Our students have had positive results when using the Rainbow Reading Programme. Some made over a years gain in reading accuracy and comprehension after one term.

It is easy to plan lessons and provide pupils with relevant homework and class activities based on texts read. The pupils like progressing through the levels.

The stories are age appropriate for KS 3 students and are enjoyed by the girls.

The repetition of phonics and key words at each level is very useful and can be linked with the THRASS programme or the literacy progress unit on phonics.

Using the tape or CD is an excellent way for the pupils with reading difficulties to start a new text independently.

The structure of the scheme allows the teacher to conference with several students individually, hear reading and devise targets to improve reading.

Tania Matthews, Convent of Jesus and Mary Language College , Willesden.

I am impressed with this reading scheme. The assessment sheets are excellent, back up activities are excellent and excellent service from the Representative.

Woodside Centre

As the Literacy Co-Ordinator at my school I was looking for a resource that would cater for our underachieving readers and support our children who speak English as an additional language.

I was familiar with Rainbow Reading from my years of teaching in New Zealand and was so excited when I found out that you were able to supply it to our school.

The quality of the texts provided in this programme is excellent and open children up to new and exciting interests through reading.

I attended the inset [presentation - link to pdf presentation] about Rainbow Reading in Surrey delivered by the founders of the programme. This was organised by Linda [McLean – North London Educational Representative] for me of which I was very appreciative.

We are very excited about using the Rainbow Reading Resource at our school and have received such positive feedback from the children.

Nicky Paora, Servite RC Primary School, Fulham, London

I have recently ordered a full set of Rainbow reading books, tapes and activities. Having used the scheme previously in Australia and seen how much students gain from the programme I am keen to start it at Tunbridge Wells High School .

When I was first introduced to the programme in Australia I had reservations as I felt some students may feel that I was patronising them or giving them babyish work to do. The opposite happened, even my year ten students (who are the same age as Year 11 students here.) wanted to read when previously all attempts to engage them with reading had failed. They also made progress in a relatively short amount of time.

I feel the programme is successful because it helps to give students confidence as they can listen to the book and pronounce any words that they may not otherwise recognise. The barrier of looking or feeling stupid is removed.

The books are short so with a society who enjoys instant gratification students are rewarded with being able to finish and move on quite quickly. This again gives them confidence as they can see progress. These students are often students who don’t achieve finishing very often as they are slower than other students in their class.

The colour system shows them visually that they are improving and again adds to confidence and motivation.

I buy the multi coloured wall hangers to put the book and tape in and keep the worksheets in a filing cabinet.

The programme works because teacher input is minimum and you can get older students and parents to support reading. The older students benefit from this as well.

We are going to run the programme three times a week during tutor time so that students are reading regularly.

Louise Parkinson, Assistant Head, Tunbridge Wells High School

Year 7 pupils with reading age less than 9. We use the resource for paired reading (2 sessions per week) and one literacy group (1 session per week). We have found the scheme is successful because pupils feel that they are in control. The tapes reinforce punctuation, expression and aid fluency. Pupils reading skills are improving more quickly using this scheme that reading practice without tapes

Pupils particularly enjoy reading the fact based books. The length of the books is part of the success. Pupils enjoy the New Zealand accent.

The resources which support the scheme have been very useful in the literacy lesson; time would not be available to use the assessment sheet in the format provided.

We feel that part of the success is that pupils have not encountered it in primary school and are pleased to have something new and interesting.

Bilton High School , Bilton, Rugby - Mrs A Hine & Mrs L Moreton

We purchased the first three levels of the Rainbow Reading Scheme - Red, Orange and Yellow, along with the relevant cassette tapes.

Primarily these were for use by two dyslexic children, both ten years old and both pupils in the Speech and Language Classrooms. Since then the scheme has been introduced to several other children in the mainstream school. We play the tapes on small tape recorders or individual Walkmans.

The children are attracted to the books for a variety of reasons, including the age-appropriate and varied subject matter, up-to-date illustrations and photographs, length of text and humour. They also appear to like the structure of the scheme, quickly becoming aware that, after every exercise relating to each book has been completed, the child may progress to the next book. Children get a great sense of achievement as they progress through the scheme with relative ease.

From an adult’s point of view, administering the scheme is uncomplicated and doesn’t require a great amount of preparation. It is quite easy to adapt the photo-copiable worksheets to make them exactly the right level for individual children, e.g. giving a two-word choice on the close worksheets to aid certain pupils. The record keeping sheets are not time consuming to complete, but hold sufficient information and are easy to refer to.

Green Street Green Primary School, Alison Claridge, Head of Speech & Language Disorder Unit

We purchased this resource because we had a need for a reading recovery programme for Key Stage 3 with age appropriate material. We like the fact that the students can see their progression and they enjoy the stories – we can show parents progression. The children enjoy the stories and can see their progression too.

We are using this resource with a whole class (Year 7) and individual students (Year 7-10). This resource fits our literacy objectives well – it is used by the SEN department and has helped to improve the reading of many of our students. We have seen success with students enjoying reading and have seen improved reading levels. It is good to have something that parents can see clearly helps students improve their reading.

Debra Coombs – Chingford Foundation, London

We bought this resource because we required new reading scheme resources and wanted an assessment-led scheme. We like the fact that the resource has headphones for individual listening and the children can work at their own pace. The children enjoy the wordsearches and like having their own ‘special time’ and using a CD. We are using this resource individually, twice weekly and assistant-led. We are beginning to trial this with our EAL students. We use it with Key Stage 3 students with a reading age of 6-7.

J.Ollerenshaw – Christ the King, Preston

I bought the Rainbow Reading scheme (white – orange) two years ago and the yellow stage last year. We are very pleased with the results. Children gain confidence and make good progress. It is useful for group reading sessions as children can be at their own level. An 11 year old dyslexic actually reads the white level books. This has been an amazing achievement for him. Teachers have been keen to use the scheme and the teaching assistants find it user-friendly. The children like it and ask to read and listen to their books during independent reading sessions. I have recommended it to other schools.

Cathy Williams, SENCo, Fynamore Primary School , Calne

We have been using the Rainbow Reading Scheme with selected children from across all our year groups (age 7-11) who have been identified as having difficulties in reading and/or concentration or who are EAL. The results achieved across all groups have been generally excellent, with most children making progress beyond initial expectations and many progressing so well that they completed the scheme in months.

Noticeable improvements in concentration and motivation have been widespread, with many children taking much more of an active interest in their reading than before.

Children are keen to be included, regarding the scheme as a desirable activity to participate in, rather than feeling stigmatised about having a special need. Its structured nature provides a learning experience that feels very focussed and secure. The fact that children work with a CD allows them to make and learn from their mistakes in private, which is particularly helpful to children who are less outgoing.

As it is a group based resource, designed to facilitate mass throughput, we have been able to assist many more children than we would have ordinarily. The speed and ease of its administration means that children are not out of the class for too long. We feel that most children would benefit from the scheme and we are looking forward to developing it in the future.

Janet Roberts – Lydgate Junior School , Sheffield

We purchased this resource after recommendation and like the fact that it is extremely easy to set up. The children like the fact that it’s quick, with nobody overlooking them.

It fits the personal learning agenda. We are using the resource for individuals at present with a further rollout scheme next year. It is used by students with low reading age (below 9 at present, will be below 11 next year).

Joanne Bent – Rossington All Saints, Doncaster

We purchased this resource to improve reading accuracy and/or reading comprehension in targeted pupils in Key Stage 3. We like the listening aspect of the resource, the pupil independence and the short, attractive readers. The children like using the CDs and moving through the levels.

We are using the resource with groups of about 20 pupils from years 7-9, with LSA tutors arranged in a rota. Sessions are from 9-9.30 daily with teacher supervision, and groups attend for about 3 months.

This resource fits our literacy objectives because pupils need to improve general literacy levels to access whole curriculum effectively. We have seen success through often substantial gains in reading, and pupils enjoy the scheme.

Lesley Prosser – Tre-Gib School , Ffairfach, Llandeilo