Educational publishing expert Andrea Quincey explains why reading schemes are important, and what the different colours, bands and levels actually mean.
What are reading schemes and why do they matter?
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Blog posts for: Reading & phonics
Establishing a reading habit for the summer holidays and beyond
There are so many reasons to read with your children, this summer holiday and beyond. Read Mary Hamley’s tips on how to encourage a daily reading habit.
Preparing for the phonics screening check
The phonics screening check is an informal way for schools to assess your child’s progress in reading. Sarah Loader shares tips for supporting your child’s development at home.
Book of the Month: Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary
The Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary is packed with words ordered by phonic sound to help young children learn how to spell. Enter our competition to win a free copy.
How reading programmes can help junior readers
Once your child has mastered decoding, it can be liberating to choose whatever books they like – but there are still benefits to structured reading schemes.
Developing reading skills as your child gets older
Once your child has mastered phonics and word-reading, where do they go next? Here are our ideas to keep your 7–11-year-old’s reading skills developing.
Learning at home: How to prioritise sharing a book
Education expert and writer James Clements talks about the importance of reading to your child to boost their educational success in all sorts of ways.
Book of the Month: Super Happy Magic Forest and the Humongous Fungus
Five brave heroes, one epic quest… It’s time to head back into the Super Happy Magic Forest! Enter our competition to win your free copy.
Learning to read in Reception
Find out what sort of books to expect to come home in your child’s book bag, and get top tips on how best to support your child.
Great books to get boys reading
John Dougherty shares his top picks for books to encourage and inspire your son to read.
Carry on reading aloud: the benefits of sharing books with older children
Few things are more important than reading aloud to our children. James Clements gives his advice on how to keep your child reading aloud, even after they are reading independently.
Four top tips for getting the most out of non-fiction
There are lots of great reasons to share factual books with your child. Here are our top four tips for getting the most out of reading non-fiction.
A case for non-fiction:
five reasons to read non-fiction with your child
Education expert James Clements outlines five benefits of reading non-fiction, and gives us his top non-fiction reads for ages 5–11.
Building reading dens
Isabel Thomas explains how making reading dens with your child can turn reading a book into a special shared adventure with these simple ideas.
Your local library – a forgotten treasure trove
Guest blogger and primary school librarian Clare Turner gives her top five reasons why you should visit the library with your child.
Why is animal fiction important?
Tom Moorhouse talks about the importance of animal fiction: in building empathy, introducing children to difficult topics, and much more.
World Book Day – Read the world!
Children’s author Ali Sparkes gives her top 8 suggestions on how to encourage reluctant or struggling readers this World Book Day.
Supporting your child to develop their reading comprehension skills
Some tips to support your child as they begin to understand the concept of a story and start improving their reading comprehension.
How to pick books for struggling readers
If your child is a struggling reader, here are 11 practical things to look out for in books that will encourage your child to start reading.
Developing empathy through reading
Children’s author Anne Booth, creator of the Lucy series, discusses how reading builds up emotional literacy, empathy, and relationship skills.
How can I support my child with phonics?
There are so many easy things you can do to help support your child’s phonics learning. Here are a few ideas from phonics expert Laura Sharp.
What is phonics?
Education expert Laura Sharp breaks down what phonics is, how phonics is taught in schools, and why phonics is important and useful.
Using storytelling to develop reading and writing skills
Early reading specialist Emily Guille-Marrett talks about how oral storytelling can lay the foundations for literacy skills – as well as being great fun.
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