What are reading schemes?

A reading scheme is a series of books that have been carefully written to support the process of learning to read and to help children make progress as readers. What educational researchers know about how children learn to read – and how best to motivate them to learn – is changing and improving all the time. The best reading schemes reflect this research and help teachers to deliver the best teaching in order to improve outcomes for children.

When I learnt to read in the 1970s I had a tin full of words and when I’d learnt these words I practised by reading Peter and Jane stories. Peter and Jane had a dog and a ball and often went out to play and run and jump; they also did fun things with Mummy (mostly involving baking) and Daddy (when he came home from work). And when I’d finished with Peter and Jane there was a world of other Ladybird Books to choose from.

In the 1970s, Ladybird Books provided a Key Word Scheme and I was one of the lucky ones who successfully learned to read in this way. I was lucky because my teachers, parents and grandparents read me stories and talked to me about stuff and took me to interesting places. They gave me enough words and language to be able to work out – or at least make an educated guess at – what new words were when I met them in books. Many thousands of children did not learn to read in this way because they simply didn’t know what to do when they met a word that wasn’t in the tin! And very soon, they stopped trying …

Synthetic phonics

We now know that the Synthetic Phonics method is the best way to ensure that all children – regardless of ‘lucky’ backgrounds or external experiences – have strategies for working out any word they meet. They are taught the letter sounds and how to blend them as well as some ‘tricky’ words that are essential for reading in English: words such as the, said, there, was. By the age of 6 or 7, most children should have enough phonics knowledge to be able tackle and at least ‘decode’ any new word in a book. However, it’s important to remember that understanding what the words mean – both individually and in the context of the story or information text – is also vital for reading progress and is really important for motivation. Keeping children reading beyond the age of 7 can be a challenge so the earlier they develop a reading habit, the better.
The very best reading schemes ensure children have both the SKILLS they need and the WILL to want to read!

What do the different colours, bands and levels mean?

All reading schemes have a careful structure designed to support the teaching in class and to ensure that when a child takes a book home they can read it successfully, build confidence and make progress. Educational publishers consider a number of factors when determining the ‘level’ of a book including phonic knowledge, vocabulary, sentence length, number of words on a page and use of illustrations.

There are a number of different ‘levelling’ systems used including Oxford Levels, Cliff Moon levels, Reading Recovery Levels and Read, Write, Inc. However, the most commonly used structure in schools is Book Bands because this is a system that has been applied to lots of different reading schemes and other books. Book Bands consists of a series of coloured bands that reflect progress in reading from early phonics through to fluent, competent reading around the age of 7 or 8. There are also Bands beyond this but these are much broader and more about age-appropriateness than reading ability.

Lists: Book Bands and Oxford Reading Levels

Age 4–5

Year: Reception

Band: Lilac / Level: 1

Band: Pink / Level: 1+

Band: Red / Level: 2

Band: Yellow / Level: 3

Age 5–6

Year: 1

Band: Blue / Level: 4

Band: Green / Level: 5

Band: Orange / Level: 6

Age 6-7

Year: 2

Band: Turquoise / Level: 7

Band: Purple / Level: 8

Band: Gold / Level: 9

Band: White / Level: 10

Band: Lime / Level: 11

Download the full 

Moving up?

The point at which your child is ready to move up a band or level depends on your child and the teacher’s approach. Generally, a teacher will want to know that a child is secure and confident at a given level before moving them on. It’s also important to bear in mind that not all levels are of equal size. In the first few years of school, the steps of progress are fairly small, and children will move through a number of levels quite quickly. As children move up the levels, the steps become broader and ‘moving up’ happens less frequently. It’s also important to remember that different children develop their reading skills at different rates so comparing your child with others is not helpful. If you think your child is ready to move on, talk to their teacher – there may be good reasons why they are being ‘held back’ for a bit, for example to work on their comprehension, fluency or expression.

In many schools, children become ‘free readers’ once they’ve come to the end of the reading scheme. This is a fantastic achievement to be celebrated and means your child will be able to choose their own reading book from a much wider range. However, it’s important to ensure that your child continues to get a varied and appropriately challenging reading diet.

If you have any concerns about your child’s reading, read our advice about struggling readers.

More from Oxford Owl

• Bookshop: Learn to read at home with Read with Oxford
• µþ±ô´Ç²µ:ÌýHow can I support my child with phonics?
• Oxford Owl: Five ways to encourage reluctant readers
• Oxford Owl: Free eBook library to practice and develop reading skills
• Oxford Owl: About Oxford Reading Tree and Oxford Levels
• Oxford Owl: Reading tips by age
• µþ±ô´Ç²µ:ÌýYour local library – a forgotten treasure trove

Books to support learning to read at home

Please note: all book links lead to more information on Amazon.co.uk

The phonics screening check is used by teachers to assess children’s phonics skills learned through Reception and Year 1. It usually takes place in the summer term of Year 1, but due to school closures, the check didn’t take place this summer. Instead, Year 2 children will be doing it over the next half-term, in November and December.

What does the phonics screening check involve?

There are two sections in this 40-word check. Your child will read up to four words per page for their teacher and they will probably do the check in one sitting of about 5–10 minutes. Although the check is compulsory, it isn’t a formal test and is usually carried out by the class teacher, one-to-one, in a relaxed environment. The check also includes some nonsense words that are phonically decodable but are not real words. These check children’s decoding skills, making sure they cannot guess the word.

You can find more information on our phonics screening check page.

How can I help my child’s reading at home?

Sharing books together

Reading phonetically decodable books at home is very useful for developing children’s phonic skills.

• Before your child starts reading, look at the cover and title together. Encourage them to think about what the book might be about to get them engaged and in the right frame of mind to read.
• Talk about the book as you read, recapping and asking questions as you go to check your child’s understanding of what they’re reading.
• Point to the words as your child reads, encouraging them to try every word to the very end (children learning to read often neglect suffixes).
• If they’re struggling with a word, help to break it down into individual sounds, then blend the sounds together. Breaking words down into syllables can also help. With longer or compound words, support children to identify elements of the word they might know or find easier to decode, for instance, rain/ing, kind/est, foot/ball. Cover up part of the word and encourage children to read it in smaller chunks.
• If your child is still struggling, it’s OK to tell them the word.
• Finally, don’t forget that praise is really motivating for children as they read.

Make practice fun!

Here are some quick, fun games you can play at home using the focus phonemes in your child’s reading books. These will all help to increase confidence reading and blending sounds.

• Write down all the phonemes on separate pieces of paper and get your child to practise reading them quickly, one after the other. Mix up the order to make sure your child isn’t reciting them!
• Stick up different phonemes around a room and ask your child to hop to one phoneme, skip to one and jump to another as you call them out.
• Get your child to write as many words which include the focus phonemes as they can in 30 seconds. Make it easier or harder by giving them more or less time.
• Choose six phonemes and give each one a number. Roll a dice and ask your child to say the phoneme that the dice lands on.

More from Oxford Owl

• The Year 1 phonics screening check: frequently asked questions.
• Free eBook library: free eBooks from 51ºÚÁÏÍø.
• Phonics activities: free phonics activity sheets and online activities.
• : tips and games to help you support your child’s learning at home.
• Oxford Reading Tree and Levels: learn about Oxford Levels, used in schools around the world, and find the right level for your child.

Books, kits and flashcards for phonics practice

If you have a child in Reception, they’ll probably have started to bring books home to practise reading with you.

Take a look at our advice on the sort of books to expect in your child’s book bag and top tips on how best to support your child as they learn to read.

How is my child learning to read?

At school

At school, your child will be learning to read through phonics. Phonics is a method of teaching reading and writing to children in which they learn the letter or group of letters that correspond to a sound.

A sound can be represented by a single letter – for example, each of the three sounds in ‘hat’,Ìýh-a-t). Sometimes a sound is represented by more than one letter such as shÌý¾±²ÔÌýsh-o-p,ÌýayÌý¾±²ÔÌýp-l-ay, and ighÌý¾±²ÔÌýl-igh-t.

At first, your child will learn a set of sounds and the letters that represent them. (Learning the letter names, like ‘double-u’ for ‘w’, will come later.) Then they will be taught to blend those sounds together to read words.

The order in which the sounds are taught will depend on which reading programme is used at your child’s school. Your child’s teacher can tell you all about their chosen programme and the order in which sounds are taught.

At home

Encourage your child to say the letter sounds in a short and clear way, without an ‘uh’ at the end of consonant sounds (for example, ‘p’, rather than ‘puh’).

This takes some practice but it will help them when start blending the sounds together to make words. For example, it’s easier to blend the sounds c-a-t together to make ‘cat’, than the sounds cuh-a-tuh.

Once your child can blend sounds together, they’ll be able to read books written with words made up of the sounds they’ve learnt.

What books will my child bring home?

The books your child is given to read should contain words made up of the sounds that they know. This means the books are ‘decodable’ by your child because they have learnt the ‘code’ – the letters and sounds that make up the words in their reading book.

A good comparison I heard recently was that a music teacher would never expect a child to be able to read musical notes they haven’t been taught. If your child practises their reading with books at the right level, this will ensure they make progress. They’ll experience success and an enjoyment of reading and grow in confidence.

If your child comes home with the same book more than once, there is a good reason for this! Children benefit from reading a familiar book to build fluency and understanding. Your child’s first reading might be quite stilted as they focus on sounding out and blending the words, but after lots of practice they will become more fluent. When they can read a book more fluently, it is easier for them to focus on the meaning of the text and they might notice things they had missed on an earlier reading.

How can I support my child’s reading?

When helping your child with their reading, make sure you choose a time when they’re not too tired. Remember that learning to read will take time – be sure to stay patient as your child acquires this new skill!

1. Don’t read the book to your child before they read it to you – they may just remember the words and not get any real practice.
2. If your child can read the story well, that doesn’t mean the book is too easy. It’s important they get plenty of practice reading words containing the letters and sounds they have learnt. Celebrate their achievement with them – reading success is important in building their confidence and enjoyment!
3. If your child struggles with a word, ask them to ‘sound out’ the word by saying the individual sounds in the word and then blending the sounds together (for example, ‘c-a-t – cat’).
4. Don’t let your child struggle too much – if they are really stuck with a word, sound it out for them quickly so that they can hear the word. Plenty of praise when they succeed will help them to keep going.
5. Don’t ask your child to use the pictures to guess the words. Pictures can provide great opportunities to talk about what is happening in a story, but it’s important that your child doesn’t become dependent on them to read.
6. Read back each sentence or page to your child to ensure they have understood.
7. When your child has read the book, talk about it together.

As well as your child reading to you, it’s important that you read stories, rhymes, and non-fiction books to your child. This will increase their vocabulary, develop their comprehension, and encourage the habit of reading – which is a great habit to have!

Phonics kits and flashcards

Most primary schools in the UK use either Oxford Reading TreeÌý´Ç°ùÌýRead Write Inc. Phonics as their main phonics programme. The kits and flashcards below are most effective when they are supporting the programme used at school, so be sure to check which programme your child’s school uses.

Please note: all book links lead to more information on Amazon.co.uk

More from Oxford Owl

• Learn about phonics and find lots of free resources at Parent guide to phonics
• Browse our books for readers in Reception at Read with Oxford Stage 2
• Find out about Letters and Sounds at What is Letters and Sounds?

Looking up an unfamiliar word in the dictionary can be a daunting task for many children.

Without specially written definitions suited to their reading level, using a dictionary will be frustrating and discouraging, with each new definition using more confusing words than the last! Encouraging your child to use an appropriate dictionary on their own terms can really help them become an enthusiastic, independent reader.

Here are four things to consider when choosing a dictionary for your child.

1. Is it pitched at the right age for your child? Is it age-appropriate?

At best, a good dictionary can stimulate children to widen their vocabulary proactively, by researching the new words they encounter day to day. At worst, an inappropriate dictionary will bore or alienate your child with wordy definitions or overly childish pictures.

Children’s dictionaries generally have a clearly defined age guide, which is a good place to start. It’s also worth bearing in mind that some children acquire reading and writing skills more readily than others, which is completely normal! Buying a dictionary together can be a good way to make the experience fun for your child, while ensuring that they find the definitions engaging. A good child’s dictionary will contain example sentences which children will relate to: they ‘walk’ to the park, they don’t ‘walk’ to work.

2. Dimensions

Is your child willing to lug a hardback dictionary, thesaurus, and the full works of Shakespeare to school every day? A wide variety of formats are available to suit your particular needs, from large, brightly coloured picture dictionaries for young children to our all-in-one Mini Dictionary and Thesaurus which easily fits into a school bag.

3. Extra features

Many dictionaries come with special appendices, pictures, grammatical rules and more. Some children’s dictionaries come with jokes, anagrams, and rhyming words, while others contain creative writing tips from beloved children’s authors. It’s always worth doing a little research to find a dictionary with extra features which are useful and interesting to your child.

Oxford dictionaries often come with supplemental guides, worksheets and games that you can download online. You’ll find some free word games further down this page.

4. Design & themes

Choosing a design or theme which resonates which your child is important at any age. A young Roald Dahl fanatic will of course be drawn to our Roald Dahl Dictionary, full of Quentin Blake’s iconic illustrations and Dahl’s inimitable vocabulary.

°Õ³ó±ðÌýOxford First Illustrated Dictionary contains lovely hand-drawn illustrations by Emma Chichester Clark, and is full of popular characters from children’s stories and fairy tales. °Õ³ó±ðÌýOxford First Dictionary, on the other hand, features computer-generated images which may appeal to children who prefer computer games to bedtime stories!

You’ll find some of our best-selling children’s dictionaries further down this page.

Our favourite children’s dictionaries

More books

• Oxford First Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Dictionary for ages 5–7.
• Oxford Primary Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Dictionary for ages 8+.
• Oxford Primary Illustrated Maths Dictionary for ages 7–11.
• Oxford Primary Illustrated Science Dictionary for ages 8–11.
• More children’s dictionaries are listed in the bookshop.

More from Oxford Owl

• ³Û´Ç³Ü°Õ³Ü²ú±ð:Ìý
• µþ±ô´Ç²µ:ÌýWhy does your child need a dictionary?

Word games

Word games for age 5+

Word games for age 7+