Reading critically means examining how a statement is supported. It does not mean assuming the writer is wrong. Start by identifying the claim, finding the evidence and checking whether the conclusion goes beyond that evidence.
For Year 5 and Year 6 practice, keep this concrete. Ask “How do we know?” and “What does that information actually show?” The original example below provides a short starting point.
A claim is not automatically an established fact
“The club has 24 members” is a checkable factual claim. Whether it is accurate depends on evidence. “The club is the most exciting activity in school” is an evaluation that depends on preferences and criteria.
A confident tone does not make a statement true. Equally, words such as “I think” do not automatically make the underlying claim uncheckable: “I think the club has 24 members” expresses uncertainty about a factual quantity.
Separate the type of claim from the strength of its support.
Read the example
A poster announces: “Our lunchtime puzzle club is the best club in school. Eighteen of the twenty members who answered our survey said they enjoyed it. Everyone should join.”
Which conclusion is best supported by the survey result?
- A. Every pupil in the school enjoys puzzles.
- B. Most members who answered the survey said they enjoyed the club.
- C. The club is better than every other school activity.
- D. Every club member completed the survey.
Answer: B. Eighteen out of twenty respondents is a majority of that group. The result does not describe every pupil, compare all clubs or establish how many members did not respond.
“Best” and “everyone should join” extend beyond what those responses demonstrate. The result can still be useful without proving the poster's larger claims.
Ask who supplied the evidence
Club members may have relevant experience of the activity. They may also differ from pupils who chose not to join. That affects which group the survey can describe.
Do not dismiss evidence merely because its source has an interest in the result. Instead, ask what was measured, who took part and what information is missing. A source can be knowledgeable and still provide a limited view.
Distinguish an explanation from an assumption
Suppose attendance rose after new posters appeared. That sequence alone does not prove the posters caused the increase. Other changes might have contributed. To evaluate the explanation, look for information connecting the posters with pupils' decisions.
This is different from a question asking what explanation the writer gives. You can accurately report a writer's explanation without endorsing it as proven.
Match the question's wording
“What does the writer believe?” asks about a viewpoint. “What does the survey establish?” asks about evidence. “Which further information would help?” asks you to identify a gap.
For the club example, knowing how many members were invited to respond would help interpret participation. Surveying pupils outside the club would help explore broader interest. Neither answer should be confused with information already supplied.
Practise a measured conclusion
Try the sentence: “This supports ___, but does not show ___.” For example: “The survey supports that most respondents enjoyed the club, but does not show it is the best club for every pupil.”
Continue with interview transcripts, non-fiction comprehension and cause and effect. For statement-based deduction, see verbal reasoning logic. These skills overlap, but the question determines the reasoning required.