Creating a positive reading culture in school is essential for nurturing students’ love of reading and strengthening their literacy skills. With the National Year of Reading 2026 placing a renewed focus on improving reading engagement across the UK, schools have a timely opportunity to reflect on and strengthen the everyday practices that inspire lifelong readers.
Here are four practical ways to build that culture in your school.
Cultivating a Reading-Friendly Atmosphere
The physical environment plays a powerful role in shaping attitudes towards reading.
- Design cosy reading spaces: Set up a dedicated space with comofriable seating, cushions and soft lighting. Inviting spaces like these will encourage pupils to settle with a book.
- Display a variety of books: Fill your classrooms and library with diverse reading materials, including fiction, non-fiction, and different genres. Offer books that cater to students’ interests and reading levels.
- Rotate and refresh the collection: Regularly update your school and classrooms libraries with new and engaging books to keep students excited about exploring different titles.
Building a Literacy-Rich Environment
A literacy-rich school environment can foster a love for reading and language development. Consider the following practices:
- Create word walls: Display frequently used vocabulary, sight words and key terms on word walls. Encourage pupils to suggest imaginative words that they encounter in books to be displayed. This visual reference supports students’ reading and writing skills and can get them in the habit of using the classroom environment to support them using a wider vocabulary.
- Incorporate literacy into displays: Showcase student work related to literature, such as book reviews, creative writing pieces or book recommendations. This celebrates students’ achievements and encourages reading discussions.
- Integrate technology: Utilise programs like Lexia Core5 Reading and Lexia PowerUp Literacy to provide interactive and personalised reading experiences. Providing targeted, technology-based ways for pupils to access literacy skills supports their reading development to ensure they have the reading skills required to engage with books in the classroom.
Prioritise Daily Reading Engagement
Consistent exposure to reading is key to developing fluency, confidence and enjoyment. Try the following strategies:
- Set aside dedicated reading time: Designate specific periods during the day for independent reading. This uninterrupted time allows students to explore books of their choice and develop a reading habit. If you have pupils that struggle to access books independently, utilise this time for accessible reading activities such as Lexia so they can practice reading skills at their own level and pace.
- Share book recommendations: As a teacher or school leader, you play an important role in modelling the excitement books can bring! Introduce students to a wide range of books by recommending titles, reading excerpts or holding book talks during assembly or in the classroom. This helps students discover new authors and genres.
- Conduct read-aloud sessions: Read aloud to your students regularly, immersing them in the magic of storytelling and exposing them to various literacy styles and voices. By reading aloud, you are modelling fluent reading which pupils can apply to their own reading practice.
Promoting Reading Community and Collaboration
Building a sense of reading community and collaboration enhances the reading environment. Consider the following approaches:
- Organise book clubs: Create opportunities for students to engage in meaningful discussions about books. These small group discussions foster a sense of community and collaboration among students, enhancing their comprehension and analytical skills while also giving them the opportunities to share their opinions. Engaging in these free discussions empower pupils to explore different perspectives and foster a deeper appreciation for reading.
- Celebrate reading achievements: Recognise and celebrate students’ reading milestones through competitions or awards. A school-wide “Race to Read” initiative encourages each class to read as much as possible, with coloured pompoms for ever book completed. The first class to fill their tube wins! Lexia certificates are another great way to celebrate reading milestones for pupils at all stages of their reading journey! This fosters a positive reading culture and motivates students to set reading goals.
Final Thoughts
As the National Year of Reading 2026 highlights the importance of improving reading engagement nationwide, schools are uniquely placed to lead this change from the classroom upwards.
A positive reading culture is built through consistent routines, engaging environments and meaningful opportunities to connect with books. By focusing on these areas, schools can create a culture where reading is not just a skill to develop, but an experience to enjoy and share.
Lexia Core5 Reading and Lexia PowerUp Literacy offer interactive and personalised learning experiences to support students’ reading development so that tehy can better engage with books. If you need any further support introducing new pupils to the Lexia program, make sure to contact our team on 0191 482 1939 or by filling in the from below:
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The start of a new term is a valuable opportunity to reset expectations, re-establish reading routines and gain insight into pupils’ attitudes and abilities as readers.
Strong classroom teaching is even more effective when combined with structured routines, collaborative activities and opportunities for independent practice. Try some of the ideas below to help build routines, confidence and a positive reading culture form the very start of term.
1. Reading Identity Maps
Ask pupils to create a simple “reading identity” mind map including:
- Their favourite books or genres
- Where and when they like to read
- Someone who inspires them to read
- The last book they enjoyed reading
- A book they’re reading now (or would like to read next)
- One reading goal for the year
This activity works particularly well at the start of term as both a discussion starter and to use as a classroom display. It helps teachers quickly understand pupils’ reading habits, interests and confidence levels, while also giving pupils space to reflect on themselves as readers.
2. 10-Minute Reading Time + Routine Reset
Begin each day or lesson with a short, consistent silent reading window. At the start of term, it is important to explicitly teach and model the routine:
- How to choose a “just right” book
- What independent reading looks like in practice
- How to record reading progress (e.g. simple logs, bookmarks or journals)
Consistency is key. A short, structured daily routine helps build reading stamina and sets clear expectations early on. You can also combine this routine with structured literacy programmes such as Lexia to give pupils regular opportunities to practise reading skills independently.
3. “Find Someone Who…” Literacy Bingo
Create a bingo-styled grid with prompts such as :
- Has read a book set in another country
- Prefers fiction over non-fiction
- Has read a book that was made into a film
- Likes reading before bed
Pupils move around the room to find peers who match each statement. This simple activity helps break the ice at the start of term while encouraging purposeful talk about reading. It also gives staff informal insight into pupils’ reading experiences and preferences in a low-pressure way.
4. Word of the Week Wall
Introduce a weekly word linked to curriculum themes, school values or current topics.
Encourage pupils to explore its meaning, word type and synonyms before using it in both spoken and written contexts throughout the week.
As they become more familiar with the word, invite them to add examples of it being used to a classroom display.
Over time, this creates a visible and evolving vocabulary bank that pupils can refer back to throughout the year. It also helps establish clear expectations around ambitious language use while building confidence with new and increasingly sophisticated vocabulary across the curriculum.
5. Reading Role Cards for Group Work
When introducing guided reading or literacy tasks, assign clear, rotating roles such as:
- Summariser
- Questioner
- Connector (linking ideas to prior knowledge)
- Word detective
These roles help structure discussion and ensure that all pupils have a clear responsibility within group work. This reduces transition time, supports participation, and helps embed consistent expectations for collaborative learning in literacy lessons.
6. Structured Literacy Skills Practice
Alongside classroom teaching, many schools provide regular opportunities for pupils to practise core reading skills independently.
This is often supported through adaptive, skills-based approaches that identify individual strengths and areas for development in reading. Programmes such as Lexia® Core5® Reading (primary) and Lexia® PowerUp Literacy (secondary) are designed around this principle, offering pupils personalised activities that focus on key elements of literacy such as phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.
When used consistently as part of a broader literacy offer, this type of structured practice can:
- Help teachers better understand specific learning needs
- Provide pupils with regular, focused skill practice at their own level
- Reinforce classroom teaching through targeted reinforcement
- Support progression without adding significant additional planning demands
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The above activities help establish positive habits early on, while also creating space for pupils to talk about reading, build confidence and develop independence.
When classroom routines are supported by structured, targeted practice, schools can meet a wider range of literacy needs. This helps every learner make meaningful progress from the first day of term.
If you are not yet using Lexia and you are exploring ways to strengthen your school’s approach to literacy this year, why not start a free, fully supported, 30-day trial of Lexia Core5 Reading or PowerUp Literacy?
Complete the form below to get started.
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The team at Lexia® are dedicated to continuously evolving our literacy programmes to meet the needs of today’s educators and learners. This year’s enhancements are designed to 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, helping them build skills in both word recognition and comprehension to support reading success.
NEW: Lexia Assignments
Grounded in the science of reading, Lexia® Assignments are automatically delivered, targeted practice experiences within Lexia® Core5® Reading. They provide an additional learning path with systematic, supportive practice for reinforcing skills that need more development.
Lexia Assignments offer diverse interaction types, including letter and word sorts, word completion, word construction and sentence completion. Students now experience new, varied content, not a repetition of prior activities or offline materials. This creates an additional “dose” of practice that:
- Reinforces skills in new ways
- Increases engagement
- Supports differentiated learning through meaningful variety
Smart, Automatic Reinforcement: Built into the Learning Experience
Each Lexia Assignment follows a systematic, instructional sequence that includes:
- A brief introductory review of prior knowledge, followed by a prerequisite skills test
- Simple tasks that move into complex application
- Decodable texts from the end of reception, enabling students to apply skills in connected reading
- Improvement-focused feedback and embedded scaffolds to guide students towards accuracy and accelerate learning
Educator Visibility into Students Needs
Educators can view Assignments in myLexia through the new Class Skills Check Report, where they appear under Assigned Practice. This report allows educators to view student progress towards proficiency and see which students have been assigned additional practice.
With this insight, educators can:
- Prioritise data review to identify students who need additional support and monitor progress.
- Use Skill Check results to inform small-group or individualised instruction.
- Continue leveraging Skill Builders and other offline resources for additional reinforcement.
NEW: Enhanced Explicit Instruction
Enhanced explicit instruction has been added across 79 phonics units in years 1-3. Leveraging Core5’s robust teaching, this enhancement intentionally brings clear and direct instruction to the front of the student experience, ensure learners receive explicit modelling prior to independent practice.
- Consistent Instructional Routines
- Explicit Phoneme Modelling
- Step-by-Step Letter Formation
- Interactive Engagement
- Enhanced Multimodal Format
- New Instructional Voice
Accessibility Updates
Lexia learning experiences so that every learner can engage with confidence.
myLexia
myLexia is a platform and reporting tool designed to support educators using Lexia’s language and literacy programs (Core5 and PowerUp). The platform provides real-time access to detailed student performance data, allowing teachers to monitor individual and classroom progress efficiently while equipping school leaders to monitor school-level usage and progress.
Improved Access to Student Data
New Monthly Exports are available for PowerUp as well as Core5 that deliver month-on-month progress data, so you can monitor performance trends with greater ease and consistency. The PowerUp Monthly Export is available from the PowerUp School overviews.
Retake Placement Without Data Loss
Released in February 2026 – Educators now have the option to set students to Retake Core5 Auto Placement without losing current progress data.
This time the Literacy Spotlight falls on Lift Greenwood Academy, Birmingham. Library Manager Laura Rickards tells us of her school’s literacy issues, and how Lexia addressed them and got her students GCSE-ready.
Can you tell us a about your school environment and some of the literacy challenges you face?
Laura: Here at Lift Greenwood Academy, we’re based in an inner-city housing estate in Birmingham. We have a high percentage of disadvantaged students which currently sits at 66%; we also have a large SEND cohort that is around 26%. This includes ECHP’s and all together is a rather large cohort.
How did you first come across Lexia, and what led to the school’s final decision to purchase?
Laura: We’ve actually had Lexia for a number of years, but this last year we’ve decided to take a different approach as to how we implement the program. Now it seems a lot more positive, and we’re running it from Year 7 all the way to Year 10. It’s working exceptionally well with different groups too.
What do you feel makes Lexia stand apart from other reading skills software products on the market?
Laura: I really enjoy teaching with Lexia, and the students enjoy following along. The programme guides the students from module to module, and as a teacher you can jump in to help wherever you need to. You can also pull any student data very easily, which is good as it shows you a snapshot of their progress, as well as any area where an individual child needs to work on.
Which cohorts do you use Lexia with and how do you identify pupils to put on the program?
Laura: At our school any Lexia intervention begins with an NGRT test. This identifies individual students that require extra support to fill any literacy gaps. We run the intervention as timetabled lessons between Years 7 and 10, either with myself or my colleague, Miss Jeffs.
What is your approach to timetabling and how do you ensure that you reach your recommended usage?
Laura: At Lift Greenwood we have fully timetabled sessions of Lexia. If any students don’t hit their targets, then Lexia becomes homework, which actually goes down quite well! This also happens in the case of where students only have one session per week, they get those minutes sent home and then they are rewarded when these are done.
Putting the time in for Lexia is so important as the school has put huge emphasis on literacy over the new few years. We have the backing of everyone as Lift Schools as well as the headteacher and the SLT. Leadership are very happy with us to go forward and use as much time as we need to make sure our students are getting the best out of their education.
Home use is very important to our implementation of Lexia. We’ve had very few problems with sending the programme home, with odd bumps in the road at the beginning, but the students do exceptionally well with it. If they have any issues they’re very confident in coming to us and saying “This isn’t working” or “Could you give me some guidance?”
Describe the impact that Lexia has had on your pupils
Laura: Overall, it’s been very positive with a lot of our students making good progress. I’ve seen myself that it really makes a difference to the student’s confidence too, especially in instances where we’ve had students who started off with an exceptionally low reading ability. We then see that through Lexia and support from our staff, they’re beaming with confidence. They go from not wanting to read aloud, not understanding comprehension and problems with their grammar to fully self-confident.
Can you give an example of a Lexia success that stick out to you?
Laura: There’s one student that always sticks around, and he went from a ST-3 to an ST-7. From this they finished Lexia, surpassed all out expectations and it was absolutely amazing to see!
They’ve been able to take all of this into their lessons. They can read their exam questions with ease where they were once struggling. This is ultimately what this is all about; preparing students for their exams. Unfortunately, some students will struggle to read their exam papers and not understand the questions, so Lexia prepares them by reinforcing their comprehension. Its really aided them with that.
How have you used rewards to motivate and celebrate success on the Lexia programme?
Laura: We have a few ways we reward engaged students. The Lexia Reward Cards are printed and stamped with progress, and once this is complete they can go and get a book from the new book vending machine we recently purchased. This sits in the middle of the canteen so everyone can see it. A full reward card gets you a lovely new book!
We also have a treat box in the library that has pretty pens, fidget toys and chocolate. These always go down exceptionally well with our students.
How useful how you found the myLexia reports in terms of demonstrating progression and informing planning?
Laura: So useful! Everything is available at the click of a button. You can ascertain whether a student is struggling with comprehension, grammar or whether they just require more general support. You can break this down into small manageable chunks and it gives both the teacher and student greater understanding.
What main piece of advice would you give to a school that was just getting started with Lexia?
Laura: I would say pay attention to organisation and timetabling. It’s wonderful to get established right from the beginning how much time you have for Lexia, and a clear time frame of when you can implement the programme throughout the week. We also found that a strong reward system was really beneficial to our students, so I’d recommend that for any other school thinking of picking up Lexia.
What feedback have you had from your Lexia pupils?
Laura: Our students have found it so easy to use. That’s massive, as some students I think would have found things like this daunting. But once you’ve shown them how easy it is, and what to do in each part, then they’ve been using it with ease.
I can also see that they enjoy it. The rewards, the competitive element that they can have with their friends. That massively helps with them gaining the amount of units that they do.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Laura: I’m really impressed by the way as a school we’ve implemented this over the year. It just seems to be running much smoother this academic year, which is fantastic. Now the flow is a lot better, and with the renewed support of our leadership team, its been fantastic what we’ve been able to do this time around.
If you could describe Lexia in 3 words, what 3 words would you use?
Laura: Impressive, helpful and dynamic.
Last half term, we put the call out for nominations for our 2026 Lexia Awards and we were overwhelmed by the response! Thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate and share the inspiring stories happening in your schools.
We’re delighted to share the 2026 Lexia Award winners, recognising outstanding achievement across learners, educators and schools who have demonstrated what consistent, evidence-based literacy support can achieve.
Lexia Learner of the Year
Winner: Kaylah, Y4, Fieldhead Carr Primary
Kaylah’s teacher told us: “She started Lexia in September and has moved through the program at a speed which means she is now functioning at a year group above her actual age – she is now at Y5 L18.
Her progress in reading this year has been truly exceptional. Through consistent dedication both at school and at home, she has not only met but significantly exceeded her expected year-group attainment. She demonstrates a genuine love of reading, approaching books with enthusiasm and curiosity, and regularly “devours” a wide range of texts across genres. Since September, she has read over one million words! A remarkable achievement that reflects her commitment, perseverance and passion for learning.
Her enthusiasm for reading is infectious; she eagerly shares recommendations, discusses authors and themes with confidence, and encourages her peers to challenge themselves. She is a positive role model within the classroom, demonstrating independence, resilience, and a deep appreciation for literature. Her dedication and love of reading make her an aspirational example to others, and she is thoroughly deserving of recognition for her outstanding achievement and commitment to reading.”
Runner Up: Talal, Y9, Kingsford Community School
Talal’s teacher told us: “Talal joined the school as a new arrival from South Sudan. At the point of entry, he had no prior knowledge of English and was starting to acquire the language from scratch, as he was only able to communicate in Arabic on arrival.
Since starting Lexia, Talal has made strong and sustained progress. To date, he has completed a total of 45 hours and 33 minutes of supervised and independent practice and successfully finished 565 learning units. He is currently working at Level 9, demonstrating increasing confidence and competence in phonics, vocabulary, and reading comprehension skills. This level of engagement and progression reflects consistent effort and steady development in his early English literacy.
Talal stands out for his strong commitment and resilience, demonstrating consistent engagement and steady progress despite starting with no prior knowledge of English. He now demonstrates sufficient confidence and language proficiency to support other Arabic-speaking learners with limited English and is keen to take on this supportive role.”
Lexia Resilience Award
Winner: Pearse, P6, St Colmcille’s PS
Pearse’s teacher told us: “At the outset, Pearse found Lexia very challenging and did not enjoy using the programme. He often became upset and frustrated when he made mistakes and struggled with the expectation that adults could not simply provide him with answers.
Pearse began Lexia in September 2024, placing at Level 8, indicating significant gaps in early reading and language skills. At this stage, Pearse required frequent encouragement, repetition and adult support to engage with literacy tasks and often found learning challenging.
What makes Pearse stand out is the way he has persevered through these difficulties. With consistent support and encouragement, he learned to manage frustration, accept feedback and persist with tasks even when they felt difficult. Motivation through the Lexia success features, such as certificates and visible progress, played a key role in helping Pearse to develop confidence and a sense of achievement.
Over time, Pearse’s attitude towards Lexia has transformed. He now actively seeks out Lexia sessions, engages positively with tasks and demonstrates significantly increased independence. Most notably, he has chosen to continue his learning by completing Lexia tasks at home, reflecting a genuine shift in motivation and self‑belief.
Given his additional needs, this level of perseverance, independence and commitment is particularly significant. Pearse’s journey with Lexia is a clear example of resilience – overcoming learning barriers to make meaningful and sustained progress.”
Runner Up: Thomas, P5, Holm Primary School
Thomas’ teacher told us: “Thomas has dyslexia and DLD so has significant barriers to his learning. He is making great progress meeting his usage targets every week and going over and above to improve in his learning. His hard work and perseverance in Lexia has allowed him to make progress across all aspects of learning. We are extremely proud of Thomas’ effort and determination.
Thomas’ dedication to Lexia and the extra over and above effort he puts in makes him a prime candidate for an award. This award shows everyone in our setting that effort, determination and hard work will make a difference and is rewarded, not just academic success!”
Lexia Leader Award
Winners: Katie Hopwood and Louise Corbett, Bishop Young Academy
Bishop Young’s Leader of Teaching and Learning told us: “Both Katie and Louise are History teachers by trade. They started teaching Lexia this academic year and have really bought into our rationale for teaching Lexia. They are absolutely committed to breaking down the barriers low reading ages and literacy can create.
The progress of the students in their classes is phenomenal. We have already had two students complete Lexia. Their Lexia room is covered wall to wall in the students’ progress certificates and the student love showing visitors their names on the wall. This makes me so proud to see.
They create a brilliant climate for learning and build such a rapport with students. Their belief in how Lexia can help students progress is unshakable and is clear in all that they do.”
Lexia Impact Award
Winner: Stoke Damerel Community College
Stoke Damerel’s Head Teacher told us: “Around 40% of our school enter with literacy levels well below national average. We serve one of the poorest boroughs in the Country. Approximately 45% of our pupils come from disadvantaged backgrounds. We have high rates of Children in Care and SEND. Our students typically struggle with grammar and comprehension of text, hence why we researched into Lexia. This all impacts students’ ability to read and write and ultimately their outcomes. We wanted to meet this head on and have used Lexia to address gaps in foundational skills and knowledge.
Starting with 6 extraction groups across Key Stage 3, we quickly identified the excellent progress being made. We have now rolled out Lexia to the whole of Year 7. Every morning, students begin the day with 20 minutes of dedicated Lexia support. As well as this, we have a dedicated team of 15 tutors and LSAs who carry out the ‘needs instruction’ sessions to close any emerging gaps. On a daily basis, we are prioritising Literacy and using Lexia to address barriers and close gaps. We celebrate with the students through the certification and support them through this program.
Our intervention groups have made fantastic progress already with nearly 25% moving from Foundational to Intermediate. Our Year 7 cohort are also making significant progress rapidly.
Students report that the program is “helping them read” whilst developing their understanding of the importance of literacy. Attendance rates are more promising compared to last year in every subgroup of children.
In our recent Ofsted inspection, inspectors commended the work and the program with literacy a clear priority within the school.
We feel incredibly proud of how well the children have taken to Lexia and the progress they are already making.”
Celebrating your school’s impact
Thank you once again to everyone who submitted a nomination. While your school may not have been selected this time, we are always inspired by the incredible stories shared about the impact Lexia is having in schools across the country.
If you would like to share your school’s story, you can nominate your school for our monthly School Spotlight feature using the form below.
Nominate your school here
As the summer holidays approach, you may be thinking about how to help your pupils maintain literacy progress beyond the classroom. While the break offers an important chance for children to rest and recharge, even small amounts of reading and language practice can help learners return to school feeling confident and ready to learn.
The good news is that summer literacy support doesn’t need to feel like formal learning. With the right mix of accessible digital tools, creative activities and flexible resources, you can help families build literacy into everyday moments throughout the holidays.
Here are five Lexia resources that can support your pupils over the summer and keep learning going in a manageable and engaging way.
1. Lexia Online Programmes for Flexible Home Learning
Both Core5 Reading and PowerUp Literacy can be used seamlessly at home, making it easy for your pupils to continue their learning routines during the summer break. Because learners are already familiar with the programmes, many families find it straightforward to fit short sessions into their week without needing extensive support or preparation.
To get pupils set up for summer learning, you simply need to provide login cards and home use letters to families. Staff can also access this helpful video showing how to print login cards quickly and easily.
Additional guidance and support materials for families can be found in the School to Home section of the myLexia Resources Hub, helping you feel confident that parents and carers have everything they need to support learning at home.
2. Summer Reading Bingo Challenges
Keeping pupils motivated to read over the summer can sometimes be a challenge, particularly when reading begins to feel like “school work” to some learners. Lexia’s Summer Reading Bingo Challenges are designed to make literacy practice feel fun, flexible and achievable.
The bingo boards include a variety of age-appropriate reading activities that encourage pupils to explore literacy in different ways. Some activities focus on independent reading, while others encourage discussion, creativity or shared family experiences.
Your learners can aim to complete five activities in a row or challenge themselves to finish the entire board over the holidays. This flexible format allows families to participate at their own pace while helping pupils maintain positive reading habits throughout the summer.
These resources are available in the School to Home section of the myLexia Resource Hub.
3. Skill Builders for Targeted Literacy Support
For some pupils, summer can be a useful opportunity to revisit specific literacy skills and strengthen areas where they may need additional practice. Lexia Skill Builders provide structured activities that can be tailored to individual learner needs using programme data.
You can use information from Student Action Plan reports and Skill Check scores to identify the most appropriate activities for each pupil. This helps ensure that summer practice feels purposeful and supportive rather than overwhelming.
Skill Builders are available both as printable paper activities and as digital resources through the myLexia Resource Hub, giving you flexibility in how you choose to share them with families.
4. Lexia Read at Home Activities
The Lexia Read at Home resources are designed to help families support literacy though simple, engaging activities that can easily fit into everyday routines.
Available through the Resource Hub, these activities encourage pupils to build vocabulary, develop comprehension skills , and use language creatively in real-world contexts. Activities include ideas such as vocabulary scavenger hunts, photo story challenges and literacy-inspired art projects that encourage conversation and creativity alongside reading and writing practice.
Because the activities are quick and accessible, they can help families create positive literacy experiences at home without requiring lots of preparation or specialist resources.
You can find these activities in the School to Home section of the myLexia Resource Hub.
5. Fluency Passage Packs for Reading Practice
Reading fluency is an important part of literacy development, helping pupils improve accuracy, confidence, pacing and comprehension. Lexia’s Fluency Passage Packs provide short, levelled texts that allow pupils to practise reading regularly over the summer break.
These passages are matched to pupils’ reading levels, making them suitable for independent reading practice or shared reading with parents and carers. The short format also makes them manageable for families who want to support literacy in small, consistent ways throughout the holidays.
While you may already use these resources during term time, they can also be an effective way to encourage continued reading practice over the summer months. Fluency Passage Packs can be accessed in the Support for Instruction section of the myLexia Resource Hub.
Helping Your Pupils Return Ready to Learn
Summer literacy support can be most effective when built around small and consistent opportunities to read, talk, explore vocabulary and engage with language. These fun and relaxed activities can make a meaningful difference to pupils’ confidence and readiness for the new school year.
By sharing practical, accessible resources with families, you can help make literacy support feel manageable and enjoyable throughout the holidays while continuing to nurture positive reading habits beyond the classroom.
If you need any further support or guidance regarding Lexia in school or at home, get in touch with our dedicated Implementation and Support Team.
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As the academic year draws to a close, many schools begin preparing pupils for the exciting changes ahead. Whether students are moving into a new year group, transitioning to secondary school or joining a completely new setting, this period can bring a mix of excitement and uncertainty.
Creating positive transition experiences is an important part of helping pupils feel confident, settled and ready to learn from the start of term, reducing anxiety, strengthening relationships and building continuity.
Here are five practical ways schools can support successful transitions this half term and beyond.
1. Involve older pupils
One of the most effective ways to ease worries about change is by giving younger pupils the opportunity to hear directly from students who have already experienced the transition themselves.
Inviting older peers to share their experiences can help normalise common concerns and provide reassurance in a relatable and authentic way. Pupils are often more likely to engage with advice from someone closer to their own age, especially when it comes to practical questions about routines, expectations and school life.
This could include:
- Peer monitoring sessions
- Question-and-answer assemblies
- Transition videos created by current pupils
- Student-led tours or classroom visits
These activities not only support younger pupils but also help older students develop leadership, empathy and communications skills, strengthening your wider school community in the process.
2. Get started now
Transition days are a valuable opportunity to introduce pupils to the learning experiences they will encounter in the new academic year.
By familiarising students with classroom routines, expectations and learning programmes ahead of time, schools can help create a smoother and more confident start in September. Early exposure can also reduce cognitive overload during those first few weeks back, allowing pupils to focus on building relationships and engaging with learning.
For example, introducing incoming Year 7 pupils to Lexia PowerUp Literacy before the summer break can help ensure literacy interventions and independent learning routines feel familiar from the outset. This means less time spent navigating the new systems in September and more time focused on meaningful progress.
3. Get to know your students
Every cohort bring a unique range of strengths, interests and learning needs. Taking time to gather meaningful information about your incoming pupils can help staff tailor support more effectively and build positive relationships from the beginning.
Understanding pupils’ academic profiles alongside their personal interests can also help create a stronger sense of belonging during those first few weeks in a new environment.
Assessment and diagnostic tools can play an important role here. For example, Lexia’s Auto Placement activity provides a quick and efficient way to identify areas where students may require additional support, helping educators make informed decisions and target interventions early.
When teacher begin the new year with a clearer understanding of their pupils, it becomes easier to target teaching and support, making learning accessible and engaging for everyone.
4. Make sure your students get to know you
In addition to building new classroom routines, transition activities can also build trust and familiarity with the adults who will support them..
Providing transition materials with photographs, welcome messages and information about the classroom environment can help pupils feel more comfortable even before they arrive. This simple approach helps reduce uncertainty and allows students to begin forming connections ahead of September.
You might include:
- A short “meet the teacher” letter
- Photos of key staff members
- A virtual classroom tour
- Information about classroom routines or expectations
- Fun facts or hobbies to help pupils find common ground
These small touches can have a big impact, particularly for pupils who may feel anxious about change or unfamiliar environments.
5. Provide summer activities to help prepare your new students
Providing optional, accessible activities over the summer encourages continued engagement with literacy and learning in a low-pressure way. It also gives families an opportunity to feel involved in supporting the transition process at home.
Resources such as the Summer Reading Bingo challenges and Reading at Home activities are available in the myLexia Resource Hub. Theses quick, low pressure activities can help keep reading enjoyable and purposeful throughout the break, while reinforcing key literacy skills before pupils return in September.
Final Thoughts
Transitions can be a significant milestone in a child’s educational journey, but with the right support in place, they can also be a positive and empowering experience.
If you’d like to explore how Lexia can support smoother transitions in your setting, our team is here to help. Get in touch to discuss your school’s needs, see how other schools are using Lexia effectively during transition periods or arrange a short walkthrough of the programmes and reports in action.
The final weeks of term often feel like a constant balancing act. Alongside assessments, reports and celebrations, school leaders are already looking ahead, planning for September while ensuring pupils remain engaged in learning right to the end of term.
At the same time, literacy continues to sit high on the national agenda. For many schools, improving engagement and closing attainment gaps remains an ongoing challenge, particularly as pupil needs become more complex.
While time is limited, this point in the year offers a valuable opportunity. Small, focused actions taken now can make a meaningful difference to how effectively your literacy strategy lands in the new academic year.
Here are five practical ways to make that time count:
1. Get a Head Start on Identifying Needs:
One of the most impactful things you can do before the summer is build a clear picture of your pupils’ literacy needs heading into September.
Reading age can provide a useful overview, but it rarely tells you why a pupil is struggling. A deeper understanding of the underlying skill gaps, whether in phonics, fluency, vocabulary or comprehension, allows you to plan support that is both targeted and effective.
Investing time in this now means that interventions in the autumn term can begin with clarity and purpose, rather than delay.
Further reading: Why Reading Age isn’t everything, and what to focus on instead
2. Make the Most of Transition Day and Summer Holidays
Transition is a key moment to gather insight and build momentum and continuity in learning.
Transition days can be used to introduce light-touch diagnostic activities that help you better understand incoming pupils. This early insight can inform planning, grouping and support strategies before the new term begins.
Similarly, the summer holidays, while often associated with learning loss, can also be an opportunity to maintain momentum. Simple, accessible approaches such as reading challenges, structured home activities or flexible online learning can help pupils stay connected to literacy in a manageable and engaging way.
The goal is consistency: Keeping literacy ticking over so September starts from solid foundation, not just focused on recovery.
Further Reading: 5 Tips to Support School Transitions
3. Strengthen the Link Between Literacy and Whole-School Priorities
Literacy has the greatest impact when it is embedded across the school, rather than positioned as a standalone initiative.
Taking time now to reflect on how your literacy strategy aligns with wider priorities, whether that is raising attainment, closing gaps or supporting SEND pupils, can help ensure it becomes a consistent thread running through teaching and learning.
When literacy is positioned as a foundation rather than an add-on, it becomes easier to secure staff buy-in, allocate time effectively and embed consistent practice across the school.
4. Set Staff Up for Success
A strong strategy depends on confident, well-supported staff.
Before the end of term, consider where additional guidance or professional development may be most beneficial. This might include strengthening subject knowledge, improving consistency in classroom approaches or ensuring staff feel confident using available tools and data.
Providing clarity and support at this stage helps reduce pressure in September, enabling staff to focus on implementation rather than preparation.
Further Reading: Building Teachers’ Capacity and Confidence: Empowering Educators Through Literacy Tools
5. Put Sustainable Support in Place
Effective literacy improvement relies on consistency over time. Having the right structures and tools in place can make that consistency easier to achieve.
Approaches that combine accurate assessment, targeted support, and ongoing progress monitoring can help ensure that no pupil falls behind, and that staff have the data they need to respond quickly.
Putting the right tools in place before the summer means you can start September with systems already working in the background, supporting both pupils and teachers from day one.
Looking Ahead
The steps you take now can shape how confidently your literacy strategy begins in September. With the right insight, preparation and support in place, you can move into the new academic year focused not on catching up, but on moving forward.
If you’re exploring ways to strengthen your approach, Lexia’s programmes are designed to support schools with exactly this challenge. Its adaptive approach combines assessment, targeted intervention and independent practice in one place.
You can trial Lexia free for 30 days to see how it could support your pupils and staff in the year ahead.
Simply complete the form below to request your trial and we’ll get you set up and ready to start before the holidays.
Request a free trial of Lexia
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Celebrating the best and brightest of Core5 and PowerUp
It’s awards season! Over the next term, we’re celebrating The Lexia Awards, recognising the pupils, classes and educators who are delivering exceptional Lexia progress this year!
We are looking to shine a light on outstanding individual progress, creative classroom routines, dedicated Lexia Coordinators and whole-school achievement, so there are lots of ways to celebrate the impact of Lexia in your school.
This is your chance to nominate those who go above and beyond. Awards categories include:
For Learners:
- Lexia Learner of the Year – Outstanding individual progress
- Resilience Award – Overcoming barriers to make meaningful progress
For Educators and Schools:
- Lexia Leader Award – Exceptional commitment to driving Lexia success
- Literacy Impact Award – Whole-school literacy progress through Lexia
Nominating is quick and easy, simply use the form link below to celebrate Lexia achievements in your school. Winners will receive book vouchers, certificates and digital badges, plus a special place in our Lexia community spotlight!
Submit your nominations for the Lexia Awards 2026
And what to focus on instead
Reading remains one of the most powerful gateways to learning, wellbeing and future opportunity. It is no surprise, then, that literacy continues to sit high on the national agenda. With initiatives such as the National Literacy Trusts’ National Year of Reading, there is renewed focus on ensuring all young people develop the reading skills they need to thrive, both in school and beyond.
For secondary schools, this challenge is particularly complex. Each year, pupils arrive from a wide range of primary settings with hugely varied experiences, abilities and needs. Some students transition confidently into the demands of the secondary curriculum, while others struggle to access subject content because of underlying literacy difficulties that may not be immediately visible.
To identify pupils who need support, most secondary schools already undertake some form of standardised reading assessment. Reading age is by far the most commonly used measure, offering a quick snapshot of attainment. However, once schools have this data, a familiar question often follows: What can we actually do with it?
In this article, we explore why many secondary educators find Reading Age data difficult to act on and what can be done instead to gain a clearer, more useful picture of pupils’ reading ability, one that genuinely informs teaching and interventions.
Why Reading Age isn’t everything
Reading Age scores are popular because they appear simple and concrete. They allow for easy comparison between students and can quickly highlight those reading below their chronological age. In busy secondary settings, this clarity can feel reassuring.
But reading is far more complex than a single number suggests. It is not one skill that can be neatly captured by one data point.
The Simple View of Reading provides a helpful framework here. It explains that reading comprehension, the ultimate goal of reading, is the product of two broad skill sets: Word Recognition and Language Comprehension. Both are essential, and weakness in either can significantly limit a pupil’s ability to understand text.
Dig a little deeper, and each of these areas breaks down further into more specific component skills. These include phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, background knowledge, inference and other comprehension strategies. Together, these skills enable pupils to become fluent, confident, curriculum-ready readers.
Reading Age assessments rarely allow teachers to explore these components in enough detail. While a score may tell us that a pupil is reading below expectations, it does not explain why. Is the difficulty rooted in decoding? Slow or inaccurate fluency? Limited vocabulary? Weak comprehension strategies? Many assessments focus heavily on a pupil’s functional ability to read words, rather than their deeper understanding of meaning, structure and purpose. Without this insight, it becomes challenging to plan effective support.
There are also broader limitations to consider. Reading Age scores can imply that there is a single ‘normal’ level of reading for each age, when in reality, there is a wide and natural range of ability, particularly in adolescence.
Finally, an over-reliance on Reading Age can unintentionally affect pupils’ confidence and engagement. Labelling texts (or pupils) by age can limit book choice, discourage risk-taking and undermine motivation to engage with a wider range of challenging and interesting material.