The start of a new school year is brimming with opportunity. Fresh books, sharpened pencils and new opportunities for every learner. But the first term is more than just a settling-in period. It represents a critical window to identify and close literacy gaps before they widen, impacting confidence, motivation, and long-term success.
From teaching phonics and early reading strategies in Year 1 to supporting Year 7s as they navigate more complex secondary texts, acting early is crucial. Here’s why.
The Critical Window: Why Early Intervention Works
Research consistently shows that timely intervention is one of the most effective ways to support struggling readers. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) highlights that early literacy approaches deliver, on average, an additional four months’ progress (Education Endowment Foundation, 2023). Meanwhile, Ofsted (2022) stresses that “reading is the key to unlocking the curriculum,” urging schools not to delay support.
Catch issues early, and pupils are more likely to stay engaged and motivated. Miss that window, and literacy fatigue can set in: the demoralising sense of always being behind. By autumn half-term, gaps that might have been closed with targeted support can start to feel entrenched, leading to a cycle of avoidance and low confidence.
What the ‘Literacy Gap’ Looks Like in the Classroom
In primary classrooms, the early signs of reading gaps often appear as issues with decoding and fluency. Many teachers tell us that as texts grow more complex in Key Stage 2, children who once managed simpler books start to struggle, leading to a noticeable drop in comprehension and enthusiasm. Schools often report that it’s common to see some Year 3 pupils who can sound out words accurately but still lack the fluency to keep pace, and who begin to shy away from reading tasks as a result.
In secondary schools, the challenges for pupils with reading difficulties often become even more pronounced. Many schools tell us they see new Year 7s arriving with gaps that were manageable in primary but now hold them back across the curriculum. Limited vocabulary, weak inference skills, and poor reading stamina make it hard to tackle the dense, subject-specific texts that secondary learning demands. Pupils who struggled to keep up with reading in primary often find these demands overwhelming, impacting not just English, but their ability to access science, history, and even problem-solving in maths.
The Cost of Waiting
Delaying targeted reading support until later in the year can have far-reaching consequences for pupils and for schools. By the time gaps are fully recognised in the spring term, they’ve often widened considerably. Struggling readers may have spent months masking difficulties, losing confidence, and quietly disengaging. Meanwhile, the pace of the curriculum continues, widening the gap between those who read fluently and those who are still grappling with the basics.
This isn’t just about literacy lessons. When pupils lack the reading skills to access age-appropriate texts, it places a barrier across every subject. Left unaddressed, small gaps in September can become entrenched barriers by June, impacting progress, self-esteem, and long-term outcomes.
Many schools find that “catching up by Christmas” is far more realistic than trying to close extensive gaps from scratch in the spring or summer. Early intervention not only lifts reading ability but also rebuilds pupils’ belief in themselves as learners. The earlier schools act, the more time pupils have to develop fluency, deepen comprehension, and engage fully with the curriculum.
Fortunately, there are effective, evidence-based tools available that help teachers respond quickly and efficiently, providing targeted support exactly where it’s needed, without adding to workload.
In today’s busy school environment, literacy interventions need to be both effective and manageable for teachers. The best approaches provide timely insights into each pupil’s reading skills, allowing staff to tailor support without adding unnecessary workload.
Adaptive programmes that automatically assess learners’ strengths and areas for development can be particularly valuable. They reduce the need for lengthy baseline testing and make it easier to group pupils according to their specific needs. Built-in differentiation helps ensure that every child receives appropriate challenge and support, while engaging activities maintain motivation and build essential reading skills.
At secondary level, supporting vocabulary development, inference skills, and reading stamina is crucial for pupils transitioning from primary school. Interventions that offer personalised learning pathways and clear progress data help teachers focus on the areas that will make the biggest difference for each student, while integrating smoothly into existing teaching routines.
By using tools that combine adaptability, clear data, and ease of use, schools can respond quickly to emerging literacy needs. This not only helps close gaps early but also supports sustainable, whole-school approaches to improving reading outcomes.
What Schools Can Do Right Now
School leaders aiming to close reading gaps early can take decisive, practical steps immediately. Here’s how to get started:
- Start a free Lexia Core5 or PowerUp trial. Experience firsthand how adaptive technology can transform reading support in your school, offering personalised learning paths and instant progress insights without adding to teachers’ workload.
- Screen key cohorts early. Early screening helps catch emerging reading difficulties before they widen, allowing for timely and targeted intervention. Lexia’s programmes include an initial assessment enabling teachers to both identify and address reading gaps all at once.
- Engage your EdTech lead and literacy coordinators. Collaboration across leadership and teaching teams ensures smooth implementation and ongoing monitoring of interventions, aligning literacy goals with broader school improvement priorities.
Taking these steps positions your school to act swiftly and strategically, closing gaps early, boosting pupil confidence, and ultimately raising attainment across the curriculum. With the right tools and a clear plan, you can make this critical start to the academic year your most impactful yet.
References
Ofsted (2022) ‘Now the whole school is reading’: supporting struggling readers in secondary school.
Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) (2023) Early literacy approaches. Early Years Toolkit.
The Lexia® team are dedicated to evolving our literacy programmes to meet the needs of today’s educators and learners. This year’s new enhancements will deliver even more effective, engaging, and accessible learning experiences.
Lexia® Core5® Reading
Core5 is an adaptive literacy program that accelerates the development of literacy skills for all students from Reception to Year 6. It supports reading success by helping students with both word recognition and comprehension.
Enhanced Autoplacement Experience
To create a more supportive experience we’ve added engaging new visuals and audio, such as enhanced Language Support. This now plays before and after the competition of placement, so the learner knows what to expect when working through the programme.
Data-Driven Updates to Skills Checks
Skill Checks have been refined using data-driven insights, boosting student engagement while preserving assessment accuracy.
Audio Updates to Passage Fluency Units
The updated intro and directional audio in Passage Fluency activities provide clear guidance and a more immersive experience for learners.
Core5 Instructional Resources: Empowering Educators and Learners
The Comprehension and Vocabulary Lexia Lessons® have been updated with a new format that aligns with the science of reading and research-based best practices. Core5 Digital Lexia Lessons for Phonological Awareness, Fluency, and Phonics also now reflect these changes.
We’ve expanded language accessibility with the addition of Bengali translations for several key caregiver materials, including the General Achievement Certificate and General Home Use Letter, ensuring more families can stay informed and engaged.
Core5 Accessibility Enhancements
Recent enhancements to Core5 strengthen alignment with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), making the program increasingly accessible, inclusive, and user- friendly for all learners. Updates include:
- Improvements to keyboard navigation for easier movement through the program.
- Significant upgrades to colour contrast to improve readability.
- Additional support for sensory characteristics to ensure that students engage meaningfully with the content.
Lexia® PowerUp® Literacy
PowerUp is designed specifically for students in Years 7 to 11 who need support with literacy to fully access the wider secondary curriculum. The program focuses on accelerating literacy gains through an personalised learning experience that enhances reading, writing, and comprehension skills. PowerUp enables students to make multiple years of growth in a single academic year.
New: Units Goals
PowerUp students now have weekly Unit Goals that display directly on the Home Screen. Each strand card features a progress meter showing how many units the student has completed during the week, along with their weekly time goal.
Each strand has its own specific unit goal, balancing achievability and progress, with these resetting at the start of each week. Students are encouraged to meet, and exceed, their unit goals on their way to improving their reading proficiency.
Flexible Strand Management Option
Educators have the ability to turn off automatic strand management, ensuring all learning units remain active even after students meet their weekly usage goals. This flexibility supports a wider range of instructional models and implementation strategies.
Boosting Student Engagement
PowerUp introduces the following exciting new features designed to create a more engaging, efficient, and motivating experience for students.
- Background music has been added to the Home Page, creating a more dynamic and inviting atmosphere.
- Animations now appear when students meet unit goals, offering positive reinforcement that encourages continued progress.
- A button on the Home Page allows students to return to their last activity by jumping straight back into the unit they were working on during their last session. This time-saving feature helps students bypass intro videos and activity selections, encouraging them to complete unfinished work and stay on track. The button appears once a student has begun working in the program.
Engaging Content and Stronger Vocabulary Support
As part of PowerUp’s ongoing commitment to delivering research-driven, student-centred literacy instruction, we’ve made the following updates to strengthen comprehension and vocabulary support across the program:
- The Comprehension strand in Levels 2 and 4 now feature new passages, refreshed themes, and updated artwork, all designed to increase engagement. These enhancements support key instructional goals by integrating rich content-area topics, targeted vocabulary development, and higher-order thinking skills to deepen comprehension.
- In Levels 7–15, students will benefit from brand-new Essential Vocabulary activities that include explicit instruction and custom artwork to introduce key terms before reading. This offers meaningful vocabulary support that strengthens understanding and boosts overall reading success.
- To better reflect current research and ensure alignment with Core5, and educational standards, “Sight Words” in PowerUp are now called “High-Frequency Words.”
myLexia
myLexia is a platform and reporting tool designed to support educators using Lexia’s Core5 and PowerUp. The platform provides real-time student performance data, allowing teachers to monitor individual and classroom progress while equipping school leaders with progress and usage monitoring tools.
Deeper Insights, Streamlined Navigation, and Enhanced Reporting
Usability Improvements for Educators in myLexia
- Improved Student Navigation in the Reading Tab (Core5 and PowerUp): Educators using Core5 and PowerUp can now easily switch between students within the Reading tab using a dropdown class list or arrow navigation.
- Set a Default Class (Core5 and PowerUp): Teachers using Core5 and PowerUp can now set a default class to appear upon login. This enhancement enables quicker, more focused access to the student data that matters most.
Core5-Specific Enhancements in myLexia
See When Core5 Students Were Flagged for Instruction
In the Core5 Needs Instruction tab of the Class Action Plan, educators can now view the date each student was flagged. This added detail helps educators more effectively prioritise and plan timely interventions.
PowerUp-Specific Enhancements in myLexia
- Class-Level Student Activity Export With Skill Check Scores: A new export option in the Skills Status report lets teachers view all PowerUp activity data for their entire class in one place—including Skill Check scores—without needing to open individual student reports.
- PowerUp Certificates on Student Action Plan: Teachers can now access a student’s latest PowerUp certificates directly from the Student Action Plan, making it easier to recognise student success.
PowerUp Unit Goals and Usage Report Enhancements
Weekly unit goals have been added for students using PowerUp. Educators can now monitor student progress toward these goals in the Class Usage Report within myLexia. To support this, we’ve improved the report layout, making it easier to find key information at a glance. Updates include a clearer display of student usage and unit progress, now organised by strand.
Learn more about Lexia Core5 Reading and Lexia PowerUp Literacy by visiting our product pages below:
Watch St Joseph’s Primary School in Action
At St Joseph’s Primary School in Islington, reading outcomes rank within the top 10% nationally. Lexia Core5 Reading has played a key role in helping their struggling readers, including those with SEND and EAL, improve their literacy skills.
By integrating Core5 into their morning reading interventions, the school has seen improved reading ability, confidence, and engagement among their students.
Lexia Core5 Reading – More School Success Stories
Learn from schools across the UK that have successfully implemented Lexia Core5 to boost reading attainment.
Oakwell Rise Primary School
How structured support improved SATs outcomes
At Oakwell Rise Academy, Lexia has become a key part of the school’s drive to boost reading confidence and SATs success. Targeted at pupils who are not yet working at year group expectations, Lexia is timetabled daily, beginning with morning sessions and extending to afternoon support, to ensure consistent, meaningful use. Its adaptive nature means every learner receives personalised reading instruction, whether developing foundational phonics or tackling higher-level comprehension skills critical for SATs.
Staff have seen measurable gains, particularly in Year 6 reading progress from autumn to spring, with pupils independently accelerating through units and celebrating their success with pride. With intuitive data tracking via myLexia and regular celebration of achievements through assemblies, rewards, and home-school communication, Lexia is not only helping pupils achieve academically but also growing their confidence, independence, and motivation to succeed.
Herne Junior School
From struggling readers to confident learners
At Herne Junior School in Hampshire, Lexia has become a cornerstone of additionalsupport for struggling readers, transforming them into confident, motivated learners. Led by SEN Assistant and Lexia Coordinator Lynne Tandy, the school has embedded Lexia into a structured, daily routine—starting each morning with engaging sessions that combine literacy learning with a sense of community and celebration.
By using Lexia consistently and creatively, through targeted in-class support, home learning encouragement, or early-morning breakfast sessions, Herne Junior School ensures every child is given the chance to succeed. The program’s ability to plug foundational gaps, boost self-esteem, and show measurable progress has been key to this success. Pupils now arrive eager to participate, motivated by visible achievement, thoughtful rewards, and a school-wide culture that values their effort.
With insightful use of myLexia reports and a whole-school commitment, Herne has turned literacy intervention into a joyful and empowering journey for its learners.
Chipping Ongar Primary School
The measurable impact of Lexia’s adaptive intervention
At Chipping Ongar Primary School, Lexia has become key to their approach to literacy development, delivering measurable impact across key stages. Guided by HLTA Stacy Saddington and SEN TA Kate Crook, the school has embedded Lexia into daily routines with flexible timetabling and a clear focus on progress.
Staff have seen a transformation in pupil motivation and attainment, especially among Year 6 learners using Lexia PowerUp to build confidence in grammar, comprehension, and word study ahead of SATs. The school credits Lexia’s adaptive nature, engaging content, and powerful myLexia data reports for enabling targeted interventions and celebrating both big milestones and small wins.
From improved phonological awareness in younger pupils to older learners proudly completing the programme, Lexia has empowered Chipping Ongar’s children to take ownership of their learning and achieve lasting literacy success.
Request Your Free Trial Today
Join the growing number of schools seeing real literacy progress with Lexia. We’re offering a free 30-day evaluation so you can experience the transformative power of our program first-hand.
Fill in the form below and a member of our team will be in touch.
Introducing The Big LexiaUK Survey 2025!
“How do other schools implement Lexia?”
It’s one of the most common questions we hear from schools—and now, we want to hear directly from you.
Take part in The Big Lexia Survey 2025 to share how your school has been using Lexia this year—and help us better understand what’s working, where extra support is needed, and how we can improve our guidance, training, and resources to help you get the most from your programme.
Whether it’s your approach to targeting, timetabling, or tracking progress, your feedback will help shape the future of Lexia support across the UK.
And as a thank you, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win £250 of National Book Tokens for your school library.
Join the conversation and help strengthen the LexiaUK community—one voice at a time.
Click below to take part. It only takes 15 minutes, but your insights will make a lasting impact.
Giveaway Rules
- Only one entry per person.
- Entrants from the UK and Ireland only.
- Entrants must be teaching staff in a school that is a current customer of LexiaUK.
- We are unable to accept entries from anyone connected with any schools participating in empirical studies relating to Lexia, such as the ongoing study from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).
- Winner will be selected using a random number generator and checks to ensure all entry requirements are satisfied will take place until an eligible winner is chosen.
- Prize will only be sent to a school email address. Winner must provide a valid school email address upon selection for prize to be delivered.
- Winner will be notified by email where email address will be confirmed for prize delivery. A follow up phone call to the school will be made in a further attempt to make contact. If no response in received within 7 days of initial contact, the prize will be withdrawn and a new winner selected.
- All entry requirements must be satisfied for successful entry into the prize draw.
- Giveaway submissions will be accepted between 1st May 2025 at 8:30am and 25th July 2025 at 4:00pm after which a winner will be selected. We cannot accept entries submitted after this time.
- Winner will be announced from 1st September 2025.
- In the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond reasonable control, LexiaUK reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition or these terms and conditions, either in whole or in part, with or without notice.
Giveaway Entry Requirements
To Enter, participants must:
- Complete The Big Lexia Survey 2025.
- Provide contact details at the end of the survey.
- Be a member of staff at a school that is currently a LexiaUK customer.
Our Star School for April is…
Chipping Ongar Primary School, Essex!
We spoke to Stacey Saddington and Kate Crook who lead on the Lexia programme at Chipping Ongar Primary School. They shared with us how they have embedded Lexia into their school day, personalised learning for their pupils, use myLexia progress data to track progress and inform interventions and share some inspiring success stories with Lexia Core5 Reading and Lexia PowerUp Literacy.
How did you first come across the Lexia program and what led to the school’s final decision to purchase?
Stacy: We first came across Lexia about four years ago. When researching different programmes it stood out to us as it provided an independent learning experience for the children, while still offering the right level of scaffolding for them.
The support it provides for them is brilliant. Lexia also came highly recommended and researched, something that we were really impressed with.
Kate: I agree. We love that Lexia gives children the independence to be responsible for their own learning. Even if they find something a bit tricky, they will still keep going, and we really love how it encourages that resilience.
Stacy: It was also a highly regarded programme, which was really important to us, so we wanted to be part of that. Plus, the training it offers is brilliant—it provides fantastic support for staff. Having that annual training each year has been great, and we make sure to share it with staff. That ongoing support has been key to our decision.
What do you feel makes Lexia stand apart from other reading skills software products on the market?
Kate: We really like the data it offers—not just for us as teachers but also to share with parents. It’s really detailed and accessible across iPads and computers, whether through the app or the website.
And it’s just so much more flexible. We’ve found we can easily manoeuvre it into our day and fit around the children in different classes.
The different formats are really engaging—Core5 works brilliantly, and we use the PowerUp programme with our Year 6 pupils. They absolutely love it with all the hip-hop songs and the variety of content. It just feels so much more mature for them, so they are loving that!
And obviously, the little ones love Core5 too; travelling through different countries, discovering new places, all while developing their reading and writing skills.
Stacy: I think the whole format is just brilliant—the engagement it creates really motivates them in their learning.
The little things they say, like, “I’ve been to Egypt today” or “I’ve visited this country today,” show how much it motivates them. That kind of motivation is key and really sets Lexia apart from other programmes.
Having those elements makes them feel like they’re playing a bit of a game, but they’re actually learning, which is fantastic for them. It keeps them engaged and wanting to do more. So yeah, that definitely sets it apart.
How is Lexia used in your school?
Stacy: So the timetable is always a priority—it’s all built into the curriculum, but it varies from class to class. We’ve tried a few different ways of implementing it, and we’ve found that the best approach is for each class to schedule it in a way that suits them best.
Some children do it first thing in the morning because that fits well with their class routine. Others do it as part of our “Drop Everything and Read” time. Then there’s also small intervention work built into the day, so that how it is embedded into the day.
We know that teachers stay on top of targets and individual progress, and one thing we focus on is talking about units rather than minutes. That’s a big one for us—it’s one of our little slogans here. We used to say, “Do 10 or 20 minutes,” but now we say, “Give me three green lines.” That shift has worked really well because it sets a clear expectation, and children know exactly what they’re aiming for.
Describe the impact that Lexia has had on your pupils.
Stacy: I think it’s definitely engaged their motivation, especially in reading. It’s not just about reading—it’s about writing too. But we’ve noticed improvements across the whole curriculum as well. If they can read and write, they’ve got more access to other subjects.
Kate: And I think with implementing PowerUp with the Year 6s, it’s really focused on those three strands: grammar, comprehension, and word study. As they approach their SATs, it really helps to embed those skills. It’s fun, and it makes such a difference in their learning, especially as they prepare for their SATs in May.
Stacy: That’s why we switched over, actually. We noticed a bit of disengagement with the Year 6s, where the format of the previous programme maybe wasn’t as mature for them. So, last year we decided to switch them over to PowerUp, and the difference has been incredible.
We’ve seen such a change with our Year 6s—they’re so engaged now. They’ll come up to you at break or lunch and say, “Oh, listen to this!” It’s been really effective, and you can see the instant impact on what the children are learning. Plus, like you said, it links directly to the SATs, so the teachers are more engaged too. There’s definitely been more of a buzz back in Year 6, which has been fantastic to see.
Kate: And with the younger ones on Core5, we’ve seen improvements in their phonological awareness. It’s not just in English or reading—it’s also in speech and language interventions, and even their social skills. They’re having more conversations with peers outside in the playground, and its expanding their vocabulary is expanding. The improvements are just phenomenal. It’s really brilliant.
Can you give an example of a Lexia success that sticks out to you?
Kate: So, we’ve had a few success stories, but the one we’re particularly proud of is a pupil who’s currently in Year 6. Last year, she set herself the target to be the first person to complete the entire Lexia Core5 programme. She’s faced some challenges herself, but she set that goal and absolutely smashed it. By the time she was halfway through Year 5, she had completed every single level on Lexia.
She was so proud of herself, and we were ecstatic, so proud of her! We made a big fuss of her in assembly, we made her a bunch of flowers as a keepsake, and celebrated with her certificates.
Stacy: Seeing that change in her was amazing. I’ve worked with her since reception, and we’ve done a lot of speech and language interventions. This was a programme she could really access, which was nice because some other programmes hadn’t worked as well for her. Lexia was engaging and motivational, so she felt at ease with it. Once she got into the flow, she was on a roll. We were all buzzing for her—just to see that child so proud of herself was amazing. It’s definitely one of our biggest successes.
Kate: We’ve also had some current Year 4s, who, when they were in Year 3 last year, make incredible progress. They exceeded the Year 3 benchmark and moved into the Year 4 benchmark before the end of Year 3, which was fantastic. This boosted their confidence and self-esteem. Once they got to the end Year 4 levels, their teachers decided they no longer needed the programme, which opened up licences for other children coming through.
It’s made such a difference for everyone. The children who were able to finish the programme moved into their regular learning with confidence, and we could help more children through the programme as well.
Stacy: The data backs it all up, too. We always make sure the data aligns with our planning, and it shows that they’re on track and at the right level, which has been brilliant.
The most rewarding part for us is seeing them take pride in their achievements. It builds a stronger relationship with the children. We get more dialogue from them, and that’s not something we would have had before but now we are the ‘Lexia Team’ in school. It has really helped strengthen those connections, which has been fantastic for us.
How have you used rewards to motivate and celebrate success on the Lexia program?
Stacy: Yeah, we have lots of reward systems in place, depending on the class. For example, we have Kings and Queens of Lexia in different classrooms, which the children love. We also have a Lexia Superstar assembly. In our star assembly, every week, myself and Kate print out and laminate the certificates. The children come up to the front of the class along with other children who receive different certificates. We make a big fuss of them in assembly, and we do that every week. So, every week, we’re giving out certificates to the children, which is fantastic.
As well as big achievements, we really make sure to focus on promoting all the smaller wins as well. It’s great that the children set themselves big goals and targets, but we also see from monitoring that some children might be struggling a bit with a particular unit. It might take them a while, but we know not to step in too quickly. We’ve learned to hold back a bit and give them that independence. We don’t intervene too soon; we let them try on their own.
How useful have you found the myLexia reports in terms of demonstrating progression and informing planning?
Stacy: It provides lots of support in terms of next steps for planning, and it also supports the SEN cohort with their one plans and things like that, which is great. The data supports teachers with parents’ evenings, so they can monitor progress. We offer that as an extra piece of evidence alongside their school data. We can back up where they’re at in school with evidence from Lexia, which is brilliant for tracking progress as well.
Our SENCO will often go onto Lexia to track progress and monitor, just to make sure it backs up her data. The graphs and things are so informative. They’re so visual and easy to access, which we love.
Kate: She also finds them to be really valuable tools. It also supports any of the children’s transitions, because the data is easy to read and gives such a good overview of each child.
Kate: We also use the data for interventions. When I do precision monitoring, I’ll go onto Lexia, look at what words the children are reading, and where they might be coming up against challenges as they move further on in their levels. We’re constantly showing them as much as we can and integrating it across different areas, especially in our interventions.
Stacy: You can see that all on Lexia. For example, we’ll see if we need to focus on a particular word or skill. We put in skill builders after every level. Once they get a certificate, we’ll insert a skill builder mid-level if we need to consolidate any areas. They’re fantastic! We also send them home with a cover letter so parents are aware that their child has passed the certificate and done a fantastic job.
Kate: It’s also nice how Lexia lessons are labelled as low, medium, or high priority, which helps us know when to step in. It makes it easier for us to determine whether we need to intervene or if we can give the child more time and independence. But we’re still there if they need us.
Stacy: That’s the beauty of it all. It’s all right there for us to see straight away.
What main piece of advice would you give to a school that was just getting started with Lexia?
Stacy: My first piece of advice would be to start as soon as you can! Think carefully about the children you want to add onto the programme. It’s not always your low-attaining children. We’ve found that other children can access it too, and it can push them to greater depth.
Have a designated lead that monitors, tracks, and delivers Lexia interventions. I think we know the Lexia programme inside-out now. We’re comfortable enough to say that we know it, and we share the information. So I think that’s key—having a couple of people that can support, use the resources, and share knowledge. The Resources Hub page is fantastic across the board for teachers and LSAs, not just for Lexia interventions but for any sort of interventions. That resource point is really valuable.
The training provided is brilliant. Honestly, I’ve learnt so much from the training we’ve had from LexiaUK. We’ve had a couple of years in a row now, and then we share that with staff. So I think it’s key to make use of it! Make use of the emails and newsletters . There’s so much support, so make use of all of it.
Kate: Also, when we’ve found things through the training or the emails, we’ve put together tip sheets for the LSAs. For example, if there’s a specific unit, like the doubling rule, the tip sheet will explain how it’s being taught to the children.
Stacy: But I think, going back to the advice, make use of the data. Make use of everything, because it does save a lot of work, and it’s all there for you. Make use of the graphs, keep checking, keep monitoring. I think Lexia offers so much support—it’s brilliant.
What feedback have you had from your Lexia pupils?
Kate: They all love it. The buzz that Lexia has created around the whole school is just infectious. Even the children who aren’t on Lexia are so proud of their classmates and just so happy for them. There’s always this really lovely buzz of, “Oh, you’ve done so well this week, you got a certificate!” and it’s just been great.
But then, speaking to the children who are actually doing it, they love it. One of my little boys in my class loves that he has to do Stage One, Stage Two, and then a skill check. He likes that he has to repeat what he’s doing before he gets to the end of his level, and then he loves getting a certificate at the end of it. For him, that recognition really means something—it’s his reward for his hard work, and he loves that side of it.
Stacy: For some children, they need that structure. I think it works really well for them because they know what to expect, they know how the system works, and they feel more relaxed with it, which is really nice. That’s what stands out for him.
Stacy: They also love the visual side of it, the gameplay feel of it. The visuals are brilliant. They’re always telling us about places they’ve been in the programme, what they’ve learned, what they’ve seen—which is great!
The Year 6s love the songs on PowerUp too. The other day, they were all singing the noun song together in class. That’s the kind of buzz we want! It creates motivation—they actually want to go on the next day and continue, which is really good.
Kate: They know their work is really valued—not just by everyone at school, but by us as Lexia leads. They know we really value the hard work they’re putting in, and we see it. We see both the effort and the progress. They’ll say, “Oh, I know, I’m going to do five more units next week,” and we’ll say, “Brilliant! I’ll check in with you.” There’s just this buzz about it—they know we’re monitoring them, but it’s all positive.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Kate: When we were first introduced to Lexia and started using it, we spent time really getting to know the programme—so we knew exactly what we were delivering, what we were going to be saying to the children, and how we would introduce it to them. We just made sure we understood it fully.
Stacy: Having Educator Mode was helpful. We spent a lot of time on that, so we could actually access it through their eyes, which has been really helpful. I think we’re just so proud of how far we’ve come. Because you can see the progress visually, and then you’ve got all the success stories as well.
Kate: All the children who have been part of Lexia—we’re just so proud of them because they’ve come such a long way. And that’s credit to Lexia too—it’s amazing. It’s brilliant to see. It’s just lovely to see their progress, lovely to see their confidence grow. We just absolutely love it and we love the buzz that it creates in our school. We really do.
Introduction
One of the most important tasks and school leaders face is ensuring that every student, regardless of their learning needs, receives the right support to thrive in literacy. However, with the diverse range of challenges that learners can face—whether it’s dyslexia, language delays, decoding or comprehension difficulties—tailoring needs to meet these can feel overwhelming.
In this post, we’ll explore practical, adaptive approaches to reading intervention. These strategies aim to empower you to adjust interventions for supporting pupils with SEND as well as those in need from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Understanding the Diverse Needs of Learners with SEND
Learners with SEND often face a wide range of challenges that impact their ability to develop literacy skills. These may include:
- Difficulties with decoding: Struggling to break down words into sounds.
- Language processing issues: Difficulty understanding and using language effectively.
- Comprehension barriers: Challenges in understanding what they read or retaining information.
For these students, it’s crucial that interventions are adaptive and flexible. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, so the key is to tailor your approach to each learner’s unique needs. This requires not only adjusting the content but also pacing and resources to ensure that every student has the right level of challenge and support.
Key Strategies for Adaptive Teaching in Reading Intervention
Tailoring Speed and Intensity
The speed at which students advance through reading materials is critical, especially for pupils with SEND. A pace that is too fast can overwhelm, while one that is too slow can lead to disengagement. The goal is to find a pace that challenges the student while allowing them to build confidence and competence.
For example, break down tasks into manageable steps and allow students to revisit concepts as needed. Regularly assess progress to determine if the pace needs adjusting. The key is to provide just enough challenge to keep students engaged, while ensuring they are not overwhelmed by complex tasks too soon.
Students may also benefit from frequent breaks, particularly when they are working on new or difficult concepts. These breaks can help reset focus and provide time for students to reflect on what they’ve learned.
Resource Selection: Providing the Right Materials
The resources you use play a significant role in how effectively students can progress in their literacy journey. It’s important to match the difficulty of resources to the learner’s level and needs. For learners with SEND, the resources should not only align with their current skills but also be motivating and engaging.
When selecting materials, consider the following:
- Levels of challenge: Choose resources that are appropriately challenging but not too difficult for the student to engage with successfully. Resources that are too simple will not promote growth, while those that are too complex can lead to frustration.
- Multisensory elements: Some learners may benefit from resources that engage more than one sense. For example, visual aids, tactile activities, or spoken instructions can help students better understand the material.
- Interest-based materials: Engage students with texts and topics they find interesting, helping them build motivation and a love for reading.
By selecting materials that are the right level of difficulty, you can ensure that students are constantly progressing and building new skills, while also keeping them engaged and motivated to continue learning.
Scaffolding: Supporting Independence While Building Skills
Scaffolding is an essential strategy for all learners but is particularly important in promoting independence in learners with SEND. Scaffolding allows pupils to build skills incrementally while still receiving the support they need to succeed. The goal of scaffolding is to help learners become more independent by providing targeted support that can be gradually removed as the student gains confidence and ability.
Key techniques for scaffolding include:
- Modelling: Initially, provide clear, step-by-step demonstrations of the task at hand. For example, when teaching reading comprehension, model how to read a passage aloud, highlight key information, and summarise the main points.
- Guided practice: Allow students to practice tasks with support. This might include working through a passage together, providing prompts or questions as they read, or discussing vocabulary words.
- Gradual release of responsibility: As students become more competent, gradually reduce the amount of support you provide. Start by offering more guidance and slowly move towards independent work, ensuring students are ready to take on tasks by themselves.
For example, when teaching a pupil to read a difficult text, start by reading aloud together and discussing the content. Over time, ask them to take over more of the reading, then support them with comprehension questions, and eventually let them read and answer questions independently.
Scaffolding allows learners to progress at their own pace, ensuring they have the tools to succeed even as the level of challenge increases.
Progress Monitoring: Tracking and Adjusting Intervention
Monitoring progress is essential to ensuring that the interventions you are using are working. Without regular assessments, it’s impossible to know whether a student is making the desired progress or if adjustments are needed. Ongoing progress monitoring also allows you to celebrate small victories, boosting students’ confidence and motivation.
Regularly track your students’ performance through formative assessments and observations. By collecting data on areas such as phonics, fluency, and comprehension, you can determine whether the pace and resources are appropriate or if adjustments need to be made.
If a student is struggling in a particular area—such as decoding or fluency—it may be necessary to adjust the focus of the intervention, providing more targeted support. Conversely, if a student is excelling, the level of challenge can be increased to ensure continued development.
Practical Tips for SENCOs
SENCOs play a vital role in shaping how literacy interventions are implemented in school. Here are some practical tips to help maximise the impact of interventions:
- Collaborate with teachers: Regular communication with classroom teachers is key to ensuring interventions are aligned with classroom learning. By working together, you can ensure that support is consistent and well-integrated.
- Use data-driven decisions: Regularly monitor student progress and use data to inform your decisions. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to make changes—whether it’s adjusting the pacing, selecting new resources, or altering the focus of the intervention.
- Offer ongoing support: For many students with SEND, literacy development is a long-term process. Ensure that there is a plan for continued support beyond initial interventions. This can include follow-up sessions, extended practice opportunities, or adjustments to the classroom environment.
Conclusion
Supporting learners with SEND in developing crucial literacy skills is an ongoing challenge. With the right strategies in place, you can help your students develop the skills they need to succeed. Tailoring interventions to suit each learner’s pace, selecting the right resources, scaffolding learning for independence and regularly monitoring progress are essential components of a successful literacy strategy.
By integrating these approaches into your practice, you can ensure that every student receives the support they need to build confidence and competence in reading, regardless of their learning needs. However, implementing these strategies effectively takes time and can be complex, requiring careful planning and adaptation. Utilising research-evidenced technology can help streamline this process, equipping teachers with the tools they need to provide targeted, effective support for SEND learners.
Looking for a Reading Intervention that Supports Both Pupils and Teachers?
If you’re looking for a solution to streamline and personalise your reading interventions, Lexia Core5 Reading and Lexia PowerUp Literacy offer tools that can help. These programmes adapt to each learner’s needs, offering a flexible, data-driven approach to literacy development.
Request a Demo to learn more about how Lexia can support your pupils. We are proud to partner with schools ensure every student reaches their literacy goals, no matter their learning journey.
Introduction
When it comes to maximising the impact of Lexia in your school, some of the most powerful tools are the ones that often go unnoticed. Beyond the familiar dashboards and progress reports, myLexia offers a range of hidden features that can transform the way educators track progress, target additional support, and enhance student learning.
In this article, we’ll explore three valuable features that you may not have fully explored. By making the most of these tools, you can gain a clearer picture of student progress, personalise support, and save valuable planning time.
1. Detailed Skills Reports: A Deeper View of Student Progress
While many are familiar with myLexia’s Class Overview and Class Progress reports, fewer are aware of the level of detail that can be gained from the student reports. The student-level Detailed Skills Report provides an in-depth look into an individual student’s strengths and needs, right down to the specific phoneme, high frequency word, or comprehension question type.
Why it’s Valuable
- Allows for targeted interventions by highlighting precise skill gaps.
- Supports progress tracking over time, ensuring that detailed evidence of literacy skills acquisition can be easily obtained and analysed.
- Provides clear and specific information to support discussions with colleagues and parents.
How to Access and Use
- Log into myLexia and navigate to the student overview. This can be done by clicking on the student’s name from the Class Overview.
- Select the button at the top right to view their Skills Report. A detailed version of this can be obtained by clicking on the name of a current or past level.
- Use this report to identify areas of need by assessing the number of steps into Lexia’s instruction mode. The common errors column can also be used to identify and address any more specific issues, such as an issue with spelling a particular sight word.
2. The Resource Hub: Practical Teaching Tools at Your Fingertips
Lexia’s Resource Hub provides a veritable treasure trove of literacy resources, including structured lesson plans and printable activities, designed to reinforce key literacy skills. From comprehension passages and decodable readers to sticker charts and goal setting exercises, these resources can be integrated into classroom teaching, small-group interventions, or sent home as a homework
Why It’s Valuable
- Offers ready-to-use teaching resources aligned with students’ individual needs and abilities.
- Saves planning time by providing detailed intervention lesson plans and activities for skill reinforcement.
- Provides a host of additional, high-quality literacy and reading resources that cater to all ages and ability levels in school.
How to Access and Use
- Log into myLexia and navigate to the Resources tab.
- Click on the Core5 or PowerUp Resources Hub Link.
- Browse a host of printable and digital resources to integrate into whole-class teaching, group interventions or 1-to-1 teaching. We recommend the ‘Support for Instruction’ area as a great place to start.
3. Skill Checks and Skill Builders: Assessing and Reinforcing Learning
Many are already aware of Skill Builders and their ability to provide printed offline practice and consolidation activities to ensure students have fully grasped key literacy skills. However, the introduction of Skill Checks in a recent update means that the delivery of these resources can be even more targeted and effective. Skills Checks serve as quick and subtle assessments at the end of each level to provide added progress and mastery information to the teacher.
Why it’s Valuable
- Enables targeted support and adaptive teaching. Skill Checks provide quick assessments that help pinpoint student mastery levels, ensuring that Skill Builders are used effectively for reinforcement where needed.
- Provides valuable data to inform further support and offers detailed insights into pupils’ understanding and skill mastery.
- Promotes stronger skills retention while ensuring that valuable teaching time is used as efficiently as possible.
How to Access and Use
- When a student completes a level, check their assigned Skill Builders under the Action Plan tab in the Class Overview.
- Use Skill Checks to assess proficiency in recently completed skills. Skills check scores can be found by accessing the student individual Skills Report. We recommend providing a Skill Builder for any skill score below 75% to enable to students to gain further practice and consolidation in this skill.
- Print and distribute the activities for small-group work, independent practice, or homework.
Maximising the Impact of Lexia
By making the most of these powerful yet often overlooked features, you can gain a deeper understanding into student progress and deliver more targeted interventions to boost literacy progress even further. Whether it’s using Detailed Skills Reports to fine-tune interventions, exploring the Resource Hub for ready-made teaching resources, or taking advantage of Skill Checks and Skill Builders to reinforce learning, each tool is designed to help you maximise the impact of Lexia in your school.
Next Steps
- Explore these features in myLexia and consider how they can support your teaching strategies.
- Share this post with colleagues to help more educators make full use of these tools.
- For additional guidance, contact the LexiaUK Implementation and Support Team. We offer unlimited training and support to help you get the best out of Lexia.
For many pupils with special educational needs and disability (SEND), learning to read and write can be a significant challenge. Difficulties with phonics, comprehension, and spelling often lead to frustration, disengagement, and low confidence. Traditional, one-size-fits-all approaches may not provide the flexibility or reinforcement these learners need.
This is where multisensory learning can play a transformative role. By engaging multiple senses—sight, sound, movement, and touch—multisensory strategies help embed literacy skills in a way that feels natural and meaningful to pupils with SEND. In this article, we’ll explore how multisensory learning works, practical strategies that can be used in the classroom, and how technology can enhance these approaches to break down barriers for learners with SEND.
What is Multisensory Learning and Why Does It Work?
Multisensory learning involves using visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic-tactile pathways simultaneously to support literacy development. This approach is particularly beneficial for pupils with SEND, such as those with dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, or speech and language difficulties. This tactile approach to learning through a wide range of modalities makes it more likely to work with the pupil.
Why is it effective?
- Supports memory retention – Engaging multiple senses strengthens neural connections, helping learners retain and recall information.
- Reduces cognitive overload – Breaking down complex literacy tasks into sensory-based activities makes them more manageable.
- Encourages engagement – Pupils are more likely to stay focused when lessons include movement, hands-on actions, and interactive elements. Spoken word activities and active participation are great teaching methods to encourage this.
- Caters to diverse learning styles – Some pupils learn best by hearing information, others by seeing it, and others by doing. A multisensory approach meets all these needs.
Multisensory instruction is not just a theory—it is backed by research and widely used in evidence-based literacy programmes to support struggling learners.
Practical Multisensory Strategies for Literacy
Visual Strategies
Engaging the visual sense can help learners understand and remember literacy concepts more effectively. Some simple techniques include:
- Colour coding – Assign different colours to sounds, word patterns, or parts of speech to help pupils distinguish between them.
- Graphic organisers – Use story maps, sequencing charts, and mind maps to support comprehension.
- Word walls and picture clues – Reinforce vocabulary with images alongside words to aid recall.
Auditory Strategies
Many learners benefit from hearing information repeated and reinforced through sound-based activities, such as:
- Phonemic awareness games – Clapping syllables, rhyming activities, or blending sounds aloud.
- Verbal repetition and echo reading – Reading aloud together or repeating words to build fluency.
- Text-to-speech tools – Using assistive technology to support independent reading.
Kinaesthetic and Tactile Strategies
For many pupils, movement and touch-based activities can make literacy learning more engaging and memorable:
- Air writing and tracing – Encouraging pupils to trace letters in the air or on textured surfaces (e.g. sand trays).
- Movement-based learning – Hopping on letters, jumping to syllables, or moving counters when segmenting words.
- Hands-on letter building – Using magnetic letters, Play-Doh, or foam letters to physically construct words.
Combining Modalities for Maximum Impact
The most effective multisensory strategies often combine two or more senses at once. For example:
- Say it, See it, Do it – When learning new words, pupils say the word (auditory), see it on a flashcard (visual) and write it in the air (kinaesthetic).
- Tactile phonics – Pupils use their fingers to trace over textured letters while simultaneously saying the sound aloud.
By incorporating multisensory techniques, teachers can create an inclusive, high quality classroom environment where all pupils can thrive in literacy learning.
How Technology Can Enhance Multisensory Learning
While hands-on activities are highly effective, digital tools can also provide valuable multisensory learning experiences.
Technology can:
- Adapt to individual learning needs, offering personalised pathways for pupils.
- Provide interactive, gamified experiences that engage learners through sound, movement, and visual elements.
- Deliver embedded scaffolded support, offering real-time corrective feedback with visual and auditory instruction, and guided practice to reinforce learning.
Breaking Barriers with Lexia Core5 Reading
At LexiaUK, we understand the importance of adaptive, multisensory learning in literacy development. Lexia Core5 Reading is designed with evidence-based multisensory techniques, supporting pupils through a structured, personalised programme that integrates visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic-tactile elements. Schools using Lexia have reported increased engagement, improved reading confidence, and measurable progress among their SEND learners.
Would you like to see how an adaptive, personalised and multisensory approach can support your pupils?
At St Joseph’s Primary School in Islington, reading outcomes rank within the top 10% nationally. Lexia Core5 Reading has played a key role in helping their struggling readers, including those with SEND and EAL, improve their literacy skills.
By integrating Core5 into their morning reading interventions, the school has seen improved reading ability, confidence, and engagement among their students.
See the Impact for Yourself
Ready to explore how Lexia Core5 can support your pupils? We’re offering a free 30-day evaluation so you can experience the transformative power of our program first-hand.
Fill in the form below and a member of our team will be in touch.
Ensuring that every child develops confident reading skills is a priority for primary schools, yet pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) often face additional barriers to literacy.
For SENDCOs and school leaders, providing effective reading intervention requires a strategic, evidence-based approach that addresses diverse learning needs while working within the realities of curriculum demands and resource constraints.
Literacy for All: Strategies for Primary Pupils with SEND is a practical guide designed to support educators in implementing inclusive, research-informed literacy strategies. It explores key approaches to improving reading outcomes for SEND learners, with a focus on adaptive instruction, targeted support, and data-driven decision-making.
This guide will help you:
- Deliver more effective literacy support: Tailor literacy instruction to meet the needs of learners with dyslexia, ADHD, and speech and language difficulties.
- Save time and enhance impact: Explore the role of adaptive learning and technology in delivering personalised reading intervention.
- Make data work for you: Use assessment and real-time data to inform targeted interventions and demonstrate impact.
By embedding these approaches into literacy provision, schools can take meaningful steps towards closing the attainment gap and ensuring equitable access to reading development.
Download the guide to explore strategies that support all learners in building essential reading skills.
See the Results for Yourself – Request a Free 30-Day Evaluation
Want to experience the impact of Lexia Core5 in your school? We’re offering a free 30-day evaluation for schools interested in seeing how Lexia Core5 can support their students’ literacy skills development.