Comprehension
Reception · English
Listen for sounds, read words and enjoy stories.
Choose a game
Take your time, try a game and collect stars.
Put the story in order
Retell Goldilocks, the Three Little Pigs and other traditional tales by putting the pictures in order in this free Reception game.
Play Put the story in orderWhat happens next?
The wolf huffs and puffs… what happens next? Match story moments from traditional tales in this free Reception game.
Play What happens next?
Learning about comprehension
These Reception English games practise Put the story in order, What happens next?. Choose a game above for a short activity, or explore the examples below before you play. The full guide for each game explains its controls, gives more examples and includes a free printable for practice away from the screen.
Talk it through
Sit together and read the cards aloud. Say the sounds, not the letter names: “c-a-t, cat”. Keep sessions short and stop while it is still fun.
Ask: “What sound can you hear at the start?” Give your child time to explain. Return to an example after playing and ask whether they would approach it differently.
Put the story in order
Retelling a story in order shows that children understand what happened. This game uses traditional tales that many children hear at school.
Try an example: The Three Little Pigs
Straw house, wolf blows it down, brick house, wolf cannot blow it down.
Show the answer
🌾, 🐺, 🧱, 🔥
What to look out for
Putting the ending first Ask "How did the story start?"
What happens next?
Anticipating what happens next shows that children understand a story and can use what they know to predict.
Try an example: The wolf huffs and puffs at the straw house.
In The Three Little Pigs, straw is not strong.
Show the answer
The straw house falls down.
What to look out for
Not knowing the story Read or tell the story first.
Practise away from the screen
- Retell a favourite story using toys.
- Pause during a bedtime story and ask what will happen next.
Curriculum connections
These games support selected practice connected to the Comprehension early learning goal in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework for England. The goals describe what children are expected to know and do by the end of Reception. A game offers a few playful examples; it does not assess a goal.
Questions families ask
Where should we start with comprehension?
Start with Put the story in order. Look at the worked example together, then try a round. If the task feels unfamiliar, use the full game guide or its free printable before trying again.
Does this cover everything taught at this level?
No. These games give short, playful practice. Reception learning is mostly hands-on play, talk and stories, so use the games alongside those, not instead of them.