“We use the books primarily for small groups, either as intervention or as core classroom instruction. So, if the teacher just taught the suffix -ed, they might go find which book in the series matches for extra practice. I usually buy seven copies of each set as our book groups are made up of seven pupils or less.”
Holly usually starts with a phonics screener to figure out what pupils know and don't know. Then she finds a series that focuses on a phonics skill they are not as comfortable with, whether that is on blends and digraphs or prefixes and suffixes. It all starts with finding a series that matches the pupil’s needs.
Phonic Books texts have vocabulary, they have comprehension and they have engaging storylines that suck the pupils in.
“The pupils’ favourite series are probably Talisman or That Dog!. That Dog! is a favourite with teachers too because they want to find out what happens to the dog. As we have multiple parallel sets, I am able to give the pupils a choice in which story they would like to read, for example offering them Magic Belt or That Dog!. I love the vocabulary in the beginning for pre-teaching – often decodables are small, basic books. Phonic Books texts have vocabulary, they have comprehension and they have engaging storylines that suck the pupils in. We use the games at the back of some of the books for extra practice as pupils always love playing them"
We have the Talisman Card Games as well and we tend to use them at the end of a series or as a ‘Fun Friday’ activity.
Holly, or one of the other teachers, meets with each group for 20 to 30 minutes a day, five times a week. They read, discuss, check comprehension and do word work with the groups as well using the activities from the activity book. “Our pupils love the activity books because they’re something different. Some teachers will read with a group for 10 or 15 minutes, then they will assign a photocopied activity from the activity book while they take the next group, this means that the teacher can read with each group every day.”
“The pupils love that the stories are like a giant chapter book. Each book has four chapters but when they have read all 10 or 12 books, depending on how many are in that series, they have read this enormous book. I will often put them all together and say, “you’ve just read this whole book!” so they can see what an achievement it is. It’s so key that the books are a manageable length for the pupils and that they can experience success with reading them.
“I think the most important thing about the books is that they give pupils the opportunity to read something which is at the right level so they see themselves grow as readers.”