8 Ways to Spark Reading Joy in Class with Fast Phonics and Reading Eggs

It’s no secret that learning to read can be a daunting task and fostering a love for reading is a crucial part of this journey.

If you’re using Fast Phonics in your classroom and looking for more ways to spark reading joy in your students, we’ve got you covered. Here's how you can use the Reading Eggs Library and Reading Journal to complement your Fast Phonics lessons!

1. Step-by-step phonics lesson plans

Planning an explicit and systematic phonics lesson for your class? Fast Phonics comes with a trove of teaching resources to help. 

The step-by-step weekly planner does all the planning for you. Use it as your go-to lesson plan for teaching phonics in a structured manner. 

Learning objectives, along with a list of high-frequency and new decodable words, are set out in each weekly planner, ensuring you know precisely which sounds and letters to teach. You get a total of 41 weeks’ worth of detailed lessons from Year 2 to Year 4.

Where to find them: These lesson plans can be found under our Fast Phonics Weekly Teaching Guides. Head to your Teacher Dashboard, and under Fast Phonics, click into 'Lessons'. Click on 'Resources' under each Peak to access the teaching guides and more.

2. Explore new Peaks

Fast Phonics has hundreds of engaging phonics decoding games so students can practise their reading skills in a sequential way.  

Immersed in a snow-capped Yeti world, students embark on a personalised learning pathway, working their way through 20 fun-filled levels known as Peaks. There are up to 24 parts in each level, filled with fun and engaging games that build on

• letter-sound recognition  

• blending all through the word  

• spelling skills  

• non-words  

• syllables and more.

Let your students explore each Peak individually, or as a group or class on an interactive whiteboard. Watch as they become captivated by the fun and exciting phonics games and motivated to conquer more Peaks as they move along! 

How to access Fast Phonics: When students log into Reading Eggs, get them to click on the Fast Phonics icon from their Student Dashboard. If it is their first time using Fast Phonics, they will be given the option to take the placement test.

3. Use the Teaching Slide Decks to reinforce learning 

What better way to reinforce learning than by consolidating new words into an exciting slideshow. Your ready-made Teaching Slide Decks are available in the Teacher Dashboard and each deck is matched to your students’ learning in the Fast Phonic Peaks. Once students have completed a Peak, you can present these teaching decks on your interactive white board, allowing everyone to join in.  

Where to find them: These teaching slide decks can be found in your Teacher Dashboard. Under Fast Phonics, click into 'Lessons'. Click on 'Resources' under each Peak to access the slide decks and more.

4. Give your classroom a phonics glow up

Turn your classroom into an exciting learning space your students will love.

Decorating has never been easier with an assortment of brightly coloured printable posters, flashcards and beautifully illustrated sound mats. Plus, these eye-catching visuals match the letters and sounds taught in each level of Fast Phonics.  

Where to find them: Sound mats and flashcards can be found in the Weekly Teaching Guides under each Peak in your Teacher Dashboard. They can also be found under the Printables Library section.

Don’t forget to celebrate your students' efforts by printing their Fast Phonics certificates to showcase their awesome achievements. Watch their faces beam with pride as they see their names displayed for all to admire.

Where to find them: To locate your students' certificates, log in, select your student and click on the Peak icon. Navigate to the Progress tab at the top and choose the paper scroll to view their certificate. Or head to the ‘Quick Links’ under Fast Phonics in your Teacher Dashboard and look for 'End of Peak certificates'.  

5. Let’s write

As your students conquer each Peak, reinforce their learning with our Fast Phonics handwriting worksheets.

Handwriting holds the potential to enhance early reading development. These handwriting worksheets serve a dual purpose by allowing students to practice letter formation while simultaneously honing their key phonics skills, such as letter-sound recognition, blending throughout the word, and spelling.

With consistent practice, the bond between letters and their corresponding sounds seamlessly transforms into an automatic response.

Want more? Look out for our Fast Phonics Handwriting book series. Each book contains 70 to 80 pages of structured activities, carefully written to align with the Fast Phonics online program.

Where to find them: The Fast Phonics Handwriting worksheets can be found under the ‘Resources’ tab in each Peak on your Teacher Dashboard. The Handwriting book series can be found under the Printables Library in your main Teacher Dashboard. 

6. What books should I read today? 

A school subscription to Reading Eggs not only comes with three distinct programs (Fast Phonics, Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress), it also includes an ever-growing digital library of over 3,500 books.

Whether it's a classic tale, an exciting adventure or an informative non-fiction, students are empowered and inspired to nurture their reading habits and discover new worlds, ideas and perspectives.

And if you're looking for decodable readers to support your phonics instruction, there are over 350 decodable readers available in the Library!

No more messy library corners or worn-out books! With new titles added regularly, you and your class will have access to a treasure trove of exciting books everyday.

Where to find books in the Library: If your students are already in the Reading Eggs or Fast Phonics program, click 'Bye' to get out of it to access the Library in the program selection page.

Teachers can access the Library via two ways. Head to your Teacher Console on the homepage, click into Reading Eggspress and click on a demo student (every teacher has a demo student – this will appear after all your students are listed).

You can also access books through the Teacher Library tab in the left-hand menu of the Teacher Console. Here, you can search for a book and view how it looks in the Library.

Where to find decodable readers in the Library: To help your students find all the phonics decodable readers in the Library, play this quick video tutorial.

Get more tips in our Library ultimate teacher guide, where we share everything you need to know about the Library and how you can use it effectively in a class to cater to different types of readers.

7. Create a customised book collection

The Teacher Library allows you to access all the books from the Library in your Teacher Dashboard, so you can create custom book collections in just minutes!

Create your own personalised book collections or virtual book bags in the Teacher Library to share with your students individually or as a class.

Whether you're sharing your cherished stories or curating book collections that align with your students' interests and hobbies, the Teacher Library offers a diverse array of topics and genres, catering to all reading abilities and interests.

Get ready to broaden your students' reading horizons and fuel their love for books by crafting one-of-a-kind book collections!

How to create a book collection: Watch this quick video tutorial to learn more.

8. Inspire book chats in your classroom 

As your students advance through Fast Phonics and discover a wider range of books, they may want to engage in meaningful conversations about what they're reading. 

The Reading Journal within Reading Eggs offers an excellent avenue to encourage your students to discuss their reading experiences.

Acting as an interactive record of all the books they've explored, the journal not only adds excitement to your classroom discussions but also assists in uncovering new books to dive into.

These book chats can be insightful, thought-provoking and illuminating, allowing students to delve deeper into the text and engage with it on a more profound level.

Where to find the journal: Students can access the Reading Journal through their Student Dashboard in Reading Eggs, Reading Eggspress and the Library.

Fast Phonics is a comprehensive and effective structured literacy classroom resource that boosts reading skills fast! Combined with the Library and Reading Journal, you'll watch as even your most reluctant readers turn into bookworms.