Get ready for reading
Learning to read can seem like a difficult task when children are starting school for the first time. With the right preparation, what could be a daunting activity can become a new adventure!
5 tips to help your child get ready for reading
When it comes to getting ready for reading, there are some simple – and really effective – things you can do before school starts to help learning to read. Try some of the ideas below during those weeks before school starts.
Don’t push anything if your child isn’t interested or ready – simply enjoy the reading a book together.
1. Explore how a book works. Hold it correctly, turn the pages, understand the words go from left to right, look at the cover and talk about what it shows.
2. Read as often as possible with your child. Introduce the title, point to the words in the book as you read with them.
3. Children need to develop their listening skills before they can begin to read. See if they can re-tell a familiar story in their own words, talk about the story as you read it and ask them questions about the pictures and the story.
4. Build awareness of Letters and Sounds. Start with your child’s name, read alphabet books and games, try rhyming books – children can build an idea of sounds, rhythm, repetition, syllables.
5. Let children see the value of reading. Let them see you using a recipe, reading a magazine, emails, and letters, following instructions, and so on.
And, most importantly of course, have fun!Get ready for Phonics
Learning phonics and how to decode words is an important part of learning to read. Discover our brilliant selection of books to support learning at home, to help improve phonic and reading skills.
Scholastic Book Bag Readers
Support your child from the start of their reading journey with Book Bag Readers, our new series of phonic stories. Each reader includes fun illustrations and supportive guidance notes for parents to help reading at home.
Find out morePhonics readers
See more Phonics readers-
Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 3 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
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Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 1 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
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Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 4 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
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Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 5 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £34.00
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Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 6 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £29.99
- Rewards/RRP: £51.00
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Phonics Book Bag Readers Non-fiction: Starter Pack 1 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
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Phonics Book Bag Readers Non-fiction: Starter Pack 5 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £34.00
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Phonics Book Bag Readers Non-fiction: Starter Pack 3 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
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Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 2 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
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Phonics Book Bag Readers Non-fiction: Starter Pack 6 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £29.99
- Rewards/RRP: £51.00
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Phonics Book Bag Readers Non-fiction: Starter Pack 4 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
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Phonics Book Bag Readers Non-fiction: Starter Pack 2 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
Phonics workbooks
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Phonics Workbooks: Book 1
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.50
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Phonics Workbooks: Book 2
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.50
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
More phonics books
See more More phonics books-
Read Write Inc: My Reading and Writing Kit - Early Sounds and Blending
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £9.99
- Rewards/RRP: £12.99
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Pokemon: Phonics Boxed Set
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £7.99
- Rewards/RRP: £9.99
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Songbirds Phonics: More Level 1+ Pack x 6
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.70
- Rewards/RRP: £26.25
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Songbirds Phonics More Stories: Level 2 Pack
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £22.30
- Rewards/RRP: £29.75
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4books
Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: Book Band Green Pack x 4- gbp prices
- Offer price: £15.00
- Rewards/RRP: £20.00
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Songbirds Phonics More Stories: Level 3 Pack
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £22.30
- Rewards/RRP: £29.75
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4books
Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: Book Band Blue Pack x 4- gbp prices
- Offer price: £13.50
- Rewards/RRP: £18.00
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5books
Peppa Pig Phonics x5- gbp prices
- Offer price: £12.99
- Rewards/RRP: £29.95
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Songbirds Phonics More Stories: Level 4 Pack
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £24.40
- Rewards/RRP: £32.50
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Peppa Pig: Practise with Peppa: Super Phonics
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £1.99
- Rewards/RRP: £3.99
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12books
Usborne Phonics Pk A x12- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £71.88
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4books
Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: Book Band Yellow Pack x 4- gbp prices
- Offer price: £13.50
- Rewards/RRP: £18.00
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4books
Big Cat Phonics for Letters and Sounds: Book Orange Blue Pack x 4- gbp prices
- Offer price: £15.80
- Rewards/RRP: £21.00
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Songbirds Phonics More Stories: Level 5 Pack
Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £24.40
- Rewards/RRP: £32.50
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Project X: Level 11 Masks and Disguises Pack (Book Band Lime)
Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £30.80
- Rewards/RRP: £41.08
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12books
Usborne Phonics Readers Pack x 12- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £71.88
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Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 1 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £9.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
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Songbirds Phonics More Stories: Level 6 Pack
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £29.40
- Rewards/RRP: £39.25
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Read Write Inc: My Reading and Writing Kit - Becoming a Reader
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £9.99
- Rewards/RRP: £12.99
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12books
Usborne Phonics Pk B x12- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £71.88
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Phonics Workbooks: Book 2
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.50
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 3 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
-
Phonics Workbooks: Book 1
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.50
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Phonics Workbooks: Book 3
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.50
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 1 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
-
Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 2 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £9.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
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Phonics Book Bag Readers: Starter Pack 4 Matched to Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised
SAVE Promo available
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £19.99
- Rewards/RRP: £31.92
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Usborne Phonics Readers: Spider in a Glider
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.79
- Rewards/RRP: £5.99
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National Test Papers: Phonics Screening Check Ages 5-6
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £7.20
- Rewards/RRP: £7.99
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Read with Oxford: Stages 1-3: Biff, Chip and Kipper: Rhyming Games Flashcards
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.99
- Rewards/RRP: £6.99
More books for learning to read
See more More books for learning to read-
Spot Goes on Holiday
Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.99
- Rewards/RRP: £6.99
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Read Write Inc: My Reading and Writing Kit - Early Sounds and Blending
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £9.99
- Rewards/RRP: £12.99
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4books
Acorn Pack x4- gbp prices
- Offer price: £9.99
- Rewards/RRP: £19.96
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Reading Ladder Level 2: Flat Stanley Goes Camping
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Acorn: Fox Tails: The Great Bunk Bed Battle
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Acorn: Bumble and Bee: Let's Play Make Bee-lieve
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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4books
Elephant & Piggie Pack- gbp prices
- Offer price: £24.00
- Rewards/RRP: £31.96
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Reading Ladder Level 3: Press Play
Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Price: £4.99
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Reading Ladder Level 2: Spinderella
Award-winning team
- gbp prices
- Price: £4.99
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Reading Ladder Level 3: Colly's Barn
Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Reading Ladder Level 2: Sinclair, Wonder Bear
Award-winning team
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Reading Ladder Level 2: Friday Surprise
Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Price: £4.99
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Read It Yourself: The Magic Porridge Pot
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
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Acorn: Moby Shinobi and Toby Too!: Ready, Set, Go! (C&F)
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Bloomsbury Young Readers: Pet Quest
Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Read Write Inc: My Reading and Writing Kit - Becoming a Reader
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £9.99
- Rewards/RRP: £12.99
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Read Write Inc: My Reading and Writing Kit - More Sounds and Blending
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £9.99
- Rewards/RRP: £12.99
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Read with Oxford: Stages 2-3: Biff, Chip and Kipper: My Phonics Kit
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £7.99
- Rewards/RRP: £12.99
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Reading Ladder Level 2: Witches Do Not Like Bicycles
- gbp prices
- Price: £4.99
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Read with Oxford: Stage 1: Biff, Chip and Kipper: Silly Races and Other Stories
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £7.99
- Rewards/RRP: £10.99
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Usborne First Reading: Why the Kangaroo Jumps
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £4.79
- Rewards/RRP: £5.99
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Usborne Phonics Readers: Hyena Ballerina
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £3.99
- Rewards/RRP: £5.99
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Reading Ladder Level 1: Flat Stanley Plays Ball
- gbp prices
- Price: £4.99
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Reading Ladder Level 2: Mairi's Mermaid
Award-winning author
- gbp prices
- Price: £4.99
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Pokémon Fiction: Ash's Big Challenge
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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4books
Minecraft Readers Pack x4- gbp prices
- Offer price: £12.99
- Rewards/RRP: £23.96
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4books
Read with Oxford: Gold and Turquoise Pack x 4- gbp prices
- Offer price: £14.99
- Rewards/RRP: £23.96
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My Magical Friends: Unicorn Rescue
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Little Animal Ark: The Lucky Lamb
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £2.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99
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Usborne First Reading: Anansi and the Bag of Wisdom (Level 1)
- gbp prices
- Offer price: £3.99
- Rewards/RRP: £4.99