Coronavirus: how to support reading remotely

Last reviewed on 8 January 2021
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 40510

Stay on top of remote reading to fully support any pupils who need to learn from home. Get tips from reading expert Alex Quigley on how to make sure all pupils have access to age-appropriate home-reading texts.

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Contents

  1. If pupils will be reading from devices
  2. If pupils will be reading from books
  3. Choose appropriate home-reading texts for all age groups
  4. Help pupils grasp complex vocabulary
  5. Be flexible in your approach to reading
  6. Use these resources to help get you started

If pupils will be reading from devices

Find free ebooks 

Your council and local libraries might have apps that families can use to access free ebooks. These are probably better suited to a tablet or laptop than a mobile phone. Also, bear in mind that some pupils might struggle to read from a screen (see below).

Get pupils to visit a virtual library 

Pupils can access free books and exclusive video content at the National Literacy Society's virtual school library. Show parents the Words for Life website where they can find activities to support pupils' literacy from home. 

Set different expectations for on-screen reading 

Some pupils will struggle more to read from a screen than from a book. So, if you’re setting reading tasks that pupils will complete on-screen, they might need extra time to complete them.

If pupils will

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