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Standardised assessments like SATs are a crucial milestone in every pupil’s journey, assessing core areas such as reading, writing, and maths. However, for many students, especially those struggling with reading proficiency, SATs can be a daunting hurdle. Reading is the foundation upon which other subjects rest. Without strong literacy skills, students will find it challenging to interpret questions, follow instructions, or engage with written content, ultimately affecting their performance. Addressing this challenge early on can make a big difference to overall performance in SATs and as they enter secondary education.
The Literacy Challenge in SATs
According to the Department for Education, around one in five children leave primary school without meeting expected reading standards. This literacy gap not only impacts SATs but also influences long-term academic success and self-confidence. A lack of reading proficiency makes it harder for students to understand exam questions, which are often embedded in complex text. Students who struggle with reading comprehension may also face difficulties in grasping key concepts in other subjects such as maths or science, as these areas frequently require interpreting written instructions or problem-solving questions.
Schools are increasingly focusing on how they can bridge these gaps early on, particularly through reading interventions. Developing strong literacy skills is not just about preparing for SATs; it’s about empowering students to access the entire curriculum, engage with learning, and feel more confident in their abilities.
Supporting Reading in Preparation for SATs
- Identify Early Literacy Gaps
Conduct regular assessments to identify students who may be falling behind in their reading development. Early identification allows for timely interventions that can prevent the gap from widening as SATs approach. - Targeted Reading Interventions
Provide focused reading support that addresses students’ specific needs. Tailored interventions targeting areas such as phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension can ensure that pupils receive the specific instruction required to strengthen their literacy skills effectively. - Encourage Reading Across the Curriculum
Encourage reading beyond English lessons. Engaging with texts in science, history, or maths builds familiarity with academic language and the types of complex texts they will encounter in their exams. - Monitor Progress Regularly
Use data-driven approaches to track progress and adjust support as needed. Regular monitoring helps teachers understand whether interventions are working, and which areas still need attention. - Boost Confidence with Measurable Success
Encourage students to celebrate their reading progress. Building confidence through small, measurable achievements helps students feel prepared and capable when they face the challenges of SATs.
How Lexia Core5 Reading Can Help
Supporting your pupils’ reading development is crucial for unlocking SATs and future academic success, and Lexia Core5 Reading provides practical solutions to each of these key steps. With built-in formative assessment, Core5 helps teachers identify early literacy gaps by automatically evaluating students’ reading skills and adjusting instruction accordingly. The program’s targeted interventions offer personalised support, focusing on specific areas like phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension to ensure that students receive the instruction they need most. Core5 also encourages reading across the curriculum, providing practice with a variety of texts and academic language, which helps students tackle subject-specific challenges in SATs.
Additionally, Core5’s real-time progress monitoring enables teachers to track student performance, making it easy to adapt support as needed. Finally, the program’s measurable progress features help build confidence, offering students regular opportunities to celebrate their reading achievements, ensuring they are prepared to succeed in SATs and beyond.
To learn more about how Lexia Core5 Reading can help your students unlock their full potential and succeed in their SATs, explore our programme and discover why thousands of schools have confidence in Lexia to deliver results.
Learn more about Lexia Core5 Reading
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Our Star School for December is…
Herne Junior School, Hampshire!
We had a fantastic conversation with Lynne Tandy, Lexia Coordinator and SEN Assistant at Herne Junior School. She shared her journey with Lexia, from first discovering it over lockdown to cultivating the positive, successful and energetic Lexia sessions she runs today with her pupils.
Watch and read the full interview below.
How did you first come across the Lexia program and what led to the school’s final decision to purchase?
When I came into the school and interviewed it was already in place. I had never come across it before and the school were keen to continue using it. It was a big learning curve for me to look into it and at the time, it was being used as an early morning intervention with Year 4 and Year 5.
I started in 2019 and, when COVID hit, I used that time to look in depth at Lexia and that’s when I found that all the doors opened. I started to properly grasp how it worked and where we could go with it.
As the children were working at home, I started up by contacting parents to try to encourage them to continue on Lexia at home every week. I emailed every child via their parents to let them know that I was checking up on their success, their minutes, completed units and if there was anything they were struggling with. I could email home the Skills Builders or Lessons and certificates. I would also put positive images and gifs in the emails. It inspired the children and I could see when I looked back on their progress how much more they had done because they knew I was monitoring it. That was how I first really hit Lexia.
From then on, as we gradually came back into school, my role was to deliver it to Year 4 -6 for 2-3 mornings a week each. Once I started that, I noticed that not completing Lexia every day was having an impact on their learning. I suggested instead that we have each year group complete Lexia Monday to Friday morning for a half term each. The children would come in early and we would provide a breakfast snack and complete some units on Lexia. I found it worked well to celebrate the units they were completing rather than their minutes. It would blow their minds finding out just how many units they were able to achieve!
What do you feel makes Lexia stand apart from other reading skills software products on the market?
I originally came from an infant’s school so I’ve never really come across a reading program like Lexia. Obviously, they do phonics in Key Stage 1 but Lexia is the complete package that breaks everything down. I often find that when they do their Auto Placement test, some of then can find their starting level fairly easy but there are some clear gaps that need to be plugged. I have found in the past that if those little gaps aren’t plugged, they can become wider, immeasurable gaps by the time they get to upper Key Stage 2. I feel that when they do Lexia in their first half term, they are plugging the gaps but they are also gaining confidence because they are achieving and setting themselves up to succeed. I think that is really important.
I think Lexia is just the whole package. I find the Skill Builders helpful too. I had a child that I was working with this morning who was struggling with High Frequency Words, so I gave them the Skill Builder to do at the start of the session as a warm up. Once he returned to the program, he was no longer struggling and he was able to move on.
How is Lexia used in your school? Please provide details of your daily routine and how you ensure that you reach recommended usage as well as which pupils use the program in school.
Each term we use an assessment tool that tests the children’s reading ages. We have a cut off for each year group and any children that are below that reading age will be identified as needing Lexia.
Most children are able to attend the early morning sessions, but for the children that can’t we still give them Lexia but I will work with the class teacher to fit it around their day in class. I will still monitor them in the same way and pop into class or leave them a little note letting them know that they are doing well and acknowledging the units they have completed. It really helps!
Describe the impact that Lexia has had on your pupils. Have you noticed a positive change in their motivation to succeed in literacy?
They are very keen to share their progress. In the past, I felt that some children were just sitting there struggling and not asking for help. But now, they ask for help and there is more positivity. They are keen to share their achievements with teachers and I will go into their classrooms to present their certificates and prizes, so that success is shared in the classroom. The other children notice and you can see them physically lift out of their chair because the feel so proud of their achievements.
We’ve got 2 children in particular this term who have moved up 3 levels and one has done 1119 minutes and the other one has done 936 minutes. It blows me and my colleague away! It is just an absolute joy to see their faces and their determination. Whereas before when they were only accessing it for 2 or 3 days, the continuity wasn’t there. I feel now we’ve got it right for us here at Herne and our children. We are definitely on a journey, a positive learning journey for them.
It’s a team effort, really. It’s not a stand-alone thing and we are not just on our own. It’s shared with the whole school, and everybody knows about it.
It was important that we got the teachers feedback when we increased the Lexia time and they were behind it 100%. They said that they could see that improvement and they were keen to maintain it. I know that the teachers next half term will do everything they can to ensure the children continue to get access to Lexia once they finish with me. Any spare time in class will be used and we send letters home, reminding them how to access it at home.
Can you give an example of a Lexia success that sticks out to you?
We had one young lady who came in very quiet. She needed a big boost of self-esteem. Now she bounds in every day. She has completed 1119 minutes on Lexia and has gone up 3 levels. She was recently off school for over a week due to illness and she was still working from home. When she came in this morning I was able to say; “Even though you’ve been poorly and its great to have you back, you have been working at home and that is impressive!” I love the way that no matter where I am and I can check at any time.
This is the first term she’s done Lexia, so it has been all new to her and her family, but they have really taken it on board. It’s nice that the family have encouraged her as well. It’s been a team effort to encourage and promote her reading.
How have you used rewards to motivate and celebrate success on the Lexia program?
We celebrate success every day! Both me and my colleague work together to bring humour and 100% positivity into the sessions. We encourage them to celebrate each other’s successes, so they all clap for each other and say well done when they reach the next level. They share it and we make it a total team effort. They respond to it well.
Any little thing that I can think off, I will do. I might print some stickers out that say ‘Ask me why Mrs Tandy gave me a house point.’ So that they can say ‘because I did so many units in Lexia today’.
Next Friday, I have a rewards session for them so I have some sensory play with some slime and bouncy balls. Before they log on they will have a quick sensory play session and they will go and do their Lexia.
At the end of this term, they will make a Christmas tree decoration that they can take home and share with family. It’s about showing them that there is a reward for their hard work. I think that is really important for them to feel that they are recognised.
I also do headteacher certificate so if they blow me away, at the end of term, I will give them a big certificate and they will go and share it with the Head, the Deputy or the Assistant Head as well because it’s important to share that success around the school.
It has got to be 100% positivity. I can’t let it drop. I want the sessions to be positive, energetic and enthusiastic all the time. It really sets them up for the day as well. They have got to leave the session in a positive frame of mind. If we notice that they are not feeling like they have achieved, we will sit with them and talk it through. Sometimes I will make visual prompts for anything they struggle to remember, like consonants and vowels. That way they can take it back and use it in class and transfer those skills.
How useful have you found the myLexia reports in terms of demonstrating progression and informing planning?
What I find interesting is all the detailed reports that you can get. I put it in date order and find the reports that can be adjusted to see the date, area of learning, the rate at which they are learning, their accuracy and whether they need support. I find it all really, really helpful. I love the way that no matter where I am, and I can check at any time. It’s an absolute bonus.
Before everyone comes in, I look at all the reports and check their attendance and how their minutes are going. If they are dipping, I can find ways to address it and speak to the children. Recently I had one child who did their auto placement activity and was placed lower than I was expecting. I let her work through and monitored her using the reports but found that she was zooming through. Using the data we decided together that, actually, should we try the auto placement test again? She improved and came back to it at a better level for her. Therefore, she’s going to start her Lexia journey much more confidently feeling like she is placed where she needs to be.
The teachers use the reports for parents’ evenings too. I will print out the parent reports so they can share it with the parents as well.
We are now trying to implement training for our Learning Support Assistants to help them understand it a little bit more and to encourage them to have a look because it is available to all the staff.
What main piece of advice would you give to a school that was just getting started with Lexia?
Give yourself the time to properly look at the program and how it works. If you know a school that is already using it or if you’ve been recommended it by another school, it’s good to have a look at the results they have had. Before you start, it’s good to start off with a small group of children or even create a test account for yourself so you can really discover what is available on Lexia because it is so vast and varied. Giving yourself that time is important. You need that personal input time to understand the content and be able to deliver it properly to promote confidence and that positive learning experience.
I felt that my Annual Review with LexiaUK was really helpful as well. It’s something that I hadn’t engaged in before. I had had the initial training, but I found the chat about our Implementation plan helpful to enable me to target. My adviser emailed me a copy that I was able to take to my review with SLT and use to create goals for my personal achievement.
What feedback have you had from your Lexia pupils?
They absolutely love it! I have just sent letters out to Year 5 who will be starting Lexia next half term. I think they got a bit confused because they came in early this week ready for their breakfast snack, They couldn’t wait to get started! I’ve given them their details and completed auto placement with them already so they can do it in class if there is time.
We’ve just stopped one 7-week block of Lexia with one group, and they are constantly asking ‘when are we coming back?’ Even if they are coming in early and the weather isn’t so great, they still come in with enthusiasm and just crack on. There is no hesitation. I have to be there at the door before the Lexia time starts because I know they are going to be early!
Is there anything else you would like to add regarding why you think Lexia has been a success in your school?
I think changing the timetable to it being a daily program has made a massive difference because of the continuity. When they finish in the morning, they know where they are up to when they come back the next day.
I also make sure to keep an eye on the progress bars in the program. They have to complete the green line before they log off so they keep their progress. It’s a good way to end the session too because they have ended on a positive and they can come back the next day knowing exactly where they are up to and apply learning from the day before. I’m always talking about the green line and use it to encourage them to keep going. They pick up on everything that you say so it has to be positive!
Step into the Literacy Spotlight
The early years of primary school are pivotal in shaping pupils’ long-term literacy success. As educators, our mission is to help children become confident, independent readers by the time they leave primary school. However, for many pupils, the journey to mastering reading is not a straightforward path. While phonics, particularly Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP), has been a fundamental part of early reading instruction, recent research and feedback from teachers suggest that a more balanced approach can yield better outcomes.
The Role of Phonics—and Its Limitations
SSP has become the cornerstone of reading education in Key Stage 1. For many pupils, this systematic approach works well, helping them decode words and build early reading fluency. However, research suggests that solely focusing on phonics can sometimes stifle a pupil’s broader engagement with reading. Teachers often find that pupils progress at varying rates, making it difficult to maintain the same pace for all learners. This can lead to frustration among both pupils and teachers, especially when a purely phonics-based approach isn’t enough to capture the interest of students who are ready for more comprehensive reading challenges.
Moreover, research reveals that while SSP is essential, it should not be the only method of reading instruction. Pupils also need exposure to higher-level comprehension skills, vocabulary development, and the enjoyment of reading for meaning and context from an early age. A balanced approach, where phonics is supplemented with explicit teaching of comprehension and critical thinking, is increasingly seen as more effective in the long term.
Why a Balanced Approach to Literacy Matters
A growing body of research suggests that while phonics is essential, it should be one component of a broader reading strategy. In addition to decoding skills, pupils need to develop vocabulary, comprehension, and the ability to engage with text on a deeper level. This balanced approach, where phonics is complemented by explicit teaching of these higher-level skills, can help pupils become more confident, well-rounded and engaged readers.
For example, reading comprehension tasks encourage pupils to make sense of what they read, going beyond phonics to develop skills like inference, prediction, and summarisation. These skills are crucial for navigating more complex texts in later years, and starting early can prevent pupils from hitting a plateau in their reading development.
Enhancing Phonics Instruction with Additional Literacy Support
For schools dedicated to SSP, the idea of introducing supplementary methods can be daunting. Yet, many educators have found that supplementing phonics with other literacy resources doesn’t detract from their existing core curriculum approach, but instead enriches it. A balanced approach—where phonics instruction is complemented by comprehension, vocabulary knowledge and critical thinking tasks—helps prevent reading from becoming dry and formulaic. Instead, it turns literacy into a more engaging, multi-dimensional experience for young learners.
By supplementing their chore SSP programme with additional skills like fluency and comprehension, schools can provide pupils with opportunities to develop all the essential skills that work alongside phonics. For example, by engaging with reading comprehension activities, pupils can start applying what they have learned in phonics to new contexts, making reading both relevant and enjoyable.
Supporting Teachers with Practical Solutions
One of the greatest challenges teachers face is accommodating the varying learning speeds of their pupils, particularly in a phonics-heavy curriculum. Not all pupils will grasp phonics at the same pace, and some may need additional support to keep up. This diversity in learning needs can put pressure on teachers, who may feel that they need to create extra interventions or adjust their lesson planning to ensure no one falls behind.
Using adaptive tools that personalise learning can help alleviate this pressure. By offering tailored support that adjusts to each pupil’s individual needs, teachers can ensure all pupils make progress without the need for additional planning or resources. This can be especially helpful in schools where time and staff capacity are already stretched.
Preparing Pupils for Key Stage 2 and Beyond
The ultimate goal of any Key Stage 1 reading program is to prepare pupils for the more complex literacy tasks they will encounter in Key Stage 2 and beyond. By embedding a balanced approach that includes phonics and comprehension from the start, schools can ensure their pupils are not only proficient decoders but also confident, independent readers.
Introducing Lexia Core5 Reading: A Balanced Literacy Solution
For schools looking to enhance their phonics programs with a balanced approach, Lexia Core5 Reading offers a proven solution. Core5 seamlessly reinforces existing phonics instruction while also providing explicit teaching in comprehension, vocabulary, fluency and text analysis. This ensures pupils develop a full range of reading skills from the start, setting them up for long-term success in literacy. Designed by educators for educators, Core5 offers personalised learning pathways, helping teachers manage diverse learning needs without adding to their workload.
By supporting both phonics and higher-level reading skills, Core5 ensures pupils not only learn to read but also understand and enjoy reading, making it a valuable addition to any school’s literacy strategy.
Learn more about Lexia Core5 Reading
Proven Results
Backed by independent research and trusted by thousands of educators, our literacy programmes are research-proven.
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Find out how we are helping schools to accelerate their literacy progress.
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As technology increasingly becomes an integral part of education, schools across the country are exploring how it can support reading and literacy intervention. However, for many, limited budgets and staff shortages pose significant challenges. The lack of funding often means fewer teachers, teaching assistants, and literacy specialists are available to provide targeted support, leaving schools struggling to meet the literacy needs of their pupils—especially those in Key Stage 2 as pupils’ needs become more varied.
In this environment, leveraging technology offers a new way to tackle these challenges. Scalable solutions that don’t require additional professional staff can help schools deliver high-quality literacy support, even with constrained resources. Adaptive learning tools, for example, allow schools to offer personalised reading instruction to every pupil without the need for one-to-one teaching or specialist support.
By incorporating technology, schools can address literacy issues at scale, ensuring that even with limited funds, pupils receive the support they need to catch up and thrive—without overburdening existing staff.
Moving Beyond ‘More of the Same’ in Key Stage 2
For most schools, the primary years focus on the systematic teaching of reading through Systematic Synthetic Phonics (SSP). However, when pupils reach Key Stage 2, it often becomes clear that not all have fully developed the foundational reading skills necessary to progress. In many cases, reading deficiencies are masked and the underlying issues are not always related to phonic knowledge. Some pupils may appear to be decoding words correctly but still struggle with comprehension, fluency or vocabulary.
Relying on ‘more of the same’ phonics interventions are not always effective for these learners. To truly help pupils who are behind in reading, it’s essential to identify specific skill gaps that may be preventing them from becoming proficient readers. These gaps could lie in comprehension, text analysis or vocabulary, and need to be addressed alongside any phonics challenges. At this stage, pupils don’t need a repeat of methods used in Key Stage 1—they need a real fresh start. Interventions should target their unique literacy needs while building their confidence. This equips them with the tools to catch up and make progress without falling further behind.
Catching Up then Keeping Up: A Targeted Approach
The importance of identifying and addressing literacy gaps early is crucial for ensuring long-term academic success. Pupils who enter Key Stage 2 without fully developing essential reading skills face a steep uphill climb. Without intervention, these gaps can widen, making it harder for them to engage with more complex texts and keep up with their peers as the curriculum becomes more challenging.
A targeted approach to literacy intervention is essential for closing these gaps. Schools should focus on revisiting the specific skills that pupils may have missed in Key Stage 1, whether it’s decoding, comprehension, or fluency. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all solution, it’s important to assess each pupil’s needs and offer tailored instruction that not only addresses their gaps but also moves them forward with more advanced literacy tasks.
In addition to catching up, pupils who have struggled to acquire reading skills, need ongoing support to ensure they can keep up with their peers. This means helping them engage with higher-level comprehension and vocabulary work that prepares them for SATs and the secondary curriculum. Schools can explore tools and strategies that offer ongoing assessment and personalised learning experiences, allowing pupils to make steady progress while teachers stay informed of their development.
By adopting a strategic, individualised approach to literacy support, educators an ensure that all pupils—regardless of where they started—can thrive in reading and beyond.
Preparing Pupils for SATs and the Future
While phonics is crucial in the early stages of literacy, Key Stage 2 pupils need more than just basic decoding skills. They must develop advanced reading skills, including critical comprehension, vocabulary development, and the ability to engage with complex texts. This prepares them not only for the immediate demands of the Key Stage 2 curriculum and SATs but also for the challenges they will face in secondary school.
Primary schools play a pivotal role in preparing pupils for these demands. Moving beyond basic literacy instruction and focusing on these higher-level skills ensures that students leave primary school as confident, capable readers, ready to tackle secondary-level texts and challenges.
Leveraging Technology to Achieve Literacy Equity at Scale
When tackling literacy challenges, schools often focus on pupils who are the furthest behind. These students are not only the most noticeable but also an immediate priority. However, there is another group that often slips under the radar or is left unsupported due to limited resources: pupils who are performing just at the expected level. While these students are generally competent with phonics, their progress can stall. This is usually because they lack exposure to a broad and rich vocabulary. Although they may show signs of progress, they are at risk of stagnating if their vocabulary and comprehension skills aren’t continually developed.
This “hard-to-reach” group might not display obvious literacy gaps, but they require just as much attention to prevent them from falling behind in the future. These pupils need support in building more complex vocabulary and developing deeper comprehension skills that go beyond basic reading proficiency. Without this enrichment, they may struggle to engage with the increasingly challenging texts they will encounter later in their education.
Technology offers an effective way to provide differentiated support at scale. Adaptive learning tools can assess not only the needs of struggling readers but also identify those who are at risk of stagnating. By delivering personalised learning experiences that challenge each pupil at their appropriate level, schools can ensure that all pupils—whether they are far behind or just on level—are continually developing their literacy skills. This approach allows teachers to focus their attention where it’s most needed while ensuring equitable literacy progress across the board.
Lexia Core5 Reading: A Comprehensive Literacy Solution
For schools seeking an efficient, scalable way to implement these strategies, Lexia Core5 Reading offers a powerful solution. Core5 blends adaptive technology with research-based pedagogy to provide personalised reading instruction that targets gaps in Key Stage 1 content while helping pupils advance through more complex Key Stage 2 literacy tasks.
Designed with the hard-pressed educator in mind, Core5 gives teachers real-time insights into pupil progress and provides the resources to support them, enabling targeted interventions without adding to their workload. By providing both catch-up support and advanced literacy skills, Core5 equips pupils with the tools they need to succeed—not just in Key Stage 2, but in secondary education and beyond.
Discover more about Lexia Core5 Reading
Proven Results
Backed by independent research and trusted by thousands of educators, our literacy programmes are research-proven.
Real Schools, Real Stories
Find out how we are helping schools to accelerate their literacy progress.
Blog
Keep up to date with the latest industry news from LexiaUK.
This month our Star School is..
St Alban’s CE Academy, Wolverhampton!
We spoke to Attiye Passey who is the Reading Lead and has been using Lexia with all pupils in school.
How is Lexia used in your school?
We use Lexia slightly differently to how the program was initially introduced. We’re based in quite a deprived area. We’ve got lots of children who were very affected by COVID and, I’m sure like every school, we had significant gaps with some of our children. So, we’ve used Lexia to support all children rather than just a group.
All children work four times a week on Lexia and the class will be split so that the class teacher has a smaller group of children to target their specific needs. This can be happening while the rest of the children in the class work on the online tasks that are completely based on their ability.
Part of the teacher’s role from here is to, while they’re planning, look back at the Lexia progress and what the children have struggled with to then tailor make their next set of lessons.
We could do this as part of whole class reading but it’s a little harder to target all of their gaps, particularly in our school were we have a diverse range of needs. A program like Lexia allows us to take a more focussed approach.
Teachers use Lexia and across the week and children have access to it when they come in first thing in the morning. We are also very lucky to have an amazing library here, so we target key groups of children who we know need that extra usage or might not have that opportunity at home.
Have you noticed a positive change in pupils’ motivation to succeed in literacy? Can you give an example of a Lexia success that sticks out to you?
Yes, massively! First of all, they love Lexia!
Some of our reluctant readers are the first ones on Lexia every single day, which is amazing. As a school, to be able build that enthusiasm up has been very special to see. All the teachers have been very motivated as well. Our jobs are hard, but I think, because they feel as though they’re being given that extra time to focus on the needs of their children and to go into detail on what a specific group of children need in that session without worrying about jumping to all the eight different places they need to get to in the class.
On average, within the first 5 weeks, most children had made at least 2 months progress which was massive for the school! We noticed our bottom 20% of children, our more vulnerable learners, have made significant progress in starting the program. We’ve now got more children the potential of reaching greater depth as well. So, Lexia has managed to target all learners.
I’d say the biggest impact has been children’s enjoyment of reading, but also teacher workload. It feels more manageable and, even though we’re still working just as hard, we’ve now got artificial intelligence also supporting those children, so nobody gets left behind. It’s made a massive difference to the environment and the feel of a reading lesson rather than feeling like we’re racing to a finish line.
For example, we had a child who is in year five and they were accessing spring term reception expectation of reading initially. He could identify sounds but wasn’t necessarily mixing them together and blending them. But now, he’s reaching end of year one reading skills. He’s on stage 5 now and his confidence has just come on leaps and bounds!
Generally, the confidence of children, particularly those who liked reading but knew it wasn’t an area that were comfortable with, they’ve really come out their shell and they’re just giving things a go! The moments on Lexia where it recaps tricky words and things like that, as well as the repeating games to secure and embed knowledge. They’ve loved those and it makes them remember it.
In addition, we’ve noticed the difference in writing across school as well since then. They say that, if reading is breathing in, writing is breathing out. You must have the two together. If you are not exposed to a wide range of text and that rich vocabulary, you are not going to learn to write. We have found the two to be marrying up much more in school, which is lovely to see.
How have you used rewards to motivate and celebrate success on the Lexia program?
We have only introduced the reward system fairly recently because we found at the beginning, they’ve just loved it. There’s not been anybody who’s been reluctant. We always praise in assembly.
I take some time every month to look at the progress data of each class and feed back to the class teacher to encourage them to praise their children. This is what they’ve done.
We are a very small school, so I am lucky to be able to get to know all the children myself. This means that if I am walking down the corridor and I see a student who I know is making good progress, I can say “You’re doing an amazing job on Lexia!”. It is that verbal praise that is having a big impact at the moment.
We’ve just had World Book Day, so we’ve just ordered a lot of free books ready to give children as prizes. We have a Reader of the Month each month in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 which is based on their Lexia progress and their individual journey on Lexia. This is so we can celebrate all learners and not just those that are meeting their age-related work.
How useful have you found the myLexia reports in terms of demonstrating progression and informing planning?
Really good. Initially, I started off by looking at the data myself and then sharing the relevant information with staff and condensing it to make sure that it quickly accessible.
Our next step will be to arrange myLexia training for all staff next half term, so they can understand the detail of the reports. I’ve found it incredibly useful to be able to see if anything’s been highlighted. It’s allowed to identify groups of children that need specific intervention and plan accordingly.
Being a small school, staffing is very slim, but the reports help us to pick up on the students’ needs and add these into the school day where we can. It has been very helpful in that sense to inform our daily planning.
Being able to see it clearly on paper, where they started compared to where they are, is just incredible! I remember the first report I printed, I could not believe the progress they had made on the program!
How have you expanded Lexia into home-use? How have parents responded?
The parents really like it. Parents have been extremely impressed with it.
We’ve got a few families who might not have the access to it because they don’t have access to the technology. But as I said, because we’re targeting those pupils in school at lunchtime, all children have a similar opportunity.
We’ve got some kids where Lexia is all they do at home! They have pride in their work on the program which is great for us! It’s been a nice experience for them to share that with their parents as well.
We’re going to look at offering some walk-in Lexia workshops for parents in the Summer Term just so they can see what Core5 is about and how it works. We’ve sent out the letter and we’ve given them that sort of support but, as we expand it, we’re going to start looking into that so parents know how best to support them outside of school as well.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
To be honest, I think the main thing has been how open LexiaUK have been as a company. I was very honest with my Software Consultant and made her aware that our children have a very significant need. She was so understanding and flexible and was able to listen to our needs and come up with a package that supported what we want to achieve with the program. Her support was immeasurable, and I think that is quite rare to find in a company. She was totally understanding of our school situation and that has really benefitted us implementing it using the model that works for us. We are very grateful for that.
What feedback have you had from your Lexia pupils?
Generally, the feedback has been extremely positive. Lots of them very excited by it. They love all the levels. We were worried initially that some children might looking over shoulders and comparing themselves to their peers, but they don’t seem to do that. They are just generally very engaged and very excited by it and lots of children will often talk about their progress too. I popped into the library the other day and some children were excited to tell me what they had been working on and which sight words they were learning. It’s been generally a positive response. I think it made them see reading in a completely different light. They have understood how reading can unlock their imagination! Those that have found reading a book quite difficult have been given a new confidence to have a go now.
Step into the Literacy Spotlight
Our Star School for April is…
Wallbrook Academy, Dudley!
We spoke to Kiran Satti who was responsible for rolling the program out in school and throughout the Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust. She shared some of her insights into how they have found Lexia in school and what they considered when rolling the program out across the trust.
How did you first come across the Lexia program and what led to the school’s final decision to purchase?
Jen, who at the time was the Deputy Director for Primaries, shared it with me during the first lockdown. At that time we had 3 primary schools in the trust using Lexia. We sat down during one of the lunch breaks and she said ‘let me show you this reading programme’.
It usually takes me a while to form an opinion of something like Lexia because I am a firm believer of getting a book in their hands and developing print knowledge, but what I saw with Lexia instantly was the way in which it takes into account the developmental stages of the children regardless of age. I was excited to see how it looked at their reading development stages and how it could be used easily by the teachers. To be fair, once I saw what it could do, I was sold quite quickly which doesn’t happen for me often!
I trust Jen’s judgement and knew that what she brought in would be of a high quality. We trialled it with the children so we could see the impact it had before rolling it out more widely. Jen’s excitement for the program was one factor, but actually seeing what it could do and how it worked with our pupils is what really sold it to us as a trust.
What do you feel makes Lexia stand apart from other reading skills software products on the market?
It is very effective in terms of impacting a child’s progress and I say this from both a leadership and a teacher perspective. I have seen the impact it has quite quickly, but it is not simply putting a sticking plaster over the issues. It is the developmental stages that the child goes through and the incremental progress that you can see with it. The way that the technology is used, it impacts the child effectively because it is so responsive to each pupil’s needs and where they are at that point in time.
The aftercare with LexiaUK as well and the support we got in terms of implementing it effectively was great. Implementation is key with anything new that you bring into school. Just because you bring something in at school doesn’t mean it is going to work. It needs to be effectively implemented to have the impact. I think having my Literacy Software Consultant, Chris, and the Lexia team was instrumental in making sure that we were using it in the best way possible. The way in which every little question we had was answered and we always got responses very quickly was something that I really appreciated when we were first rolling it out. It meant that I had the confidence to ask those questions and ensure that it worked in our school context.
Finally, I think that it is just really easy to use. The way the data platform allows you to look at groups of children as well as specific children, and how much you can dig down into that detailed data. It is instrumental in terms of supporting our lowest 20% of readers across all primaries because I could go to the teachers and use the data to inform those conversations about progress and intervention.
How is Lexia used in your school?
Once of the most important aspects of bringing Lexia into a new school was ensuring that it was timetabled into the curriculum. It wasn’t to be seen as an ‘add on’, it is part of the reading provision that we provide to the children. It can be an intervention for Key Stage 2 children which is also how it is used, but for early years and Key Stage 1 children it is very much about building it into the reading package that we provide so it is always timetabled in.
We target the lowest attaining readers first and designate time every morning to Lexia to make sure that they meet their usage targets. One thing that I found is that, as the children got used to using it, especially in the mornings, it meant that they were ready for the day. Their attitude to school and their learning was improved as they had already had some success on Lexia. Success is addictive and it was great that the children were able to associate that learning with success and take that into the school day.
As part of the implementation, I was very important that there was a Lexia trained adult with the children regardless of the group size. This meant that, especially for the lower attaining pupils, we could be quick in addressing any gaps when they got stuck. We were able to quickly print out the Lexia Lessons during the session and complete them immediately or as a follow up activity the next morning.
We also made sure that Lexia was built into the phonics provision we have as well. We found that for some of our pupils, blending was a big concern, so using the program as part of their phonics session was very helpful to give them additional practice with that skill.
We made the decision in a couple of the schools to get the children on Lexia as early as possible because it could only benefit their phonics. If they were using Lexia alongside their phonics, we were seeing good progress with these children so that when they got to their phonics screen check, they were much more likely to be successful. Because the starting points for a lot of our children are very low, the extra practice they got from Lexia helped build that foundation of listening skills, syllable awareness and sound formation that they needed to be successful later on.
Describe the impact that Lexia has had on your pupils. Have you noticed a positive change in their motivation to succeed in literacy?
Lexia for me was a godsend in many ways because it accelerated progress, especially for the children that we caught early. As part of our assessment system, if we can see that they are not making expected progress at the beginning of their phonics, then they go on Lexia quite quickly because we know that with Lexia, alongside their phonics, they will make progress.
It’s the confidence as well. I cannot stress enough how confident the children became after using Lexia with their phonics. All of the work they were doing on Lexia was feeding into their phonics and the two worked well in tandem with one another.
What was helpful for me as a teacher as well as a leader was the consistency of the program. When working in lessons, often the children would comment ‘oh, that came up in Lexia today!’ so it was clear that the approach was working, and they could apply this learning to their lessons.
The instant feedback that the children get is also invaluable. I think that is what they like the most because they can see when they are doing well or if they needed more help. It is a very responsive program and very engaging too. They love the certificates and being rewarded for the work they do on Lexia.
You can see that it is very accurately pitched because it is always linked to what I am teaching in the classroom. It’s helped me support my colleagues as well. As a teacher that has a keen interest in reading, I often take for granted the specialist knowledge needed to teach reading skills. This may not always come as naturally to other teachers, especially those who teach older year groups, so Lexia has enabled them to provide this level of support to the children who need it. It does not only help the children but can empower the teachers’ subject knowledge as well to a certain degree.
Can you give an example of a Lexia success that sticks out to you?
There was one pupil in particular who absolutely hated everything about school because they didn’t think they could do anything. Starting them on Lexia was a bit of a struggle to begin with but once they started seeing the success and understood how to use it, they started engaging with it. It’s that idea again of success being addictive. Because it was so easy to use and they was seeing that success, their independence and confidence grew. They then started helping other pupils log in to it as well and was like a mini teacher!
What was special about it was that their confidence went sky high! This child was so negative and now they wanted to read the books and make sure they were on the right level. They would be the one to speak up in lessons when they noticed a sound that they had been working on in Lexia came up in the lesson. That is all you need from any program, the level of engagement and confidence it gave them was amazing.
This pupil was one of 4 that we had flagged as not being ready to pass the phonics screening but 3 out of the 4 did. I put that down be Lexia being part of their daily provision. I used this example to showcase across the trust just how important the implementation of Lexia is to its success. When it is implemented properly and used regularly, it has such an impact, not just on children’s learning but across the curriculum. This pupil was able to access a lot more because they could read a lot more.
How have you used rewards to motivate and celebrate success on the Lexia program?
Positive praise, always. We give Dojo points for engagement, so it is based on the reward systems that we already have set up in school. We use the Lexia certificates as well. I think that is the thing I have used most to reward the pupils on Lexia. It is all done for you and they love getting the certificates!
I think the feedback and the responsiveness of the program is a reward in itself. The fact that they can clearly see their progress as they work through the program and the circles filling in keeps them going.
How useful have you found the myLexia reports in terms of demonstrating progression and informing planning?
The diagnostic tools and the data that it gives you is so detailed. I am a proper geek when it comes to reading data so I am really happy with it! The level of depth you get is great. When I showed the Principal, who is very much about data, he was extremely impressed by it. It takes a lot to impress him but he was speechless. I was very excited to show him the data and the fact that he was as excited about it as me meant it must be good!
The depth of knowledge that you get about a specific child is incredible. With other programs out there, there is only so much surface level data that you can get from them. The depth of myLexia data meant that I could pinpoint certain additional interventions that we needed to work on. Whether it was rhyme or syllables, I could see what it was that the children needed and bring that to the classroom.
Because of how detailed it is, it has really supported my colleagues with their subject knowledge as well. For some teachers that don’t have the skills and experience of working with early years reading, it has been helpful to give them that insight and the resources they need to support the children.
Even something as simple as the usage reports have supported things like tracking attendance and had helped us adapt our approaches to introduce home use, for example. Sending their log ins home was a helpful step for these pupils and we could still track their progress in the same way as we would in school.
The richness of the data can be intimidating to some because there is so much information! But I think for me, it was brilliant because it gave me all the information that I could possibly want as a reading lead. I could then use that data to help other teachers move forward with it. It’s the depth and detail that you get with Lexia that you don’t get with other programs.
What main piece of advice would you give to a school that was just getting started with Lexia?
Train your teachers up well! I always say that staff need to play with it first. Log into the program as a student so you get a good insight into the student experience. I then held some tutorials for staff to go through the data and see the level of detail we could go into. I would continue to work with any new staff and support staff to ensure that everyone was on the same page.
I think training all staff, teachers and TAs alike, is crucial to a successful implementation. It was important that we all had a shared understanding of why we were using Lexia and that everyone was on board with how responsive is was and the fact that it generates intervention planning for you. It was essential to get those benefits across so that it would be used consistently in class.
As a leader, I did a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of setting it all up initially. I could use some of my designated time to ensure the groupings were done, timetabling was in place, the accounts were created and initial assessments were complete so that teachers could hit the ground running.
Once it was all set up and the staff were trained, the monitoring of the implementation was also key. Throughout the process, I had the confidence that I could direct staff to raise any questions they had because I knew I had the team at LexiaUK there to support me. There was never a moment where I felt that I was just ‘left to it’. The relationship that I had with my Software Consultant was invaluable. It was great to have a contact that knew how I work and with confidence I could go to them with any question.
When introducing the program to teachers, I took everything step by step. We would do dummy runs of Lexia sessions so they felt confident running a session, then the next term we would delve deeper into the reports. I think with anything new its always best to chunk it out so everyone can get the absolute best from it.
What feedback have you had from your Lexia pupils?
They really enjoy it! I can hand-on-heart say that the children all enjoy using it. When I used it with my classes, I never had a negative response when I said it was time for Lexia. They were all very eager to get their laptops out and get started each session. It enabled them to become more independent learners which I really loved. Even though it was mainly there to support their reading knowledge, never once did I get the impression that it was something they didn’t want to engage with. There were even some other children in the class asking ‘why can’t we go on Lexia?’. It was lovely seeing their confidence grow as they used it. As a teacher, there is nothing I want more in my classroom than pupils feeling confident in their learning. It made them feel safe to learn.
Do you have any additional comments on why you feel Lexia has been successful in your school?
I think the support that I got from Chris and LexiaUK team had a big impact. Having a warm and friendly person to go to with any questions I had was really helpful. I wanted to get it right for the staff and I wanted them to feel the same as I did that there were no such thing as silly questions so having that culture and ethos with Lexia was great.
Finally, it was just seeing the joy on the childrens’ faces when they see that they have completed an activity and have moved on to the next one. It’s just a brilliant resource to have and I love Jen for having shared it with me! We introduced the program during COVID which was very difficult but it actually gave us the time to get to grips with it and understand what it could do for the children. It’s become part of our provision as a trust. I say it’s part of our reading provision because it isn’t simply a ‘bolt on’, it’s a part of our core provision.
Thank you Lexia! The whole team is brilliant!
Step into the Literacy Spotlight
Our Star School for March is…
Pembridge Hall School, London!
We spoke to Mhairi Paton who runs Lexia sessions with the school’s Year 2 and 3 cohorts. She told us how they have engaged their Lexia pupils across the whole school and embedded the program into their school life.
How did you first come across the Lexia program and what led to the school’s final decision to purchase?
We are a girls’ school and decided to purchase Lexia after we found that a lot of our girls were coming back after the Covid lockdown with quite big gaps in their learning.
We wanted to find a program that did not necessarily need to be teacher led but could be supportive to teachers. Our SENCO was recommended the program by another school who was already using it.
What do you feel makes Lexia stand apart from other reading skills software products on the market?
All of the teachers found it very user friendly and the kids were very engaged with it. Those were the two main things we were looking for. It really supported their learning but it was engaging enough not to feel like a formal lesson. Engagement was a big factor, especially as we are asking pupils to come in at 8:15am to complete their Lexia time. It’s got to be fun!
How is Lexia used in your school? Please provide details of your daily routine and how you ensure that you reach recommended usage as well as which pupils use the program in school.
We use data to select our Lexia cohort. The whole process is very data-driven so we work out which pupils across the year groups require the additional support. We have assessments every term so we can be fairly flexible. If one of the girls meets their age-related expectation, then we can take that pupil off the program and use the license with another pupil. However, I must say that when we told the parents we were taking them off of Lexia we found that the parents didn’t want them to stop because the girls were getting such a benefit from it! It was working so well, they wanted to keep it.
We run Lexia sessions first thing in the morning before school. We invite pupils to come in early 3 days each week to complete Lexia time. I set all the laptops up with their login cards so all the girls need to do is come in, put their headphones on and they’re off! At a minimum they complete 30 minutes each session but I can usually keep them a little longer before they go back to class and start the school day.
The program itself recommends the usage for them and I have found that if they are reaching those targets, it really does make the difference to their progress. You can really see the difference in progress between those that are coming in only once a week versus those that are consistently reaching their usage targets. We are also encouraging parents get pupils logging in to Lexia from home as well. This seems to be having an impact and it has a knock-on effect. Those that are logging in are getting certificates and praise, so it encourages the other girls to try and complete Lexia time at home too.
Describe the impact that Lexia has had on your pupils. Have you noticed a positive change in their motivation to succeed in literacy? Can you give an example of a Lexia success that sticks out to you?
I have definitely noticed how enthusiastic they have been with it. I have noticed a few occasions when a student might have struggled with something in class and once it pops up on their Lexia program, they have gotten the practice they needed to complete it successfully. The fact that they have then been able to go back to class and overcome those little challenges has been great!
We had a girl who was really struggling with question marks, so I decided to manually move her to that level on the Lexia program and set that as a task for her. In the weeks that followed, her class teacher had said that there had been an improvement in her work after completing the practice on Lexia Core5. When they later revisited the topic, they had found that clear progress has been made in this area in the long term too. It was great to hear that from the class teacher!
How have you used rewards to motivate and celebrate success on the Lexia program?
We have a whole school assembly where we share a number of awards for sports and academic success, so Lexia certificates are shared and presented then.
If the girls achieve a certificate while in a Lexia session, I make sure to print it immediately for them. This means that they get the instant gratification of their achievement. They are always very proud to go back to their class after the session to show off their certificate!
We have also found that the certificates are very helpful for parents too. The way in which they break down everything they have completed in their level has been valuable for parents to see.
I have seen the printable stickers in the Core5 Resource hub so my next step will be to print out some stickers to give out in the sessions.
We have found that they program provides the girls with lots of intrinsic motivation as well. A lot of the girls have picked up on the visuals along the bottom of the screen that tells them how many units they have completed. This element has really driven them to want to get the next level, especially when they can see that they only have one or two units left!
How useful have you found the myLexia reports in terms of demonstrating progression and informing planning?
They are so visual, so they have been very helpful. When we have been speaking with parents who may have had concerned about what they were gaining from these additional morning sessions, we have been able to print reports to show them exactly the skills they have been gaining over that time. It can really drive usage as well. We can clearly see a trend between those girls who are meeting their usage and the progress going up.
It has been great to share these reports with class teachers as well, I can simply print the reports and send a PDF which details everything a student has been learning. It’s been very handy to give the teachers that instant feedback.
What main piece of advice would you give to a school that was just getting started with Lexia?
My main tip would be to have everything set up for the Lexia session before the pupils come in. Particularly for younger pupils who can spend a bit longer logging in, having everything ready means that they can come straight in and get on with it! It really helps us to maximise the time they have on the program.
Another tip I would give is to share and celebrate every little bit of progress you are seeing. Getting that recognition in front of their class and the whole school has really given them a boost. There is a positive atmosphere in our Lexia sessions to the point where we have other pupils in school have been asking if they can join! For me, this just shows that they are really enjoying it and it is not just seen as an additional lesson. They’re seeing it as a fun session.
What feedback have you had from your Lexia pupils?
They absolutely love it! They get really excited about it. There are a few girls in school that I don’t tend to see at other times of the day but when I pass them walking around school, they are always keen to tell me how they have been getting on with Lexia and share their excitement for the next session. Because it is a personalised program, we have also been able to complete sessions with multiple years at once, so they have formed friendships across year groups and become a little Lexia crew! It’s been lovely to see.
Do you have any additional comments on why you feel Lexia has been successful in your school?
I think for me, it is the independence that the girls have been able to have over their learning. Once they get into the flow and the routine of Lexia, there has been a big difference. They can clearly see and track their own learning which is really driving them to get to the next stage and progress even further.
I have also noticed an impact on their Digital Literacy skills. They are becoming much more familiar with logging into the computers and understanding how to navigate to the website or open and close a page. We don’t always get the chance in lower school to practice those skills so having them learn this on top of their literacy has been a bonus!
I think for a teacher, having 22 girls come in for an intervention session all at once could be quite overwhelming, but with Lexia, it is actually a joy! They can just come in, put their headphones on and they are all working on personalised, targeted work. That give me the time to monitor and make sure they are all supported.
Step into the Literacy Spotlight
The ability to comprehend and use a rich and diverse vocabulary is paramount for students to access all subjects in the curriculum successfully. A crucial aspect of developing a rich disciplinary vocabulary lies in understanding the morphology and etymology behind many of these academic words. The study of meaningful word parts such as prefixes, suffixes, Latin roots, and Greek combining forms, enables students to build a strong foundation for deciphering unfamiliar words, fostering a deeper understanding of language across various disciplines.
What is Morphology?
At its core, morphology is the investigation of the structure and meaning of words, focusing on their individual components. These components include prefixes, which are added at the beginning of a word; suffixes, added at the end; Latin roots, providing the core meaning of a word; and Greek combining forms, which offer additional depth to vocabulary. An understanding these word parts acts as a toolkit for decoding the academic language that permeates all aspects of the curriculum.
Why Teach Morphology?
Teaching morphology is not just an exercise in linguistic exploration; it is a powerful strategy to enhance vocabulary acquisition. By breaking down words into their morphological components, students gain a set of building blocks that they can apply to unfamiliar terms they encounter. This can have a far-reaching impact on a student’s access to the curriculum, as morphological structures are not confined to a single subject but are pervasive across various disciplines.
How Can I Implement Morphology in the Classroom?
- Make Visual Links – Morphological word parts can be abstract, making it challenging for students to remember them. One effective strategy is to establish visual links by associating these parts with images. Our Core5 and PowerUp program begin morphology activities with simple picture-matching exercises, enabling students to create lasting visual connections that support the retention of this word knowledge.
- Break Down Unfamiliar Words – Encourage students to break down words they come across to increase morphological awareness. Analysing the meaning of word families as well as comparing words with similar components, all foster a deeper understanding of language structure. Both Core5 and PowerUp provide students with opportunities to identify, categorise, and compare word parts, reinforcing their knowledge.
- Use New Word Parts in Multiple Contexts – Implement a school-wide and cross-curricular approach to reinforce the use of new word parts. Encourage students to recognise these morphological elements they discover in various subjects to promote a holistic understanding of language. Core5 allows pupils to apply their knowledge by using morphological word parts in different sentences, while PowerUp challenges students to identify newly acquired word parts in passages of academic text.
Conclusion
Incorporating morphology into vocabulary instruction offers a dynamic approach to enhancing vocabulary skills across the curriculum. By building pupils’ knowledge of morphological structures, and with the help of programs like Core5 and PowerUp, educators can accelerate vocabulary acquisition and empower students to unlock academic language. Morphology is not just a tool for language enthusiasts; it is a key to unlocking a world of knowledge and understanding across a range of different subjects.
Lexia Core5 Reading | Lexia PowerUp Literacy
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Lexia programs offer schools a powerful tool to support students in their journey towards reading proficiency. However, the successful implementation of such programs relies heavily on a structured and goal-oriented approach.
In this blog post, we explore the significance of setting goals when implementing literacy interventions in schools and provide practical tips for sharing and achieving these goals across your school.
Why Set Implementation Goals?
Clarity of Purpose: Setting clear goals provides a roadmap for teachers and administrators, ensuring everyone understands the purpose and expected outcomes in school. Clearly defined goals act as a guide, aligning the efforts of the school community towards a common objective.
Measurable Progress: Goals should be measurable to track and evaluate the progress of students and the effectiveness of any intervention program. Establishing specific benchmarks allows teachers to identify areas of success and areas that may need adjustment, fostering continuous improvement.
Motivation and Accountability: Goals create a sense of purpose and motivation among educators and students alike. When progress is measurable and celebrated, it fosters a positive environment and a sense of achievement. Additionally, clearly communicated goals enhance accountability, encouraging everyone across school to take ownership of their roles in the implementation process.
3 Practical Tips for Goal-Setting
Set Goals Collaboratively – Involve teachers, administrators and support staff in the goal setting process. This ensures that your goals reflect the diverse perspectives of everyone in the school community.
SMART Goals – Ensure that goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). For example, a SMART goal for Lexia Implementation could be, “By the end of Spring Term, the proportion of pupils reaching their usage targets on Lexia will be over 70%.”
Regular Progress Monitoring: Establish a system for regular progress monitoring. Whether through weekly check-ins or monthly assessments, consistent monitoring allows staff to adjust strategies in real-time and address any challenges that may arise during the implementation process.
Ready to kick-start your Literacy Goals?
Setting goals motivates staff and creates a foundation for success. Whether you’re already using Lexia or exploring ways to improve literacy outcomes, we’re here to help you achieve your goals.
Kick-start your literacy journey with our targeted literacy programs and tailored training, designed to provide tips for best practice, opportunities to reflect on your goals, and support in formulating a clear plan.
Already using Lexia in school? Contact our dedicated Customer Care team at 0191 481 1939 or customercare@lexiauk.co.uk to book your bespoke online session.
New to Lexia? Get in touch to discuss how LexiaUK can support your school’s literacy goals.
This month’s Star School to be featured in our Lexia Literacy Spotlight is…
Smithton Primary School, Inverness!
We spoke to Emma O’Donnell, who leads on the Lexia program in school. She told us about the lasting impact that Lexia has had across school and provided some insights into how the myLexia reports have helped to promote best practice.
How did you first come across the Lexia program and what led to the school’s final decision to purchase?
We have previously used other literacy programs and the one we used previously we felt was quite juvenile for a lot of our pupils. We were looking for something that would, not necessarily solely appeal to our upper stages, but would capture their interest as much as the lower years.
Promoting autonomy of learning was very important for us so we started to trial the program at the end of the previous school year. We also wanted something that benefitted and supported teachers while still giving pupils that ownership of learning. After seeing it in action in Beauly Primary School we recognised that Lexia provided all those things for us.
What do you feel makes Lexia stand apart from other reading skills software products on the market?
At the time we were initially rolling the program out, I was the Additional Learning Needs teacher at the school which meant I was very well placed to take ownership of its initial utilisation in school. As a ‘data head’, I really liked the reports and being able to clearly see how each child was progressing. The traffic light system was particularly helpful to see at a glance which pupils which pupils are on target wand which need further support.
The resources that come along with it are fantastic as well. The Lexia Lesson slide decks have been great and I really like how the program breaks down explanations for the children. They are offered lots of scaffolding where they need it and there are plenty of opportunities for focussed interactions and teachers can come in and provide that one to one only when it’s needed.
It’s these features that I really got the most benefit as the Additional Needs Teacher. I could use the lesson plans that were provided and the slide decks were great since they integrated with Google Classroom that we use in school. They are nice, interactive resources that we have in addition to the online program.
One final thing that stood out was the opportunities for school to home learning. We regularly are asked by parents about different ways that they can support their children and, in addition to the homework grids we send home, Lexia allows us to identify a focused part of their literacy needs that the program can provide support and practice in the form of the online learning or in a Skill Builder. The wide range of learning resources that students can access from home to support independent study, such as the Lexia Lesson Plans and Skill Builders, make a positive difference in their approach to reading in the classroom.
How is Lexia used in your school?
Every teacher and every class is unique but what we have found that the usage targets that the program provides to each student has supported that consistency across the whole school. There are two main points in the day where Lexia is normally undertaken. The very beginning of the day has been really beneficial for our younger pupils.
Teachers have their Chromebooks and headphones ready in the classroom for when they arrive at school and they can get started immediately with minimal disruption. In some classes further up in school we have ERIC time (Everybody Reading In Class). That would also be where we would have our Lexia time as well, so a group of pupils could be reading independently while another group works on Lexia while supported by a member of staff.
The flexibility of Lexia means we can tailor use according to the needs of the pupils at different phases.
What has been the impact of Lexia in your school? Could you give an example of a Lexia success that sticks out to you?
Absolutely! One thing I will say is that, giving students the autonomy over their learning, particularly in P6 and P7 (Year 5 and Year 6) has been particularly effective. We have 1 to 1 devices in school so every child has their own device. With this, we can offer pupils the opportunity to do extra Lexia time at home and, encourage them to complete some more minutes.
We had one child who I taught myself in P6, he is now in his first year of Secondary. He was not expected to achieve his level for his age and stage. He had significant dyslexia and significant literacy difficulties throughout primary school. I got him started on Lexia in Primary 6 and last year (Primary 7) was his first full year of using Lexia.
He was assessed initially with the Auto Placement activity at being at a Year 3 level and he was the only person in our school to finish Lexia completely. He reached his age and stage and beyond! He worked so hard despite being incredibly conscious of his dyslexia. He surpassed all of our expectations!
We have significant literacy difficulties in our school so it is not often that pupils are flagged by myLexia with the green ‘On Target’ tag and he was one of the only pupils who was flagged as green.
That’s one of the things I really like about myLexia. Sometimes seeing something as simple as a line graph, plotting that trajectory the student is on is enough to show them what they are achieving. When they get a bit older, they may not all be excited about the certificates, so can be ‘too cool for school’, but showing them that data can promote that intrinsic motivation they get from seeing their skills increase.
Being able to present the Lexia Completion certificate in assembly, particularly with this student that had such difficulty with their literacy, was a special and momentous occasion. That was a real achievement! It helped us to give him that little boost of confidence that I know has given him a really good start to high school.
What I will say is, we saw that success so quickly because we had teacher buy-in. The P7 teacher understood the importance of Lexia, understood the importance of timetabling it, understood the importance of the Lexia Lessons and Skill Builders and utilising them. It’s only because we got teacher buy-in that we could achieve that.
How have you used rewards to motivate and celebrate success on the Lexia program?
The certificates are a big part of it. We give them out in assembly and the teachers are keeping an eye on the reports and celebrating those successes. We use Google Classroom which means that we can communicate between home and school and post successes there.
In addition to those main reward schemes, we have found that those smaller ways to recognise effort and success have a big impact. As the Additional Needs Teacher, I could go into the classroom and provide students with that extra validation. Mentioning that I could see how well they had done and the effort they were putting in. That constant communication with students and teachers promoted those small incremental efforts.
How useful have you found the myLexia reports in terms of demonstrating progression and informing planning?
I started keeping a tracker myself using the myLexia data. I could analyse the data for each pupil, rate the level of their progress and even averaged the minutes per school day that the students were working on Lexia. It sounds pedantic but it helped keep the bigger picture in mind.
It’s great if a pupils has been able to meet all their minutes one week but if they have not logged in for the previous two weeks, that actually averages out at very little per day. If we want to see the benefits of Lexia then we need to make sure that pupils are consistently getting their 20 minutes per day.
myLexia data really helped with accountability too. Teachers are able to view the data and see any areas where progress has slowed down. This then prompts further questioning between both staff and pupils of areas where additional support is needed or is anything else, such as attendance, causing this impact.
It really helps us see the bigger picture and look at everything holistically. Having all this information into these trends can help us determine the best cause of action for that teacher or that student.
Usage reports on myLexia have also helped us to hold teachers accountable to ensure our licenses are used to best effect across the whole school. Making all teachers aware of the importance of utilisation has increased buy-in. As a result, we have seen a 13% increase in reading attainment last year.
Sometimes teachers just need that data to clearly see how well a child is doing and, what I like, is that you can see how many times a child has attempted something. It can bring any slight issues to light. I also seen instances where a class in general have shown to have difficulties with syllables, for example, and the class teacher has been able to do a whole class lesson to reinforce that skill.
Why do you feel Lexia has been successful in your school?
We have really embraced Lexia. I am fairly new to teaching, and having something like Lexia that gives you hard facts and a very clear focus into where pupils need support, I have liked. I like that we can specifically target and help children in focused areas. It is not just like “they are struggling with comprehension” which is a broad area, it is actually giving information about this one specific thing and providing a focus on that. I’ve liked that we have been able to work with a wide age range of pupils and Lexia has allowed me to work with them all in different ways.
We have also been able to provide support to teachers in terms of homework tasks and provide better parent support. I don’t think we utilise the Core5 Resource Hub as much as we could so this is definitely a target for this year because it is fantastic!
Our head teacher was pleased to hear that our reading attainment had come up by 13% and I can only put that down to the only difference that we’ve had, which is using Lexia and having somebody focused on using it. It might not be the sole reason, but it’s definitely a good significance that it was the case!
What feedback have you had from your Lexia pupils?
They have liked it. As I mentioned earlier, programs we have used in the past they have found quite baby-ish so they haven’t shown much enthusiasm. They really like Lexia though. They like the interactivity and that they can see their progression. They take ownership of their learning and set themselves targets such as trying to finish all the units in an activity. They are spurred on to keep going which has been positive.