Every teacher has been there — trying to listen to every child read, balancing it all, and wishing there was a better way.This blog explores how structured, purposeful Group Reading Practice transforms those moments into real teaching — helping children not just to read, but to love reading.
As a teacher, I used to try and battle through hearing every child read individually each week. It was often a rushed five-minute session where I wasn’t fully focused on the child in front of me. I was that teacher with a child reading beside me while I dealt with the rest of the class — so I was definitely listening (sort of) but not teaching. I was hearing words, not developing fluency, prosody, or understanding.
That realisation changed the way I thought about reading. Listening isn’t teaching — and those quick one-to-one moments, although well-intentioned, rarely give children the quality of practice or feedback they need.
In contrast, Group Reading Practice ensures that every child is taught to read, not just heard reading. Teachers can give immediate, targeted feedback, model strategies, and ensure each child reads every word successfully.
Three 20-minute group reading sessions a week equals a full hour of structured, high-quality reading instruction and practice — compared to a brief, often distracted one-to-one slot. Over time, this consistent and purposeful approach makes a measurable difference to fluency, confidence, and comprehension.
The Reading Framework (2023) reminds us that “a vital element of teaching reading is the early and successful teaching of phonics, complemented throughout the school years by teaching that promotes fluency and comprehension.”
For this to happen, children need to:
As Rasinski (2009) explains, fluency is the ability to read accurately, quickly, expressively, and with comprehension. It’s fluency that transforms reading from effortful decoding into understanding and enjoyment — and that fluency develops through repeated, meaningful practice
At Monster Phonics, we believe that three is the magic number. Our Group Reading Practice model gives children three purposeful reads of the same fully decodable book across the week. Each read has a distinct focus, building towards fluent, expressive and confident reading.
Read 1: Decoding – Building Accuracy
In the first read, children focus on applying their phonics knowledge to read each word accurately. Teachers guide and support, reinforcing blending, segmenting, and recognition of tricky words. Children begin to read independently while teachers “tap in” to listen and provide immediate feedback.
Read 2: Prosody – Reading with Expression
Once children can decode more confidently, the focus shifts to how they read. Teachers model phrasing, stress, and intonation to help children bring meaning and emotion to the text. They explore how punctuation, word choice, and character feelings affect how a passage should sound. Teaching prosody deepens comprehension — it’s where reading becomes alive.
Read 3: Comprehension – Making Meaning
By the third read, children are reading more fluently and can now focus on understanding. Teachers and pupils discuss the story — characters, motives, language, and themes — and make links to the children’s own experiences. This final session turns reading into thinking, laying the foundation for future comprehension and enjoyment.
Monster Phonics provides full training and guidance on the delivery of these sessions, including our detailed Reading Practice Session Guides, which support teachers with structure, questioning, and clear teaching prompts.
Monster Phonics books are engaging, fully decodable, and carefully aligned to the programme’s progression. The stories don’t just teach children how to read — they inspire them to want to read. Each one is written to spark curiosity and imagination, helping children discover the joy of stories and the magical places books can take them.
“A book is a dream you hold in your hands.” – Neil Gaiman
From first words to fluent reading, Monster Phonics books give children the tools to read with confidence and the stories to fall in love with reading itself.
Over time, however, even the best-loved books need refreshing. Keeping your sets complete and in good condition ensures every child has access to high-quality, decodable reading material that motivates and challenges them at the right level.
If it’s been a while since your school reviewed its Monster Phonics reading books, now could be a good time to take a look. A small refresh before the end of term can make a big difference to children’s reading experience and confidence in the new year.
You can browse our series and take a Monster Peek here
Group Reading Practice transforms the way children learn to read. It gives them structured time to apply their phonics, develop fluency, and grow in confidence — with every session building towards comprehension and enjoyment.
With Monster Phonics, the magic of three reads helps every child become a fluent, expressive reader who loves to read. Supported by engaging decodable books, clear session guidance, and practical training for teachers, schools can deliver reading practice that truly makes a difference.
Next Steps for Schools: