How our club works

Each child gets the support they need at home with…

Curated content

We curate and commission the latest (and greatest) phonics materials for each age and stage. We shadow schools, so home and school life are totally in tune with where your child is in their reading journey.

Just the right reading level

You join and your child gets a bundle of books based on their reading level through the letterbox each month. Just let us know the book band level coming home from school or we can sensibly place your child using our handy chart that shows the expected reading level at your child’s age and stage. Once they get going, we can tweak the reading level until it is just right. 

Targeted practice

Each delivery centres on the group of letters and sounds your child needs to learn, with games and worksheets to help them get there, plus advice for parents on how to be helpful. Each box also boosts the critical little words like ‘the’, ‘do’ and ‘go’ – the really common words that children can’t sound out using phonics. Month by month, your child builds confidence.

For our youngest children aged 2-3 (Cubs) and 3-4 (Teddy) we focus on the skills they need to be developing at home each month.

A move up at the right time

To keep pace with National Curriculum expectations, they move up a book band every 3 months (we’ll nudge you the good news is coming). You keep all the books and activities so you can always spend a bit more time on each band before moving up if you wish. Our guide about what does too easy, too hard and just right look like will help ensure your child is always on the level just right for them.

Deliveries for our youngest Cubs and Teddy members follow a curriculum of skills specially authored by nursery school teachers and early years experts.

The right prep ahead of key checks

Every child also gets just the right help and support as they approach the key check and test points, such as the Phonics Screening Check at the end of Year 1 or the National Test in English in Year 2. We also help boost the literacy skills for those 3-4 year olds hoping to get into a selective private school. And don’t worry, we make all of this fun!

Just a little every day

The Bear Can Read brings fun and focus for the whole family – 5 to 10 minutes every day makes all the difference.