Supporting students with SEND in Sparx Reader

Sparx Reader adapts to each student's reading ability rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach. The initial assessment places students on a 1–9 level scale (reading ages 5–17+), and the library includes over 500 titles spanning that full range — including a dedicated Hi-Lo category: high-interest, low-reading-age books designed for older reluctant or struggling readers who need age-appropriate content without an inaccessible reading level.

At the lowest levels, comprehension checks appear every 50–100 words (rather than at the end of longer sections), giving struggling readers frequent, low-stakes check-ins that catch misunderstanding early rather than asking them to hold a whole chapter in working memory.

Reading Points (SRP) are also calculated against each student's own reading speed, so lower-attaining and higher-attaining students are rewarded on a level playing field rather than being compared to a fixed pace.

Students can adjust these from Settings, reached through the menu button in the top right. They apply on desktop and mobile, to the book text and to the question and answer screens.

Settings are saved to the student's account and are remembered for future sessions. They also apply during the Sparx Reader Test.

We'd recommend showing these settings to all students early on, rather than only applying them once a difficulty has been identified.

These are in the Options section of the student's Details page:

Important Note: We strongly recommend that most students use the normal timer, and that you only adjust these settings for students with additional needs who you've observed cannot engage with the questions using it.

From Management → Student Manager, click the orange pencil icon next to the student.

Under Homework length, choose half length. The student's SRP target will be half that of the rest of the class — so if the class target is 300 SRP, the student receives 150 SRP.

The student keeps access to Sparx Reader and their books, with no expectation to complete work. Their homework data is excluded from weekly leaderboard compulsory completion data.

Under set student level, choose a new level between 1 and 9 if the automatic level isn't suitable.

Students have the option to swap their own books; you can swap a book on a student's behalf at any time too. We'd recommend checking in on book choice rather than waiting for a student to disengage, as a student who isn't enjoying their book will often stop reading rather than say so.
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If a student is struggling to settle on a book, or isn't sure what they enjoy, you can now recommend one directly to their digital bookshelf in Sparx Reader. Click "Recommend a book" at the top right of the student's Reading History page, then search by book, author or genre.
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A book may be unavailable to recommend if:

Once recommended, the book appears prominently on the student's library page, and they will receive an in-app notification.

Students can still choose up to two ebooks for their library at any time. Recommended books don't take up a space on their shelf.

Teachers can currently recommend up to 10 books per week. This limit is in place while we monitor how schools use the feature and manage demand for book licences, and we'll consider raising it in future.

Students can be hidden from the Reader leaderboards, which removes a source of comparison for students who find it discouraging.

Important Note: Where a student has a special educational need affecting reading, make sure they've had diagnostic testing and are receiving bespoke intervention for decoding, language comprehension, vocabulary acquisition and fluency where needed. These should run alongside their weekly Sparx Reader homework, not instead of it.

SRP targets are set per class and can be overridden per student. Starting shorter and extending later is usually more effective than starting long and cutting back.

Building lighter or no-homework periods into your plan around known disruptions — exam weeks, trips, or periods of irregular attendance — is more effective than letting students accumulate incomplete homework.

In alternative provision, PRUs and specialist settings, it's usually more effective to build adjustments into your setup from the start rather than applying them student by student. We recommend:

We encourage students to learn and practise reading carefully. We do recognise that in specific circumstances — for example, a student with a visual impairment — having text read aloud is a useful support. Most third party screen reading software should work alongside Sparx Reader.

Yes. Students can apply the same settings when sitting the test.

Sparx Reader works on any device with a standard browser such as Chrome, Safari or Firefox. As these aren't generally available on Kindles, it isn't possible to use Reader on those devices.

No. All students use the same platform. The settings in this article let you adjust how text is displayed, and the level, length and compulsory status of a student's reading.

Contact us through Help & Support in your Sparx Reader site. Several of the settings in this article exist because schools told us what their students needed.