Freaky Friday Guided Reading Intervention

A complete 15-lesson guided reading intervention based on the novel Freaky Friday, designed specifically for lower ability KS3 learners, including pupils with SEND, dyslexia and EAL needs. This structured literacy intervention develops reading fluency, comprehension, phonics awareness, vocabulary, inference, discussion skills and confidence through accessible, engaging lessons linked to the text and film adaptation.

This intervention forms part of a wider long-term literacy and dyslexia support programme and is suitable for use as a replacement curriculum pathway for Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) studies. The resource has been carefully designed for learners who require additional support with reading age, processing, decoding, comprehension and written responses, whilst still accessing age-appropriate themes and discussions.

Lessons explore themes including identity, family relationships, sibling rivalry, prejudice, responsibility, empathy and self-awareness. Activities are varied and engaging, helping reluctant readers develop confidence whilst building core literacy skills. The intervention also introduces wider cultural and social topics through accessible discussion tasks, including budgeting, civil rights and stereotypes.

The lessons are highly scaffolded and designed to reduce cognitive overload through repetition, routine, visual prompts and structured comprehension practice. The combination of reading and film comparison tasks helps learners develop engagement, sequencing skills, prediction and deeper understanding of narrative structure.

The resource is ideal for:

• Intervention groups
• SEND literacy support
• Dyslexia intervention
• EAL learners
• Alternative curriculum pathways
• Small group guided reading
• Nurture provision
• SEMH literacy support
• Reading age recovery programmes
• Functional literacy development