How to Improve English Reading Skills in Your School: A Practical 90-Day Plan

Can every child in your school read and understand a simple English passage?

You may have students who memorize answers but struggle to read examination questions independently. Some can recognise English words but cannot understand complete sentences. Others can read aloud but find it difficult to explain what they have read.

Have you ever wondered how these reading difficulties affect your students’ classroom learning and examination performance?

As a school principal or teacher, you need to look beyond marks and identify the learning difficulties behind them. One important step is to help every child develop age-appropriate English reading skills.

At your school, you can approach this challenge through a structured 90-Day English Reading Improvement Program for Classes I–V.

Here is a practical plan you can adapt to your own school.

1. Assess Every Child Before You Begin

Your first step is to understand each student’s current reading ability. During the first five school days, assess children individually using short, age-appropriate activities.

Identify whether each child can recognize letters, connect sounds, read familiar words, read sentences or understand a short passage.

You can classify students into five flexible levels:

Level 1	Beginner	Recognizes very few English letters.
Level 2	Beginner	Recognises letters but struggles with sounds.
Level 3	Word Reader	Reads familiar words but struggles with unfamiliar ones
Level 4	Sentence Reader	Reads simple sentences with difficulty
Level 5	Fluent Reader	Reads and understands an age-appropriate passage.

Remember, your purpose is not to label children. It is to discover what support each child needs.

A Class V student who struggles with basic letter sounds requires a different approach from a Class II student with similar difficulties. You can choose learning materials according to the child’s needs, not merely the class in which they study.

2. Protect 30 Minutes for Daily Reading Practice

If you want your students to become better readers, occasional reading activities are not enough. You need a consistent daily routine.

You can organise a 30-minute reading period as follows:

5 minutes	Listen and repeat	Model letter sounds, words and simple sentences
8 minutes	Learn reading skills	Practice phonics, blending, word families and vocabulary.
10 minutes	Read aloud	Let students read individually, in pairs or in small teacher-led groups.
7 minutes	Check understanding	Ask simple questions about the words or passage.

For example, demonstrate the sounds /c/, /a/ and /t/, then help children blend them to read cat.

As student’s progress, introduce sentences, short passages and textbook reading. You should remember that English spelling includes irregular patterns, so phonics should be combined with vocabulary, high-frequency words and meaningful reading.

If you cannot arrange one continuous 30-minute period, divide the practice into two 15-minute sessions. What matters is consistency.

3. Set Clear Reading Goals for Each Class

Your students do not all need the same reading activities. You can plan according to their age, ability and learning needs.

Class I	Focus on letter recognition, sounds and simple words such as cat, pen and sun.
Class II	Practice familiar words, word families, simple sentences and picture stories.
Class III	Introduce short paragraphs, repeated reading, vocabulary and comprehension questions.
Class IV	Develop textbook reading fluency, understanding of unfamiliar words and paragraph summarizing.
Class V	Strengthen independent reading, comprehension, understanding of instructions and writing answers.

4. Create Three Flexible Reading Groups

One classroom strategy that can make your work more effective is grouping students according to their current reading needs.

Group A	Foundation Readers	These students need direct teacher support with letters, sounds and basic words. Give them simple, suitable reading materials and frequent guided practice.
Group B	Developing Readers	These students can read familiar words but struggle with sentences or paragraphs. Help them through guided reading, repeated reading and vocabulary activities.
Group C	Independent Readers	These students can read age-appropriate passages. Give them storybooks, comprehension tasks and opportunities for supported peer reading.

You must review the groups every two weeks. Move students when their progress demonstrates readiness.

You do not allow reading groups to become permanent labels. Your goal is to help every child move forward.

5. Connect Reading Skills with Examination Performance

You may have noticed that some students know the answer but difficult to understand what a question is asking. Reading difficulties can prevent them from demonstrating what they have learned.

Teach your students a simple five-step method:

Read the question carefully.
Identify the key word: who, what, when, where or why.
Understand what the question requires.
Find the relevant information in the passage or textbook.
Write the answer in a complete sentence.

For example:

Question: Where does Ravi live?

Passage: Ravi lives in Ranapur.

Answer: Ravi lives in Ranapur.

You should practise common examination instructions such as choose, match, fill in the blanks, complete, circle and answer the following questions.

You should allow students to explain answers orally before writing them. Gradually encourage them to read and interpret questions independently.

Improved reading can help students understand examination questions more accurately. However, you should remember that marks also depend on subject knowledge, writing skills, attendance and other factors.

6. Follow a Clear 90-Day Action Plan

A well-planned program needs regular monitoring. You can divide your implementation into four phases.

Days 1–15: Assess and Organize

Assess every student’s reading ability.
Maintain class-wise reading registers.
Form flexible reading groups.
Arrange suitable reading materials.
Explain the programme to teachers and parents.

Days 16–45: Build Reading Habits

Conduct daily reading sessions.
Provide additional support to struggling readers.
Conduct weekly reading checks.
Encourage 10 minutes of reading at home.
Hold short weekly teacher review meetings.

Days 46–75: Develop Fluency and Comprehension

Introduce short passages and comprehension activities.
Practise reading textbook questions independently.
Organise library sessions and guided reading pairs.
Provide targeted support to students making slow progress.
Compare progress with the initial assessment.

Days 76–90: Evaluate and Plan Ahead

Repeat the initial reading assessment.
Identify students who have improved and those needing continued support.
Review reading accuracy, comprehension and examination performance.
Appreciate students’ progress.
Prepare the next improvement plan.

You do not wait until Day 90 to discover that a child is struggling. You can use weekly checks and more detailed fortnightly reviews to make timely changes.

7. Make Teachers and School Leaders Accountable

As a principal, your leadership will determine whether this programme becomes a regular classroom practice or remains only a document.

You must appoint an English Reading Coordinator for Classes I–V. Ask every class teacher to maintain a reading progress register and conduct regular reading checks.

You can also:

Conduct two classroom observations per teacher each month.
Hold a 15-minute weekly review meeting.
Share effective teaching strategies and reading materials.
Arrange demonstration lessons and coaching when teachers need support.
Review implementation, student participation and reading progress every month.

You do not evaluate teachers only by examination marks. You can observe the quality of reading instruction, the support provided to struggling students and the progress demonstrated by children.

Your responsibility is to create the conditions in which teachers can teach effectively and students can learn confidently.

8. Track Every Student’s Progress

You cannot improve what you do not regularly check.

You can maintain a simple weekly reading tracker for each student. Record progress in letter sounds, word reading, sentence reading and comprehension.

For students in Classes III–V, you can also record reading accuracy and words read correctly per minute when appropriate. For beginning readers, focus on letter-sound knowledge, blending and word recognition.

Set a measurable school target after completing your baseline assessment. For example, you may aim for at least 80% of students to improve by one defined reading level within 90 days.

Treat this as a planning target, not a guaranteed result. Review the target against your students’ starting abilities and actual progress.

Most importantly, recognize improvement. A child who moves from reading individual words to reading a complete sentence has made meaningful progress.

Use one record per student and update it weekly. Suggested tracker:

Student name	Letters/sounds	Word reading	Sentence reading	Comprehension

9. Bring Parents into the Program

Reading improvement becomes easier when school and home work together.

You can ask parents to provide 10 minutes of daily reading practice at home. They do not need expensive books or advanced English skills to support their children.

Encourage them to listen patiently, appreciate effort and avoid comparing children with others.

You can send this simple message through your school WhatsApp groups:

Dear Parents,

Our school is starting a special English Reading Improvement Programme for students of Classes I–V.

We request you to encourage your child to practise reading for 10 minutes every day. Please listen patiently, appreciate every improvement and avoid scolding or comparing your child with others.

Even if you cannot read English yourself, you can ask your child to read aloud and listen carefully.

Your encouragement and cooperation can make a meaningful difference in your child’s learning.

Thank you for your support.

Principal

10. Support Children Who Are Not Progressing

Despite regular practice, some students may continue to experience reading difficulties. You do not assume that they are lazy or unwilling to learn.

You should check whether they attend school regularly, receive enough practice, understand the language used during instruction and have access to appropriate learning materials.

If difficulties persist despite well-targeted teaching, consider whether hearing or vision difficulties or specific learning needs may be contributing. Seek appropriate professional guidance when necessary.

Every child deserves patient teaching, suitable learning opportunities and the chance to progress.

Five Actions Every Principal Should Prioritise

Before you launch your program, make these five commitments:

Assess every child: No student should be overlooked.
Protect daily reading time: Every class must practise reading regularly.
Support struggling readers: Provide additional practice and direct teacher guidance.
Monitor progress: Teachers must track improvement weekly and review it more closely every two weeks.
Review results monthly: Examine implementation, reading ability, comprehension and examination performance.

These actions are simple, but their consistent implementation can help you build a stronger reading culture across your school.

Final Thoughts: Begin with Reading, Not Just Marks

As a school principal or teacher, you may often ask, Why are our students getting low marks?

Perhaps a more useful question is this:

Can every child in our school read and understand a text appropriate for their age?

When students develop stronger reading skills, they are better equipped to understand classroom lessons, follow instructions, learn independently and demonstrate their knowledge in examinations.

You do not need to change everything in your school overnight. Begin with one clear step: assess every child individually and understand their current reading level.

Then establish a daily reading routine, guide your teachers, monitor progress and involve parents.

Give the programme 90 days of structured effort, regular assessment and thoughtful improvement. Your students may not all progress at the same pace, but every child should receive the support needed to move forward.

Remember: Better readers become better-equipped learners. Start with one child, one reading session and one day at a time.

5 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How can you improve English reading skills in primary school students?

You can improve reading skills through daily reading practice, systematic phonics instruction, vocabulary development, guided reading and simple comprehension activities.

2. How much time should students spend practicing English reading daily?

A daily 30-minute reading session at school, supported by 10 minutes of reading practice at home, can help students develop consistent reading habits.

3. How can teachers help students who struggle with English reading?

Teachers should assess each student’s reading level, identify specific difficulties, provide small-group instruction and use suitable reading materials. Regular progress checks help teachers adjust their teaching strategies.

4. How can English reading skills improve examination performance?

Students who read effectively can better understand questions, follow instructions, identify relevant information and write appropriate answers. However, examination results also depend on subject knowledge, writing skills and other factors.

5. How can school principals monitor the progress of an English Reading Improvement Program?

Principals can monitor progress through baseline and follow-up assessments, weekly reading registers, classroom observations, teacher review meetings and regular checks of reading fluency and comprehension.

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