糖心Vlog

Caroline Derby, Head of Reading & Languages in our Education division, explores the often overlooked challenge: how do we keep children reading, once they’ve learned how to read?

Teaching young children can sometimes feel like working through a checklist of milestones. But as any parent or teacher can tell you, reaching these milestones is only the beginning.

Developing lifelong readers requires more than mastering the mechanics of decoding words on a page. Comprehension, fluency, and background knowledge are all areas which need to be nurtured over time. Equally important are the less tangible elements of reading development, including confidence, motivation, and a sense of identity as a reader. These factors continue to evolve throughout childhood and beyond.

Teachers frequently highlight the transition from as a particularly challenging stage. At this point, children are expected to move beyond basic skills and begin engaging with texts more independently and meaningfully. Without the right support, some children can lose confidence or disengage from reading altogether. Sustained support during this phase is crucial in helping children build both the skills and the enthusiasm needed to continue their reading journey.

Programmes such as聽 are designed to support this transition, combining structured progression with engaging texts that help children move from learning to read towards reading with confidence and independence.

The ‘Goldilocks’ effect’

A key principle underpinning聽Readerful is what might be described as the ‘Goldilocks effect’: ensuring that reading material is pitched at just the right level of challenge鈥攏ot too easy, and not too difficult.

While levelled books are not the only type of reading children should experience, . Books that are too challenging can quickly discourage children, particularly in a world full of competing distractions. On the other hand, texts that offer a manageable stretch can foster a sense of achievement and motivate further reading.

Equally central to developing readers is the idea of identity and belonging. Children need to see themselves reflected in the books they read, as well as having the opportunity to encounter lives and experiences different from their own. We developed聽Readerful in response to , working with specialists to ensure that characters and experiences are portrayed authentically and respectfully.

Reading together

Modelling fluent reading is a key part of helping children developing fluency for themselves, and for creating moments of connection, turning reading into a shared experience that children associate with warmth, interest, and enjoyment. One distinctive feature of聽Readerful is the , which are made to bring children and adults together. They are full of fun and humour, easy to pick up and enjoy, but still have plenty to talk about and discuss together.

Above all, reading should never feel like a chore. Children are naturally curious and often delight in humour, imagination, and discovery. A broad range of topics and genres helps ensure there is something to capture every interest.

Supporting children to discover what to read next is equally important to encourage ongoing reading. Thoughtful signposting, linked by topic or genre, can help children build their own reading pathways based on their developing interests, giving them a sense of ownership over their reading journey. In tune with the , we help children find what they are passionate about and use reading as a way to deepen and enrich their experience.

Keeping up the momentum

To ensure that reading momentum continues beyond the National Year of Reading, we need to embed reading for pleasure into everyday life: making it a sustained cultural priority in schools, homes, and communities, rather than a time-limited initiative.

Approaches that combine strong foundations in reading with opportunities for choices and enjoyment, such as聽Readerful, can help children develop not just the skills to read, but also the confidence and curiosity to choose reading independently. In the long term, we hope it helps children to see themselves as readers with their own interests and identities, who return to reading because it enriches their lives.聽

You can find out more about Readerful .