This World Book Day, we’re thrilled to be giving a free Early Years Story Pack, Up and Down, and a free Cover to Cover Reading Guide, The Iron Man.
It’s an exciting opportunity to strengthen reading provision from the very start of a child’s journey, right through to whole-class novel study. World Book Day is the perfect moment to invest in resources that spark curiosity, build confidence and nurture a genuine love of reading.
Don’t miss the chance to bring something truly impactful into your primary school.
EYFS Story packs, which beautifully lay the first foundation blocks of children’s interest
Discovering a love of reading early is the backbone of a child’s development. Our Story Packs are designed specifically for EYFS practitioners to make every moment of reading meaningful, exciting, and engaging for the children in their setting. It’s like having an invisible co-teacher expert guiding you every step of the way.
These packs blend the art of storytelling with developmentally appropriate activities that support communication, vocabulary, and foundational skills. Each Story Pack weaves together rich texts, playful provocations and open-ended explorations that invite curiosity and deepen understanding across EYFS. For practitioners who want to honour children’s voices, nurture their sense of wonder and make learning both joyful and effective, our Story Packs are thoughtfully structured and beautifully resourced.
Rich literacy experiences from the start – Our EYFS Story Packs embed high-quality story experiences into provision, with an emphasis on early language, communication and literacy as the foundations for future success.
Supports the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage profile – The carefully crafted stories and linked activities promote communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, and early reading and writing opportunities.
Clear progression of skills and understanding – Each pack gives a coherent sequence of narratives and learning moments, helping practitioners articulate how children move from listening and attention to narrative understanding and storytelling confidence over time.
Reduces planning workload with purposeful intent – With story-centred provocations, question prompts and cross-curricular hooks already designed, teachers can spend more time on responsive interaction and less on reinventing learning experiences.
Encourages language-rich environments – Our packs naturally stimulate talk, vocabulary development and sustained shared thinking.
Supports high-quality adult-child interactions – Intentional activities within each pack model how adults can extend children’s thinking and language, helping practitioners demonstrate strong pedagogical practice during learning walks or observations.
Makes learning visible – Story-linked outcomes (drawings, mark-making, role play, discussions) provide tangible evidence of children’s engagement, developing skills and dispositions, which is useful for assessment, planning conversations and evidencing impact.
Reading guides which help improve child engagement
For teachers who want a deep understanding of a novel without feeling overwhelmed, our Cover to Cover reading guides offer clarity and confidence. Each guide maps a complete novel from first page to last, offering carefully sequenced lessons, incisive questions, and purposeful activities that deepen oracy, vocabulary and sharpen fluency. They’re designed to make you the expert in the classroom, even if you might not be familiar with the text yourself. Making your group reading lessons coherent, manageable and engaging for your children.
Supports curriculum intent and coherence – Our Cover to Cover reading guides provide a carefully sequenced journey through a complete text, helping teachers articulate clear curriculum intent aligned with expectations. The structured progression of knowledge, vocabulary and themes demonstrates deliberate curriculum design rather than disconnected lessons.
Strengthens reading provision – The guides foreground ambitious vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and rich discussion, aligning with national reading priorities and the emphasis on high-quality texts within the English National Curriculum.
Reduces teacher workload while maintaining high standards – With expertly crafted questions, activities and lessons, teachers can focus on delivery and responsive teaching rather than spending hours planning from scratch.
Builds subject knowledge and pedagogical confidence – Detailed exploration of themes, authorial intent and language choices supports teachers in developing deeper literary understanding, which is particularly valuable for non-specialists.
Evidence progression and impact – The cumulative structure of the guides makes it easier to demonstrate how children build knowledge and understanding over time.
Supports ‘deep dive’ discussions – During inspection, leaders and teachers are often asked to explain why specific texts were chosen and how they are taught. A fully implemented Cover to Cover approach provides clarity around text selection, sequencing, vocabulary development and intended outcomes.
Promotes high expectations for all children – Carefully scaffolded questioning and opportunities for discussion ensure access for a wide range of learners while maintaining academic challenge.
Encourages reading for pleasure and cultural capital – By immersing children in complete, high-quality novels, the guides contribute to the broader goal of developing culturally literate, thoughtful readers.
Free Oracy Skills Framework
The government’s oracy framework may be years away, but you don’t have to wait. The Cornerstones Oracy Skills Framework is ready to use now – robust, practical and designed to integrate seamlessly into your curriculum, which you can download below.
If you want to see how we embed oracy across our entire curriculum, feel free to book a free online walk-through with one of our curriculum advisers.