Comparing Resources for your Reading Programme

• Tuesday 20 February 2024
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Did you know we have a fantastic range of reading and decodable resources here at R.I.C. Publications?

You might be wondering … what’s the difference between resources such as Book monster decodable readers, Reading for Me and Sounds in Focus?

In today’s blog, we’re going to answer that question!

 

Book monster decodable readers – support your existing phonics programme

Book monster decodable readers are designed to seamlessly integrate into your existing phonics programme.

With three levels in the series that cover all 44 phonemes, these readers are perfect to add variety and enrichment to your classroom library. 

Learners (regardless of learning style or ability) can progress at their own pace as each book is designed to support a gradual understanding of phonics, and has also been created using accessible features (such as non-glare paper, accessible font type and size, etc.)

You’ll know if learners are struggling to develop their reading skills and if they need to be taught focus sounds if:

• They guess unknown words based on accompanying illustrations in picture books.
• They struggle to understand and use new words encountered in provided texts.
• They struggle to recognise and manipulate individual sounds in words.
• You witness a frequent mispronunciation of words.

We recommend Book monster decodable readers if you have an existing phonics programme and are in need of more engaging decodable resources to foster a life-long love of reading.

 

Sounds in Focus – develop language proficiency

Sounds in Focus is a whole-school spelling and language programme, intended to develop language proficiency.

Each workbook employs a phonemic approach across the entire school, which is recognised as one of the most effective ways to teach spelling and reading skills, and aims to continually develop spelling skills, vocabulary, grammar concepts, and writing skills.

The programme provides all the resources and guidance that educators need to implement synthetic phonics in the classroom, resulting in learners reading fluently and with comprehension.

We recommend Sounds in Focus if you or your school would prefer to adopt a whole-language approach to teaching reading, or you want to focus more on language proficiency and spelling in your reading programme.

 

Reading for Me – encourage daily reading practice

Reading for Me is a literacy series supporting learners to become independent readers through engaging, daily activities.

With 120 texts per year level, learners can read at home from Monday to Thursday and take control of their reading journey either on their own, or with a parent’s assistance.

The series also contains consolidation questions so that educators and parents can track how learners comprehend the texts.

You’ll know if learners are ready to move on to non-decodable texts (like Reading for Me) if:

• They can read words that are phonetically correct (e.g. far-thur) and recognise that it’s not a real word, adjusting the punctuation accordingly (father).
• They appear to display sufficient decoding skills (e.g. they can read simple two-syllable words) and are attempting to read more difficult words.
• They’re starting to identify words by looking at the text first – not a picture or educator.
• They can read a simple book independently such as Clifford The Big Red Dog or The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Our Reading for Me workbooks are excellent for homework to encourage daily reading practice following decodable texts, and are also highly recommended to start tracking or further support reading comprehension lessons in classrooms.

 

So, there’s our breakdown of our different reading and decoding resources. We hope it helps you decide on the best resource for your classroom.

What resources should we compare next? Let us know!