The UK’s Only Multimodal Kids Magazine
People often ask us, “Why is Storytime multimodal? Why not stick to the print version of the magazine instead of offering digital and audio versions too?”
The answer is, we provide stories for readers in the formats they want! We’ve always known children are incredibly curious, and a one-size-fits-all reading solution doesn’t work for them.
What Does Multimodal Actually Mean?
When we say Storytime is multimodal, we mean that every story can be accessed in multiple ways: you can read it in the beautiful print magazine, listen to it as an audio story, follow along with text and audio together, or interact with it through downloadable activities and creative puzzles. One story, many entry points!
This isn’t about following trends. It’s about removing barriers and opening doors so every child can find their own way into our stories.
Why This Matters in Real Classrooms
Teachers tell us: “I’ve got reluctant readers who won’t pick up a book. I’ve got EAL learners building confidence. I’ve got children who read brilliantly but won’t read for pleasure. I’ve got mixed abilities in one classroom and limited time.” Sound familiar?
The National Literacy Trust’s research has made it clear: children who engage with stories across multiple formats are more motivated, more confident and significantly more likely to read for pleasure. And isn’t that what we’re all trying to encourage?
How Children Actually Use Our Content
Here’s what we see happening:
Some children grab the magazine the moment it arrives and read it from cover to cover. Done! They’re natural print readers and always will be. Others will feel excited and curious. A delivery? For me? The colourful printed envelope coming through the door with their name on it gives a feeling of ownership, and the consistency of a regular delivery month on month is a great way to build a lifelong reading habit. That’s how we create new print readers!
Other children need the audio first. They listen, they build confidence, they get familiar with a story’s rhythm and vocabulary… and then they pick up the magazine to read along. Suddenly, reading feels achievable.
Some want both at once, following the text while the audio plays. This is brilliant for building fluency and comprehension! If a word feels tricky, you can listen to it and match the sounds with the spelling. It’s a big help for EAL and SEN students!
And then, there are the children who need to play with a story before they’re ready to engage with the text. They colour in the characters, tackle the crossword, make something with their hands – and through that creative play, they actually build comprehension and connection to the narrative.
It’s Not Either/Or – It’s All of It!
This is the part that matters most: we’re not asking children to choose one format over another. We’re not saying ‘audio is better than print’ or ‘digital beats tactile’.
What we’re saying is: ‘Here are brilliant stories. Here are all the ways you can access them. Find out what works best for you!’
Because sometimes the same child wants different things on different days! Monday might be a ‘read the magazine’ day. Wednesday might be a ‘listen while drawing’ day. Saturday might be a ‘download the activities and make something’ day.
That’s the magic of choice.
What Schools Are Seeing
After a year of receiving Storytimeschools report:
- An 86% increase in reading time
- An 81% increase in reading for pleasure
- More independent reading choices
- More rereading and peer recommendation (‘Have you read this one yet?’)
- Better comprehension and engagement across the board
These aren’t small shifts. These are genuine changes in reading culture and behaviour, and it’s because children are finally able to access stories in ways that work for them.
The Bigger Picture
We started Storytime over a decade ago because we believe that children deserved original, high-quality stories made for them with craft and care. But creating quality content is only half the challenge. If children can’t access it or won’t engage with it, what’s the point?
Multimodal reading is about equity and inclusion. It’s about meeting children where they are and giving them the tools they need to fall in love with stories. We don’t want Storytime to be gimmicky, we just want it to be great! At the end of the day, we don’t care how a child engages with a story. We just care that they do!
One Resource, Many Ways In
Every month, we deliver eight brand-new stories and plenty of extra content, with diverse voices, gorgeous illustrations and fun activities. Available in print, audio, online, and interactive formats.
Everything is possible!
We hope your children (and students!) love exploring stories in all the ways Storytime offers. If you’ve seen the magic of multimodal reading happening in your home or classroom, we’d love to hear about it Share your stories with us on social media, we genuinely love hearing about how children are connecting with reading!
Keep reading (and listening, and playing!)