This is a guest testimonial by Ann Sullivan. Ann has over 30 years’ experience in mainstream and specialist education. Based in the UK, her career includes roles as a KS1 and KS2 class teacher, SEN secondary literacy teacher, school-based Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), an advisory teacher for pupils with special educational needs and a Specialist Leader in Education (SLE). Ann is now a literacy consultant, trainer, writer and creator of the Phonics for SEN programme.
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It’s not exactly a secret that I am a huge fan of Phonic Books, so you can appreciate how delighted I was to have a sneak peek at their new series, ‘Hidden in Paris’. It did not disappoint!
They already have a successful suite of series for older readers, and this is a worthy addition. This contemporary story takes an intrepid group of friends to sample the delights of Paris whilst also solving an unfolding mystery.
The characters are warm and engaging – older teenagers demonstrating independence in their thoughts and actions (they drive the camper van). I would probably describe them as ‘cool’, but that would betray my age and cringing lack of knowledge about the latest way to describe great role models! I also love that they have included a character with a disability (hearing impairment) who takes as full a part as everyone else in the proceedings without overplaying it.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Phonic Books if the series didn’t come with a robust phonic sequence, with a focus on the advanced alphabetic code. So, you can rest assured that this series will complement your phonics instruction and leave your pupils excited to become readers.
Find out more about Hidden in Paris now.