Work informed by the science of reading
The Science of Reading is a comprehensive body of research that explains how students learn to read and what instructional methods are most effective. It encompasses evidence on phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, language comprehension, and reading comprehension. This research guides educators in teaching reading by showing how proficient reading and writing develop, why some students struggle, and how to best assess and support all learners. The Science of Reading emphasizes explicit, systematic instruction and a structured literacy approach to help every student become a confident, skilled reader
What We Teach - The Big Five of Reading
The science of reading highlights several key components that are crucial to the development of reading skills. These include:
Phonemic Awareness
What is Phonemic Awareness?
Phonemic awarenessis a crucial early reading skill that helps your child become a successful reader. Simply put, it’s the ability to hear, identify, and play with the individual sounds (called “phonemes”) in spoken words. For example, when your child can hear that the word “cat” is made up of the sounds /k/ /a/ /t/, they are demonstrating phonemic awareness.
Why is Phonemic Awareness Important?
Phonemic awareness is importantbecause it’s the foundation for learning to read and spell. Children who develop this skill early on often find it easier to sound out words and understand how letters and sounds fit together. Without phonemic awareness, reading and writing can be very challenging.
How Can Parents Help?
You can help your child build phonemic awareness throughfun activitiesat home. Try rhyming games, clapping out the sounds in words, or playing “I Spy” with sounds (“I spy something that starts with the /s/ sound”). No need for worksheets—just lots of talking, singing, and playing with language.Remember,phonemic awareness is all about sounds, not letters. By supporting this skill, you’re giving your child a strong head start on their reading journey!
Synthetic Phonics - What works, according to research
What is Synthetic Phonics?
Synthetic phonicsis a way of teaching children to read by helping them learn how to break words down into their smallest sounds (called “phonemes”) and then blend those sounds together to form words. For example, with the word “cat,” children learn to identify the three individual sounds: /c/ /a/ /t/, and then blend them together to say “cat.”
How Does Synthetic Phonics Work?
Children are first taught the individual sounds that each letter makes. Then, they learn to combine or “synthesize” these sounds to read whole words. This approach is very systematic—children usually start with the easiest sounds and gradually move on to more complex ones, including combinations of letters like “sh” or “ch.”
Why is Synthetic Phonics Effective?
Research shows synthetic phonics helps children become confident and accurate readers, as it gives them clear steps to follow when they come across new words. It also builds a strong foundation for spelling, as children learn how words are constructed from sounds.
How Can Parents Help?
You can support your child by practicing letter sounds together, blending sounds to make simple words, and encouraging your child to sound out unfamiliar words. Make it playful and positive—every small success is a big step forward!
Fluency
What is Fluency?
Fluencyin reading means your child can read a text smoothly, accurately, and with the right expression. When a child is fluent, they don’t have to stop and sound out every word—they recognize most words automatically and can read at a natural pace. This allows them to focus on understanding the story or information, rather than just figuring out the words.
Why is Fluency Important?
Fluency acts as a bridge between simply recognizing words and truly understanding what is being read. If a child reads slowly or struggles with many words, it’s hard for them to remember and make sense of what they’ve just read. But when reading is fluent, it becomes enjoyable and meaningful, and your child can better grasp the story or facts.
How Does Fluency Sound?
A fluent reader sounds a bit like they’re talking—using expression, pausing at the right places, and reading in phrases rather than word by word. This makes reading more engaging and helps with comprehension.
How Can Parents Help?
Encourage your child to read aloud, listen to them, and model expressive reading yourself. With practice, their fluency—and love for reading—will grow!
Vocabulary and Background Knowledge
How Teaching Vocabulary and Background Knowledge Helps Your Child Read
When we teach children new words (vocabulary) and help them learn about the world (background knowledge), we’re giving them important tools for reading success. According to the science of reading, knowing more words helps kids understand what they read. If a child doesn’t know what a word means, it’s hard for them to follow the story or information in a book. That’s why teachers and parents work together to introduce new words in fun and meaningful ways, both in conversation and through reading together.Background knowledge is just as important. When children know something about the topic they’re reading about—like animals, space, or family—they can make sense of new information more easily. This helps them connect ideas and remember what they read.Both vocabulary and background knowledge also make reading smoother and more fluent. When kids recognize words and understand what’s happening, they read with confidence and expression, which is called fluency. Fluency is like a bridge that leads to strong reading comprehension, allowing children to enjoy and learn from what they read.In short, building vocabulary and background knowledge at home and school helps children become better, more confident readers.!
Reading Comprehension
How Reading Comprehension Is Taught (and Why It Matters)
Reading comprehension means understanding and making sense of what your child reads. According to the science of reading, teaching comprehension is about much more than just having kids answer questions after reading a story. It’s about helping them build the skills and knowledge they need to really understand texts.Teachers do this by guiding children to think about what they’re reading, connect it to what they already know, and talk about the meaning of new words and ideas. They also help kids learn how to find important information in a story, make predictions, and ask questions as they read. This process helps children become active readers, not just word callers.The science of reading shows that comprehension grows when children have strong word recognition skills (like sounding out words) and a good understanding of language (like vocabulary and background knowledge). When these pieces come together, children can understand more complex books and enjoy reading even more.In short, teaching reading comprehension is about giving kids the tools to think deeply about what they read, so they can learn, imagine, and grow as readers.
How Books and Brains Builds Strong Spellers and Writers, not just Excellent Readers
At Books and Brains, we believe that helping children become great readers also sets them up to be confident spellers and writers. We start by building phonemic awareness alongside phonics, which means helping children hear and play with the individual sounds in words. This skill is a strong predictor of later reading and spelling success, as it helps children break words into sounds and understand how those sounds work together.
We use synthetic phonics to teach children how letters and sounds connect. By learning to blend sounds to read words, children also learn to segment words into sounds for spelling. This approach gives them the tools to spell new words on their own, not just memorize them.As children become more fluent readers, they can focus on writing their own ideas.
Fluency—reading smoothly and accurately—helps children recognize words quickly, which supports both spelling and writing. When kids don’t have to stop and sound out every word, they can think about what they want to say and how to spell it.By weaving together phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency, Books and Brains helps children become not just readers, but strong spellers and confident writers, ready to express themselves clearly.
Our Faculty
Beverly Sace
Founder | Literacy Specialist | Teacher Trainer | Curriculum Developer
Academic Qualifications
BA (Social Science), ENU
MA (Teaching English to Young Learners – Literacy in the Early Years), University of York
MA (Inclusion – Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties), University of Birmingham
PGCE (Teacher Training and Materials Development), NILE
Professional Experience
With 18 years of experience in the education sector, Beverly Sace has established herself as a dedicated leader and specialist in early years and primary literacy. Her roles have included:
- Kindergarten Teacher (Literacy)
- School Founder and Owner (Literacy)
- Reading Teacher
- Teacher Trainer
- Curriculum and Materials Developer
- ELT Author
- University Speaker
- Research and Curriculum Consultant
- Academic Director (Math)
- English Curriculum Director (Phonics, Literacy, Language, STEM)
Beverly began her career as a kindergarten teacher, implementing and successfully piloting British reading programmes. Building on this success, she has spent the past decade training teachers across ministries of education, NGOs, and private institutions in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Thailand, and India. She has also managed literacy and math centers for over fifteen years.
Areas of Specialization
- Curriculum Development: Early Years and Primary, with a focus on phonics and literacy
- Inclusion: Dyslexia and Literacy Difficulties
- Teacher Education: Teacher training, professional development, and materials design
- Educational Leadership: Curriculum consultancy and academic direction for leading educational organizations
Beverly has served as curriculum consultant and head for a prestigious group of kindergartens over the past five years. She is the published author of Vocabfonix, a young learners’ phonics series widely used in Hong Kong libraries and universities.
Approach & Philosophy
An advocate of the Science of Reading and within it, synthetic phonics, Beverly is committed to evidence-based, inclusive educational practices. She champions dialogic teaching methods and innovative approaches to early mathematics, ensuring that literacy is accessible and effectively taught from the earliest years. She believes that reading is a fundamental right and should be prioritized in both kindergarten and primary school curricula.
Current Role at Books and Brains
At Books and Brains, Beverly provides specialized instruction for children needing support in reading and spelling. She works closely with parents, empowering them to foster their children’s literacy and language development.
Publications & Ongoing Professional Growth
Beverly continues to contribute to literacy education through writing, consultancy, and speaking engagements. She is completing her Dyslexia certification at the University of Birmingham, further strengthening her expertise in inclusive literacy instruction.
Beverly Sace is passionate about transforming young lives through quality literacy education, teacher empowerment, and innovative curriculum design.
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