Oxford Reading Tree Level 3 is the Nursery reader of the Army Public Schools & Colleges System. It is printed as ‘2 Books in 1’ (two stories bound together), written by Roderick Hunt and illustrated by Alex Brychta, and marked ‘Supplementary Reading Material for Pre-Primary’. The cover shows a boy in a red T-shirt and blue shorts standing beside a sandcastle on a yellow beach. Available to order now for the 2027-28 session.
Oxford Reading Tree is the family of Biff, Chip and Kipper stories that millions of children have learned to read with. This Army Public School edition, copyrighted by Oxford University Press in 2025, puts two Level 3 stories in a single, easy-to-carry book, so a Nursery child gets reading practice without carrying several thin storybooks.
What is inside (from the photographed first pages)
A reader has no table of contents in the usual sense; the book opens with a parent-and-teacher guide, then the story. We photographed the first guide page, and it shows how the book is meant to be used. It is split into three parts:
- Before reading, ‘Talk together’: look at the cover and read the title together, ask what might happen, talk about where Biff and Chip are and what they are doing, and look through the pictures.
- About the words in this book: the page lists words the child should be able to sound out and blend (boat, go-karts, hat, top, get, Dad, and, on) and trickier words to read aloud with help (they, was, sand, sleep, sandcastle, hiding, stick, ice, cream, donkeys).
- During reading: enjoy the story together, ask the child to point under each word from left to right, model how to sound out and blend new words, say the whole word if it is too tricky, and use the pictures to talk about the story and learn new words.
The word list and the pictures on that page (a beach with go-karts, an ambulance and a sandcastle) tell you the first story is a seaside adventure for Biff, Chip and Kipper.
Why a reader belongs in Nursery
At this age children learn that print carries meaning long before they can decode it fluently. A decodable story with lots of repeated words lets them feel like readers. The guidance printed in the book means a parent who has never taught reading can still do it well, by pointing, blending and talking about the pictures. Ten minutes a night with one of the two stories is enough.
Questions to ask after each story
A reader works best when it starts a conversation. After each of the two Level 3 stories, try these:
- Where were Biff and Chip, and what were they doing? (The first page talks about a beach, go-karts and a sandcastle.)
- Which word was the hardest to read? Can you sound it out with me?
- What was your favourite picture, and what is happening in it?
- What do you think happens next, before we turn the page?
- Have you ever been to the seaside? What did you see and eat there?
- Can you find a word in the story that rhymes with ‘hat’ or ‘top’?
What changes from home to school reading
At Nursery the child is not expected to read alone. The guide on the first page asks the adult to read the title together, to point under each word and to model blending. Over the year, ask your child to take over a little more each time: first a word, then a line, then a page. By the end of Nursery, many children are proud to ‘read’ the sandcastle page to a grandparent on their own.
Who, when and where
Whom: Nursery children (around four years old) at Army Public Schools and their parents. When: alongside the English and Urdu books throughout the year, and in the holidays. Where: at school, at bedtime, in the car. How: read the book together first; later let the child ‘read’ the pictures and sounds back to you.
Frequently asked questions
What does ‘2 Books in 1’ mean?
It means two separate Level 3 stories are bound together in one volume.
Do children read this alone?
Not at first. The guide asks the adult to read together with the child, sound out words and use the pictures.
Is it a textbook?
No. It is supplementary reading material, so it is for extra reading practice.
You can order Oxford Reading Tree Level 3 online today. We ship across Pakistan on Cash on Delivery, and families in Lahore can also pick it up from our shop. For overseas delivery (Gulf countries), message us on WhatsApp.
