June 2023

Many learners with maths difficulties or dyscalculia have maths anxiety and they also tend to have a fixed mindset about their ability and/or potential in maths. These children may have had years of experiencing failure in maths, having to follow a fast-paced curriculum and often being taught in a procedural way where the emphasis is on fact recall and speed. They have learnt to believe that they are no good at maths and never will be. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

Ultimately, it’s reasonable to argue that the best KS2 books are the ones where learners’ can see themselves in the stories. When we relate to the characters or the setting and see a thread of our own lives and circumstances, we begin to engage - and that’s where the magic happens!

For some teachers, there’s a certain mystery around teaching KS2 reading, and the transition over from phonics at KS1. 

In this post we’re aiming to explore this from a slightly different perspective and rather than framing it as transitioning away from phonics, think in terms of how to tie phonics into a KS2 context and really cement the lessons learned in KS1.

Choosing reading schemes for schools can feel like a difficult process, with potentially endless research and a wide variety of schemes to choose from. In this post we’re highlighting 11 key factors to consider, and how they might affect the final decision. 

Our new diagnostic tool, SNAP Maths, has been developed as an assessment for those with suspected maths learning difficulties/dyscalculia and maths anxiety, to identify the specific barriers to maths learning so strategies can be put in place. SNAP Maths tests a range of numerical skills and general cognitive skills that are crucial for maths learning.

Look inside this new Catalogue and discover the latest and upcoming resources at Reading Planet!

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve published the first wellbeing research report as part of our Nuffield Foundation project The longer-term impact of COVID-19 on pupil attainment and wellbeing.

Having seen the implementation of KOs in my own school across subjects such as science, history and geography, as computing lead my thoughts turned to whether the use of KOs could also be beneficial in my subject.  As a school which uses Rising Stars Switched on Computing I am confident in the breadth, depth and progression which the scheme provides in line with the requirements of the National Curriculum (DfE, 2013).

In 2021, Hachette UK and the National Literacy Trust partnered to create the Changing the Story reading programme. This exciting new initiative supports disadvantaged children in 25 primary schools with reading. 22,000 Reading Planet and Hachette Children's Group books were donated to the schools. We can now reveal the findings. 

We asked Bali Rai, author of the Green Patrol series from Reading Planet Astro, about his thoughts on diversity in children's reading books, and why children need more than token characters when learning to read.