Share key features and benefits
Share key features and benefits
Our aim in Sparx Reader is for all students to engage with meaningful, independent reading each week. Students will have access to eBooks chosen for their level and teachers will gain visibility over exactly what books students are engaging with each week. Below we have listed some benefits for both students and teachers for you to share with your team.
Benefits for students
Benefits for students
Sparx Reader Points are awarded fairly, taking into account each individual student's reading speed, so all students can complete their homework in the same amount of time
Students will have access to a wide range of eBooks on the platform from a variety of genres
Students will have privacy over what they are reading through the use of the eBooks, which is not always possible when choosing a physical book with their peers
Students will be able to change their settings to ensure that the site is accessible to them
Students will have access to a League Table where they can compete with other students for the most Sparx Reading Points
Benefits for teachers and school staff
Benefits for teachers and school staff
Teachers can see in real time how much every student is reading, empowering you to hold students accountable for their reading
Powerful insights about each student's reading enable you to have impactful conversations with students about their books.
Access to a Sparx Reading Test to set for students that will produce a downloadable report of all student reading ages
Access to a variety of different downloadable reports that can be filtered to allow you to analyse the data for your own school's needs
Access to all of our ready-made resources, such as certificates and badge templates, to support you in ensuring Sparx Reader is a success in your school
Automatic weekly homework saves teachers time and helps students build consistent habits
Automated weekly parent emails support student progress
As well as training and ongoing support to maximise your impact, we include Reading Matters: 10 short CPD videos on reading pedagogy plus materials for running school CPD sessions
Complete the training
Complete the training
When a new staff member is added to your Sparx site they will automatically be prompted to complete their training modules and, if you ever want to revisit any modules, you can find them by clicking on your name in the top right-hand corner of your site.
We would encourage every member of staff to complete at least the essential training, which should take around 15 minutes. The second level will also give you great tips on how to use Sparx Reader, which should take a further 20 minutes to watch.
The modules do not need to be completed in one session so can be done whenever is convenient. It can be useful, however, to gather all your staff together to discuss what you've learned and address any queries. If you do not do the training together, we strongly suggest you set the department your own deadline by which they should complete the training.
CPD resources
CPD resources
Reading Matters
Reading Matters is a series of short CPD videos for teachers, school leaders and other staff, available for free to anyone using Sparx Reader. Each video focuses on one area of best practice in reading and helps to ensure that all school staff have up-to-date knowledge about reading.
This can be found by clicking More -> Reading Matters
Maximising impact
Further resources for best practice can be found in the Maximising Impact tab of the Sparx Reader Training. This includes:
Webinar recordings
Blog posts
Case studies
Top tips
Build consistent approaches
Build consistent approaches
Setting hand-in and hand-out days
Setting hand-in and hand-out days
The choice of hand-out and hand-in days should be considered carefully to ensure that:
Teachers have enough time to monitor progress toward completion
There is time to give support and encouragement to students
When choosing your hand-out/hand-in days and times, consider having:
Hand-in on the same day as a timetabled lesson: students who have completed their homework can be praised. Students who have not completed their homework can be reminded to do so.
The same hand-out and hand-in days across the school (or at least each year group): this helps support clear and consistent messaging about expectations
A weekend between hand-out and hand-in days: this gives students more time to complete their work.
Set clear expectations for completion
Set clear expectations for completion
Having a homework monitoring policy that both teachers and students understand and stick to is essential for getting the best outcomes for your students. Consider:
What do you expect students to have done and by when?
What will you do if this expectation is met?
What will you do if this expectation is not met?
We recommend using the Hand-In Summary page regularly in class. See Monitoring homework completion for more information.
You could also consider setting up a reading club to support students who need a quiet space, or who don't always have access to a device or the internet at home.
Frequently asked questions
How can I check if my team has completed their training?
How can I check if my team has completed their training?
You can view training completion status under 'More' → 'Staff Manager'.
Can I see how staff at my school are using the system?
Can I see how staff at my school are using the system?
The Department View of the homepage shows some statistics on how Reader is being used in your department:
Here, you can see:
How many classes have homework set in the current week
Click "Set a homework" to
How many classes' hand in page have been viewed before the deadline for the current week and last week's homework
Click "Show classes" to see which classes have not been viewed