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Collection: Sound Reads

  • Sound Reads: Set 1 Readers and Workout
    Sound Reads: Set 1 Readers and Workout
    Regular price £75.00 Sale price £75.00
  • Sound Reads: Set 2 Readers and Workout
    Sound Reads: Set 2 Readers and Workout
    Regular price £75.00 Sale price £75.00
  • Sound Reads: Set 3 Readers and Workout
    Sound Reads: Set 3 Readers and Workout
    Regular price £75.00 Sale price £75.00
  • Sound Reads: Complete Pack
    Sound Reads: Complete Pack
    Regular price £225.00 Sale price £200.00
  • Sound Reads: 5 Complete Packs
    Sound Reads: 5 Complete Packs
    Regular price £1,125.00 Sale price £900.00
  • SOUND READS Certificates (PDF)
    SOUND READS Certificates (PDF)
    Regular price £5.00 Sale price £5.00

SOUND READS - Phonic Reading Series

Sound Reads is a series of graded reading books for older beginner readers (teenage to adult), with supporting Workout activity books. 

Sound Reads provides reading material which is fully accessible to struggling and reluctant readers. The books enable young people and adults to gain confidence and enthusiasm for reading, thus providing an opportunity to improve their skills for work and life. Activity materials are available to support each set and provide comprehension and phonic practice to help readers consolidate their learning.

Key Features

  • Short, engaging stories which appeal to mature minds
  • An incremental approach to building reading skills
  • A synthetic phonic structure
  • Carefully controlled phonic content
  • Introduces a limited number of out of level words necessary to reflect the context
  • Activities that check comprehension, phonic knowledge and sight words


The Sound Reads series consists of three sets of books at different reading levels with activities at each level.  Click here to see all 30 individual Sound Reads readers.

Set 1: At this beginner level learners are able to decode simple 1 and 2 syllable words within simple sentences and read some essential sight words which are listed in each book.

Set 2: This level builds on the skills introduced in Set 1 and introduces additional vowel sounds such as ay, ee, igh, ow. There are also an increasing number of sight words which are clearly identified as the out of level words essential to each story.

Set 3: Books at this level use words of up to 3 syllables and include additional vowel sounds such as oo, u-e, er, oy. An increasing number of essential, sight words and out of level words are introduced.

Workout Activities

These are available for each set of books and provide an opportunity to practise and reinforce the skills and vocabulary encountered in each book. It is expected that mentors will provide learner support to check and extend understanding and encourage some writing. These are copiable resources.

The Authors

Heather Hollands, June Lewis and Linda Richards are a long standing and experienced team of writers. They each have extensive literacy experience; starting out as mainstream teachers and then working with young people and adults in a wide range of settings including FE, community education, prisons, special education and family learning.

They have particular expertise in dyslexia. June in particular delivered teacher training including the OCR Diploma and Certificate courses in Specific Learning Difficulties and later was key to the development of a national dyslexia training programme for the DfES.

The three have worked together on adult learning materials for over 20 years: developing both online and paper based materials for the Basic Skills Agency, the DfES, the Dyslexia Association, the TUC and various prison organisations.

Latterly the primary focus for the writing team has been to create reading resources, based on a synthetic phonic approach, to support beginner and improving older learner readers. Their most recent and significant project has been the design and development of Turning Pages in partnership with The Shannon Trust. Readaphonics for Anspear and Sound Reads are an extension of / addition to this project.

A key principle of all their work is that older learners need materials that are relevant and engaging, at an appropriate level but not patronizing, and above all designed for success.