Below you will find a list of questions that will hopefully answer any problems or queries you may have. Simply click on the question you’re interested in to reveal or hide the answer.
If you cannot find the answer to your question, please contact us and a member of the Reading Chest team will get back to you as soon as possible.
Reading guidance FAQs
Who is Reading Chest for?
Reading Chest is designed for children who are learning to read, usually between the ages of 4 and 9. We provide easy access for parents to a wide range of carefully levelled reading books which are used in schools across the UK. It is perfect for both speedy readers who race through their school books and reluctant readers who might need inspiring. Reading Chest is also an invaluable service for home school educators who do not have access to any school book lending system.
I’m not sure what book band (reading level) my child is on. What can I do?
If your teacher cannot help you with this and it is not clear from your child’s school reading books, then look at our sample pages to see the level of difficulty at each book band level. For more help, have a look at our advice about book bands. Don’t worry too much because once you sign up and start receiving books, it is easy to change your book selection and reading level.
My child is not at school yet and can’t read at all. Should they learn to read before they start school?
Some children are ready to learn to read before starting school and some are not. Because there is such a huge range of ability in the first few years of school and pre-school, partly due to the age difference between the oldest and the youngest in a class, as well as a myriad of other reasons, there is no consensus as to what is best to do. Reading Chest is not aimed at pre-school children but it may be appropriate for you and your child.
My child is really struggling and hates reading. I want to do more, but is there any point subscribing to Reading Chest?
Reading Chest could be the opportunity to turn your child around. Even if your child doesn’t enjoy reading, they need to learn to read at some point. Reading Chest will make the journey of learning to read as enjoyable as possible by providing good quality, fabulous books at the perfect reading level. There are also extra incentives such as stickers and reward certificates. We want to support you and your child on this journey. Check out our reading advice for more ideas.
How far do Reading Chest books go?
Reading Chest offers expertly levelled books up to a reading age of about 9. The reading levels cover all the nationally recognised book band colours from pink to lime with an additional band of books at the top level, which Reading Chest calls ‘extended readers’. In the book banding colour system, children are expected to reach lime reading level at around 7 years old. Don’t get too worried about these age guidelines, as it is quite common for a 6 year old to have a reading age of 9 and for a 9 year old to have a reading age of 6. They will all level out in the end!
How will I know if my child should move up a book band (reading level)?
This decision could be made after talking to your child’s teacher. If your child moves up a reading level at school, this is a good indicator. However, it might be that your school uses a different levelling system. It is important for your child to read the right level of reading book: if books are too easy, children will not be challenged and not make as much progress; if books are too difficult, children will lose understanding of the story and not gain as much pleasure from reading. Children should be getting no more than 1 in 10 words wrong on average. If you change book band levels and think it is the wrong decision, don’t worry as you can easily switch back again.
I know what Oxford Reading Tree level my child is on but don’t know how this compares to book bands.
Oxford Reading Tree books have the book band colour shown on the spine. Oxford Reading Tree levels follow the book band colours.
(There were a few exceptions in some older publications of Biff, Chip and Kipper stories, where some books within the same Oxford Reading Tree level had different book bands. Later reprints of the books have made the book bands within the series consistent with book bands. The books themselves have not changed.)
Oxford Reading Tree stages correspond to the following book band colours:
Book Band | Color | ORT Level |
---|---|---|
Pink book band | ORT Level 1+ | |
Red book band | ORT Level 2 | |
Yellow book band | ORT Level 3 | |
Blue book band | ORT Level 4 | |
Green book band | ORT Level 5 | |
Orange book band | ORT Level 6 | |
Turquoise book band | ORT Level 7 | |
Purple book band | ORT Level 8 | |
Gold book band | ORT Level 9 | |
White book band | ORT Level 10 | |
Lime book band | ORT Level 11 | |
Extended book band | ORT Level 12 & 13 |
General guidance FAQs
What happens if I lose or damage a book?
Whilst we hope that everyone takes good care of our books, accidents do happen. Please let Reading Chest know by contacting us. We may have to charge you £4 to cover the replacement of the book.
What happens if I lose my return envelope?
While we’re still setting up the new postage system for Reading Chest, we’re pre-paying postage for your return envelope (you’ll notice that it has stamps on it). If you lose this envelope, you’ll need to return your books at your own cost to us, then we’ll get some new ones shipped out. We’ll soon have a new return shipping system established that will make it easier to deal with mis-placed envelopes. We know it happens from time to time!
What happens if the books get lost in the post?
Your books should usually within 48 hours of being sent. If your books have still not arrived 3 working days later, please let Reading Chest know by contacting us. Reading Chest will take responsibility for books which are lost in the post and issue some more.
How many books can I post at a time?
You can post up to 6 books at a time in an envelope. This is called a swap. If you return fewer than six books, you won’t be making the most of your allocated number of swaps allowed in a month (if you send four books back to us, we’ll post four new ones out — but you could have had six!). You shouldn’t ever post more than six books in one go.
Can I choose the books I want?
Yes.
When you initially sign up to Reading Chest, you will only be asked to select your child’s book band (reading level). If you are happy to receive a selection of books from their book band, there is nothing more to do.
If you want to be more specific about the books you want, you can do this in your Reading Chest account area.
- You can add titles to your ‘Favourites’ list which we will prioritise for you.
- You can add titles to your ‘Book bin’ which we won’t send to you.
- You can select particular reading schemes, or just fiction or non-fiction.
Books can be added to your ‘Favourites’ that are not in your book band – which might be useful for a school topic.
How can I make sure that my child doesn’t get the same books that they have read at school?
If you know what reading schemes are used in your school, you can simply exclude these schemes from your book selections.
If there are certain titles within a reading scheme your child has read, you can add these to your ‘Book bin’ which will prevent Reading Chest from sending them.
Can I change my book rental subscription package?
Yes, you can do this any time in ‘My Account’. If you want to upgrade your package, your extra swap allowances and books will be processed straight away.
I have got two children learning to read. What is the best book rental subscription package for me?
You could subscribe to either the Silver or Gold packages, and make multiple book lists so that each child can get books at their own reading level and make their own book choices. Please note that both children’s names will be on the envelope of books arriving in the post (e.g. Alfie & Ella Brown). If you think this is likely to cause a riot in your house, then you could open two separate accounts so that each child has their own list and receives their own personalised post!
Can I join for 2 children on different reading levels?
Yes – if you are a Silver or Gold member. (The Bronze package only allows one book list to be created.) Your total allocation of books will be shared evenly between your 2 children, so they will each have 3 books at their own reading level.
After signing up, you’ll be able to create two lists in your account area, one for each child. Then you can set further preferences and choices about each child’s book selection.
I have signed up to the Silver Package and have 2 children reading at different levels. One of my children could do with more books than the other. Is this possible?
To some degree! You’ll receive six books, evenly split between your two children, when you first sign up (three each). If you return all six books, you’ll get three more for each child. If you return two books for one child, and three for another (five in total), you’ll receive five more books split between the two children in the same way (two for one, three for another).
If you return all six books each time, you’ll always receive three books for each child.
How do I cancel my subscription?
It’s easy! Within the ‘My Account’ section of the website you can cancel your subscription at any time, by clicking ‘End membership’. Your cancellation will be effective once all your books have been returned. Please note that you will have to return all your books before your next billing date, otherwise you’ll continue to be charged monthly.