How our club works

Each child gets the reading support they need with…

Curated content

We curate and commission the latest (and greatest) phonics materials for each age and stage. We shadow schools, so your child’s reading journey is a seamless transition between home and school.

The right reading level

Once you join your child will receive a bundle of books and activities delivered to your door each month. Just let us know the book band level your child uses at school to start or we can sensibly place your child based on their age, school stage and the time in the school year (see our handy chart). We will work with you and tweak their reading level until it is just right.

Targeted practice

Each delivery focuses on the group of letters and sounds your child needs to learn, with games and activity sheets to assist them, and advice for parents on how to be helpful. Each box also boosts critical words like ‘the’, ‘do’ and ‘go’ – the words that children can’t sound out using phonics. Month by month, your child builds confidence.

For our youngest club members aged 2-3 (Cub) and 3-4 (Teddy) we focus on the skills they need to be developing at home to keep pace with early learning goals.

Tailored progress

As per National Curriculum expectations, children move up a book band regularly and automatically (we’ll nudge you when a move is coming). All the books and activities are yours to keep so you can always spend a more time on a level and even re-visit it for a great confidence boost. Our guide about what does too easy, too hard and just right look like is helpful if you are unsure of your child’s reading level.

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

Prep for 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 in Year 1. We can 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!

A little goes a long way

The Bear Can Read brings fun and focus to children’s reading – 10 to 15 minutes every day makes all the difference.