Phonics and fluency support for older pupils
The DfE's recently updated reading framework has increased the emphasis on phonics support for Key Stage 3 students who are not yet secure, independent readers.
'Children who are not yet reading fluently require further timely and targeted support. They also require substantial practice in reading texts that include only the words they can decode at their current stage of reading development.’
DfE Reading Framework 2023
This in turn means pupils in KS2 who are not yet phonically secure independent readers ideally should get the extra support they need before reaching secondary school. To help you support these pupils, our team have pulled together some suggestions for phonically decodable books to suit older readers, at each phonics phase.
We've also highlighted the Dockside and Rapid Readers series, which are ideal for those students who still require lots of phonics practice and support.
The framework also makes it a priority for those pupils who arrive in KS3 still lacking fluency to be supported more extensively – visit our fluency page for recommended series.