The challenge
Why do some children decode but still struggle to read?
Reading difficulties are rarely just about decoding. While phonics provides the essential code-breaking mechanism, successful reading comprehension depends on a far broader set of skills — including oral language, vocabulary depth, listening comprehension, attention, and the ability to hold and connect meaning across a text.
Children who have mastered the phonics code but cannot read for meaning, or who decode laboriously without fluency, are missing foundational skills that Launchpad can precisely identify and address.
The gap Launchpad identifies
The foundational skills that make reading possible
Launchpad identifies the specific skill gaps that underpin reading difficulty across the full developmental spectrum — from the earliest auditory foundations through to the cognitive skills that enable a child to make meaning from text. By targeting the root cause of reading difficulty rather than just the surface symptom, practitioners can make lasting, transferable improvements.
- Auditory discrimination and auditory memory
- Phonological awareness from rhyme through to blending and segmenting
- Oral language and expressive vocabulary
- Listening comprehension and the ability to hold meaning across a text
- Attention, concentration, and working memory
- Visual memory and visual discrimination skills
How Launchpad solves it
Assess → Identify → Build → Track
Step 1 — Assess
Assess the full picture
Use Launchpad's auditory, language, and phonological assessments to identify the foundational skills that support reading readiness and comprehension.
Step 2 — Identify
Find where it breaks down
Determine whether the primary barrier is phonological, linguistic, attentional, or a combination — and at exactly which developmental point the gap emerges.
Step 3 — Build
Build the missing foundations
Follow targeted skill progressions to develop the auditory, language, and cognitive foundations that enable fluent, meaningful reading.
Step 4 — Track
Build the complete picture
Monitor progress in foundational reading skills alongside standard reading assessments to build a complete picture of each child's development and next steps.
What's included for members
Everything you need in one place
- Auditory discrimination and auditory memory skill steps
- Phonological awareness progressions from the earliest stages
- Oral language and listening comprehension development
- Receptive vocabulary assessment and development tools
- Reading readiness guidance mapped to EYFS and KS1 expectations
- CPD resources to build team understanding of reading development
Who this is for
Built for reading leaders and practitioners at every level
- Reading leaders and English coordinators
- Class teachers supporting children who are decoding but not comprehending
- SENCOs working with children with dyslexia or significant reading difficulty
- Early years practitioners building pre-reading foundations from age 2+
Real impact
What schools are saying
“The number of Derby City children who have passed the screening check has increased year on year — an average of 8% increase since using Launchpad.”
Laura Baddiley, Strategic Business Director – Derby
“
Launchpad for Literacy has been the key to success and every teacher is now confident and uses Launchpad every day.
Deb Ward, Executive Headteacher – Northumberland