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The Reading Doctor

Reading Doctor is an online reading intervention programme designed to help children build core literacy skills. It focuses on phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension through structured, interactive activities that children can work through at school or at home. 

Why it works

It works because it is structured, skills-based and adaptive. Children move through activities in a clear sequence, and the programme adjusts difficulty based on how they perform. It also gives teachers access to progress data, so support can be monitored and adjusted where needed. Reading Doctor recommends short, frequent sessions in a quiet setting to help children build accuracy and automaticity over time. 

How to use it

• Schools, teachers and parents can get started through the Reading Doctor online community and login portal. Once an account is set up, pupils can log in on a computer, Chromebook or iPad, and schools can manage classes and progress through the dashboard. New users can sign up online, and schools can then generate pupil logins or QR codes for easy access. 

Age considerations

Best suited to primary-aged children, especially those in the early stages of reading development or who need support with phonics and foundational literacy. Reading Doctor notes that starting at the beginning of the sequence is appropriate for most children in Reception/Foundation or Year 1, but older pupils can also use it if they need help with these underlying reading skills. Sessions may need to be shorter for younger children or those who struggle to concentrate.

Recommended

Lexia Core5 Reading

Lexia Core5 is an online adaptive programme that provides personalised learning in six key areas of reading instruction: phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and structural analysis.

• Use as a daily intervention in 20–30-minute sessions.

• Pair Lexia Core5 with teacher-guided follow-up lessons to reinforce key skills.

Recommended for ages 4–11 (primary school students) as it focuses on building foundational reading skills.

Recommended

Reading Plus

Reading Plus is an adaptive online tool designed to improve silent reading fluency and comprehension. It transitions students from learning to read to reading for understanding.

• Tracks progress and adapts difficulty based on performance.

• Provides engaging texts that promote active reading.

• Focuses on comprehension through targeted questioning.

• Ideal for students transitioning to independent reading.

• Monitor student progress regularly to adjust individual goals.

Ideal for ages 8–18 (upper primary to secondary students) as it transitions learners from learning to read to reading for understanding, especially suited for older students.

Recommended

Catch-Up Literacy Programme

Catch-Up Literacy is an intensive one-on-one intervention program designed for struggling readers aged 6-14. So it can be used for younger readers too. It offers tailored sessions that address both decoding and comprehension difficulties.

• Schedule regular one-on-one sessions for consistency and targeted support.

• Use engaging, age-appropriate texts to keep students motivated and involved.

Designed for ages 6–14 (primary and early secondary students) as it provides tailored support for both decoding and comprehension.