General

Over a quarter of 11-year-olds in England leave primary school without meeting the expected standard in reading (DfE, 2023). By KS3, struggling readers risk falling even further behind, affecting their confidence, academic success, and future opportunities. Poor reading ability not only impacts English lessons but hinders progress across the curriculum, widening the attainment gap and limiting life chances. Without intervention, struggling and reluctant readers are at risk of disengaging from education altogether.

This blog will explore what the current reading trends are among young people, why many KS2 and KS3 students struggle to meet expected standards, how teachers can implement practical, evidence-based strategies to support them, and where they can find resources for this.

Approximately 20% of children enter secondary school with reading or vocabulary skills two years or more behind the expected standard (Education Business, 2023).

As learning in primary education increasingly relies on literacy, pupils who struggle to read miss out on essential curriculum content, accumulate less vocabulary and knowledge, and embody the reality that "the word-rich get richer, while the word-poor get poorer." This often leads to withdrawal, anxiety, or disruptive behaviour as they attempt to mask their difficulties.

Is you brain scrambled trying to hatch ideas to keep your pupils reading over the Easter break? Look no further than these cracking challenges to involve families, eggcite children and encourage them to peck up a book over the school holiday.

Download these challenges and accompanying activity sheets for FREE! Print them off and pop them into book bags or email home. 

"All of our children have the right to see themselves reflected in the stories available to them. Diversity is more than just seeing yourself reflected in the world of literature, it's about others being able to see you too. Every child should have a voice. No child should be invisible." Malorie Blackman, Children's Laureate 2013–2015

Whole Class Guided Reading (WCGR) is a method of teaching reading strategies that involves working simultaneously with the whole class rather than teaching one-to-one or in groups. This approach to organising reading lessons is becoming increasingly popular because it promotes shared learning, allows teachers to model reading strategies for all students simultaneously, and is time-efficient and inclusive. The main purpose of WCGR is to develop comprehension rather than check decoding skills, so sessions usually involve pupils listening to the teacher read. Through WCGR, all pupils are given the opportunity to explore high-quality, challenging texts, irrespective of their reading abilities. In addition to providing exposure to fluent reading, rich vocabulary, and improved listening comprehension, WCGR nurtures a love for reading that inspires independent engagement with books.

Ready to transform your Guided Reading sessions? Explore our WCGR collections with teaching resources for year

Is your library in need of some more fang-tastic reads? It's time to break out the cobwebs, fangs and capes. Halloween is almost upon us and we’re all about the treats this year, no tricks in sight! We have a bunch of fa-BOO-lous book recommendations and free downloads available to help bring the Halloween vibes to your classroom or library this spooktober.

“Tell them stories and let them tell their stories. Through stories, they begin to heal.” By Catherine Bruton

That advice came from a Trauma Informed Schools UK training session I attended in 2021. As well as being an award-winning writer of books for children and young people, I am also a teacher. Teaching English and Drama in secondary schools for over twenty-five years, I see first-hand the power of stories to heal.

We all know the importance of reading, it’s fundamental to education, excellent for reducing stress and a powerful tool for developing empathy.

Empathy, that ability to truly understand and connect with another's emotions, becomes a game-changer for teens navigating today’s complex world.  It's the secret weapon that builds bridges instead of walls. With empathy, bullying takes a backseat to compassion, fostering stronger relationships and a more inclusive environment. When teens can see things from another's perspective, they're more likely to be kind, understanding, and open-minded.

Developing a reading-for-pleasure culture in our school communities requires more than encouraging children to pick up a book and read right now. While this is a fantastic and worthwhile starting point, the ripple effect of nurturing avid readers who choose to read, rather than read because they are told to, goes far beyond the here and now so a whole-school approach is most likely to be successful. 

Children who read for fun are more likely to be happy and successful in life. (The Reading Agency, 2023)

The benefits of reading for pleasure for children (and adults!) are widely heralded and strongly supported by extensive studies, compelling statistics, and irrefutable research...

In 2023, 1 in 5 eight to sixteen-year-olds were identified as having a probable mental disorder.

(Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023  — wave 4 follow up to the 2017 survey  — NHS Digital)

Despite these concerning figures, mental health is still not given the attention it deserves. Just over one in three children and young people with a diagnosed mental health condition get access to NHS care and treatment, leaving the majority with little to no support.

Teachers and librarians can play a pivotal role in aiding young people experiencing mental health difficulties, especially because reading literature can be an effective tool to support and improve mental health.