A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
What comes after phonics?
Your child can read the words. Next, they learn to read easily, understand what they read, talk about it and write their own.
Where is your child now?
Still learning letter sounds
Stay with phonics for now. Their school's programme or a phonics teacher is the right next step. Come back when blending feels easy.
Reads, but slowly
Start with stage 1: reading smoothly.
Reads well, but says little about it
Stages 2 and 3: understanding, then talking it through.
Loves reading
Stages 3 and 4: opinions of their own, then stories of their own.
Phonics is the first step, not the finish line
Phonics teaches your child to turn letters into sounds and words. Reading is what they do next.
Phonemic awareness
Hearing the sounds in words
Comes with phonics
Phonics
Matching letters to sounds
Comes with phonics
Fluency
Reading smoothly
What comes next
Vocabulary
Knowing more words
What comes next
Comprehension
Understanding what they read
What comes next
- In the UK, children learn phonics in Reception and Year 1 and take the phonics screening check in Year 1. The government's own guidance says passing it doesn't make a child a reader yet. Through Year 2, the focus moves to fluency, new words and reading widely.
- In India, the national NIPUN Bharat mission aims for every child to read with understanding by the end of Grade 3. Understanding is part of the goal, not an extra.
- In the US, the National Reading Panel named five parts of learning to read. Phonics is one of them. The others are phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
The four stages after phonics
Most children move through them in order, often working on two at once.
Stage 1
Reading smoothly
They read without stopping at every word, so there's room left over to follow the story.
Signs your child is here
- Reads word by word
- Loses the thread in long sentences
- Tires after a page
At home
- Re-read a favourite book aloud
- Take turns reading a page each
- Read the same short passage three times, and notice how it gets easier
Stage 2
Reading for meaning
They know what happened, and why.
Signs your child is here
- Reads aloud well, but can't say what the chapter was about
- Skips over new words
At home
- At the end of a chapter, ask “What do you think happens next?”
- Stop on one new word and talk about it
- Ask “Why did she do that?”
Stage 3
Talking about books
They have an opinion, and a reason for it.
Signs your child is here
- “It was good,” and nothing more
- Or the opposite: lots to say, and nobody to say it to
At home
- Ask for their verdict and one reason
- Disagree gently, and let them defend it
- Ask which character they'd want as a friend
Stage 4
Writing their own
They take what they've read and make something new.
Signs your child is here
- Borrows characters from books they love
- Makes up stories out loud
At home
- Let them write a new ending
- Keep a notebook for story ideas
Where a mentor helps
Stages 2 to 4, one book at a time. Here are two moments from real sessions: the mentor asks, and the child thinks it through out loud.
Character interview
A thoughtful idea
Bookstaken is 1:1 online reading for children aged 6–14 who can already read. A trained college mentor reads a real book picked for your child's interests with them, and talks it through. Your child gives their own verdict on the book and writes their own story, chapter by chapter. For keen readers as much as reluctant ones.
- 60 minutes, 1:1, on Google Meet
- A report after every session, on WhatsApp, which also tracks fluency
- The first session's free, with no payment details
We don't teach phonics. If your child is still learning letter sounds, a phonics teacher is the right choice.
Books for this stage
Books they can read on their own, and want to.
Who the mentors are
Our mentors, called Bookbuddies, are college students from DU, the IITs, NITs, SRCC and more. They aren't certified teachers. They're close enough in age to feel like an older sibling, and that's what gets a quiet reader talking.
- Interviewed before selection
- Trained before assignment
Every Bookbuddy starts with an application. We screen applications, conduct interviews and provide training before assigning a mentor to a child.
Mansa
IGDTU
Soham
VNIT, Nagpur
Aditi
VNIT, Nagpur
Devyani
VNIT, Nagpur
Divya
Bharathiar University, Tamil Nadu
Thujitha
VNIT, Nagpur
Sanvi
St. Xavier's, Mumbai
Loved by Parents, Enjoyed by Kids 💛
across the world
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
A
Aditi
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
I've always looked for an avenue like this, wherein my children can learn from enthusiastic young students who love a subject and can instill that love in the kids ❤️❤️
9:18 AM
H
Himani
(Nagpur)Mother of 7 years old
Thankyou so much for this report It is so thorough and well drafted Smahi is enjoying her reading session too
2:36 PM
K
Kavita
(Nagpur)Mother of 10 years old
Thanks for such wonderful sessions and hope kids continue it 🤞 specially Oorjit....he get bore very quickly...so I always afraid to admit him for any classes 😄
6:47 PM
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is phonics enough for my child to become a good reader?
Phonics is the start. It teaches children to turn letters into sounds and words. The US National Reading Panel (2000) named five parts of learning to read: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. After phonics, children still need to read smoothly, learn new words and understand what they read.
Q: When do schools stop teaching phonics?
In England, most children are taught phonics in Reception and Year 1 and take the phonics screening check in Year 1. Children who don't meet the standard take it again in Year 2. Over Year 2 and into Key Stage 2, teaching moves towards fluency, vocabulary and reading widely (Department for Education, The reading framework, 2023). In India, the NIPUN Bharat mission aims for every child to read with understanding by the end of Grade 3. In the US, it varies by state and school.
Q: My child has finished Jolly Phonics. What next?
Jolly Phonics teaches the 42 main letter sounds and how to blend them into words. Next, your child needs plenty of real books they can read with ease: re-reading favourites builds smooth reading, and talking about the story builds understanding. The four stages above show the order.
Q: How do I know if my child reads fluently enough?
England's Standards and Testing Agency says around 90 words a minute is a good sign that a child can start to focus on understanding. It also says some children understand well while reading more slowly. There's no need to time them. Listen for whether their reading sounds like talking.
Q: My child already reads well. Is there a next step?
Yes: opinions and stories of their own. Keen readers grow most when someone asks what they think and why, and when they write something of their own. That's stages 3 and 4.
Q: Does Bookstaken teach phonics?
No. We work with children who can already read. If your child is still learning letter sounds, or needs dyslexia support, a phonics teacher or a dyslexia specialist is the right choice.
Sources, checked November 2026: Department for Education, The reading framework (July 2023, updated September 2023), for the UK's phonics years, the Year 1 screening check and its Year 2 retake, the move to fluency, vocabulary and wide reading, and the Standards and Testing Agency's 90 words a minute; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Report of the National Reading Panel (2000), for the five parts of reading; Ministry of Education, NIPUN Bharat (July 2021), for reading with understanding by the end of Grade 3; Jolly Learning's Jolly Phonics teacher's guide, for the 42 letter sounds.
Ready for what comes after phonics? The first session's free.
60 minutes, 1:1, with a mentor matched to your child.
