糖心VLOG

Senior Product Manager

Maxine Spence

“We have decades of experience听creating levelled readers that build reading confidence. With听Green Sparks, we wanted to harness that听expertise听to听address听one of the biggest themes in education today: sustainability.“

As educators and publishers, we know that children听start听making听sense of the world听around them听long before they can fully articulate听how听they feel about it.听Many children today experience anxiety around issues like climate change and the state of the world.听It became听increasingly听clear to me that we needed a new kind of resource: one that would inform, empower, and inspire听children, rather than overwhelm听them.听

This听need听led to the creation of听, our new strand for international schools, designed for readers aged听four听to听seven. Our goal was simple, but ambitious: to introduce sustainability听to young readers听through engaging storytelling, rich non-fiction, and听age鈥慳ppropriate concepts.听What makes this听series unique is听the alignment听of听its听42听carefully levelled books听with the .听All the books are听dedicated to helping children understand and care about their world.

At OUP, we have decades of experience听creating levelled readers that build reading confidence. With听Green Sparks, we wanted to harness that听expertise听to听address听one of the biggest themes in education today: sustainability.

The series听is underpinned by our听听system,听which incrementally increases the听level of challenge听and allows children to experience reading success by accessing a text听at the right level for them.听The Green Sparks series is听primarily phonically decodable,听because research shows that systematic synthetic phonics is the most effective way of teaching young learners to read.听听We also听introduced听听some听topic words听earlier听than听we would usually, where they were essential for听understanding;听sustainability听terms like 鈥渨aste鈥澨齛nd 鈥渇lood鈥澨齱ere carefully selected听to ensure that children听comprehend听core concepts.听

Before we started this project, there听was听a听lack听of resources that introduced听the听UN SDGs in a way young learners can听understand and engage with. There were no levelled readers supporting this topic听and certainly none that integrated phonics, global citizenship, and environmental education.听Green Sparks听fills that gap. Although it complements the , we designed it to be adaptable. Schools anywhere in the world, following any curriculum, can use it for reading practice, inquiry鈥憀ed learning, or cross鈥慶urricular projects.听

A question I鈥檓 often asked is how we translate complex global goals into something meaningful for young learners. Fiction plays a particularly important role in this series. Stories help children explore challenges and emotions at a safe distance: a journey through a forest can spark conversations about habitats. Fiction lets readers step into someone else鈥檚 experience with empathy and imagination. At the same time, we knew non鈥慺iction was essential, not only for knowledge building, but because many young readers are naturally drawn to facts, diagrams, and real鈥憌orld imagery. The interplay between narrative and information is one of the series鈥� greatest strengths.听

In addition听to the clear progression and听levelling听for听every book, we provide听supportive teacher materials, such as听guided activities, prompts, and cross鈥慶urricular suggestions to help adults scaffold understanding. Whether a child is reading independently or exploring a text with a teacher, the structure ensures that concepts are introduced gently but purposefully.听

We were also determined to reflect the global nature of sustainability. The authors contributing to听Green Sparks听come from a wide range of countries and cultural backgrounds, helping us present an authentically international viewpoint. Some books focus on local, everyday experiences while others explore larger global issues, from protecting coral reefs to supporting communities after an earthquake. This balance helps children understand both the worldwide scale of sustainability and the role they can play in their own communities.听

When children understand their world, they care about it. My hope is that听Green Sparks听not only builds reading fluency but nurtures a generation of young global citizens who feel empowered rather than overwhelmed by the challenges ahead.听