Plan reading instruction, practice and shared storytime as distinct parts of your week. A storybook app can help with practice and listening, but it is not a complete English language arts curriculum. Start with your child’s current needs and the teaching materials you already use.
1. Identify what you are teaching
For a beginning reader, use your chosen structured reading instruction to decide which sounds, spellings and word-reading skills to teach and practise. A leveled book number alone does not tell you whether its words match those skills. For a child reading more independently, consider vocabulary, fluency and understanding alongside word reading.
Also plan the other parts of English language arts you intend to teach, such as handwriting, spelling and writing. Do not assume that finishing storybooks covers them.
2. Give each kind of reading a job
- Instruction: teach a specific reading skill with the materials and sequence you have selected.
- Practice: choose text suited to that purpose. An adult can model a short section and support rereading.
- Shared read-aloud: choose an interesting book an adult reads, even when it is too difficult for the child to read independently. Talk about its words and ideas.
3. Use a flexible weekly plan
This is an example, not an optimal schedule or a promise of results. Adjust the time, texts and tasks to your child. Keep your own instruction alongside the story activities below.
| Day | Story activity | What to notice |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Preview a short story; adult reads a page. | What interests the child? Which words need explanation? |
| Tuesday | Read a suitable section together. | What could the child read, and what required help? |
| Wednesday | Return to the section and talk about its meaning. | Can the child explain what happened? |
| Thursday | Pair reading with an oral retelling or drawing. | What details did the child remember? |
| Friday | Let the child choose a repeat or a new story. | What is a useful next step, rather than a higher level for its own sake? |
4. Record observations, not just totals
The free printable log separates listening, reading together and reading independently. A note such as “needed help with an unfamiliar spelling” is more useful for planning than simply recording a completed book.
5. Fit the plan around multiple children
Share an adult-led story, then adapt each child’s task. A beginning reader might practise a familiar phrase while another child retells the story. Use the mixed-age homeschool guide for a co-op rotation example.
Using Class Readers in this plan
Class Readers offers illustrated English stories, word-by-word narration, recording and quizzes across 12 levels on iPhone, iPad and Android. Use it as a story practice resource alongside your instruction. The levels describe the app’s catalogue; they are not grade equivalents or a diagnostic test. Preview the free stories before deciding whether it fits your family.
Questions parents ask
Does this replace a homeschool reading curriculum?
No. These story activities supplement reading instruction. They do not provide a sequenced phonics curriculum or a formal assessment.
Can we try it without buying a subscription?
Yes. Selected stories are free browser read-alongs with no account needed. The app includes free books too; its full library requires Premium.
Try the routine with a real story
Selected stories are free to read in the browser. No account or download is needed. In the iPhone, iPad and Android app, selected books are free; Premium unlocks over 150 books across 12 levels. The app requires an account.
Choose a free read-along →