Key principles for using core books in the classroom
1. Use of core books depends on revisiting, exploring and interpreting the text
• These multilayered texts are worthy of rereading
• They lead to the development of a range of reading, talking and writing activities
• They read aloud well and support the planning of a good quality read aloud programme

2. Core books are selected and organised to take into account:
• Children’s developing interests and experience as they grow older
• A range of reading experience within each age group
• The multilingual and multiethnic school community

3. The Core Book lists provide teachers with a collection of books that support and demonstrate progression
• The core list is representative of the range and quality of texts children need access to
• They are organised to support teachers in ensuring progression and development in what and how children read
•

Teachers get to know the books well

How can core books be used in the Literacy Hour?
• There are many big book editions of core books for use in shared reading
• Core books allow for many kinds of investigations at text, sentence and word level and allow for flexible and contextualised planning
• They provide a good range of models for writing  
• They support genre/author/topic study
• Dual/different language versions are shown in the core lists
• Audio/video tape and CD-Rom resources are listed
• Good quality texts encourage more reflective, critical reading and discussion in whole class and group contexts
• Patterned texts draw attention to features of print in context, in whole class and groups
• Literature core texts can be selected for more experienced readers in guided reading
• Information texts can be selected for reading aloud and guided reading
• Core book resource packs can be put together to support closer study of particular texts, with eg story props, artefacts, puppets, book-based games
• A list is available for schools which suggests collections for guided reading matched to the CLPE reading scales (link to CLPE Reading Scale 1, CLPE Reading Scale 2)
• Activities can include paired reading of familiar core books, using reading journals, browsing, investigations, taped stories, story props, book-based games, story boxes, role play activities

How to obtain The Core Book and The Core Book list

 

 
 

Power of Reading Project