasses meaning.

In a science question asking for a prediction and a reason, the pupil might first identify that two parts are needed. A prompt showing 'what I think will happen' and 'why' can support the response structure without supplying the scientific conclusion.

Keep the adult's contribution visible

Distinguish reading a word aloud from rephrasing the question or explaining how to solve it. These provide different levels of help. Record the least support that enables the pupil to interpret the question, then check their subject reasoning with that access in place.

Do not remove an accessible aid merely to prove independence. Instead, look for independent use of the aid and reduce unnecessary adult direction. Formal assessments have their own rules on reading assistance and must be checked separately.

Test transfer to new material

Use an unfamiliar question with a similar language demand and a familiar subject concept. Review interpretation, relevant information, reasoning and accuracy separately. If the pupil uses the routine only when reminded, teach when to apply it. If they understand the question but still make a subject error, adjust the relevant subject teaching rather than extending a reading intervention without evidence.