A Teacher's Guide to Using Decodable Readers

When I made the switch from balanced literacy to structured literacy several years ago, one of the most impactful changes I made was using decodable readers instead of leveled text. In this blog post, we're going to dive into the who, what, when, why, and (most importantly!) the how of using decodable readers with your students.

(Also, be sure to download your free copy of "A Teacher's Guide to Using Decodable Readers" by clicking the image below. You'll get all of the information in this blog post plus MUCH more, including a lesson plan for decodable readers and a free decodable reader you can use with your students right away! We can't believe we're giving away this much for free-- but you are worth it! 💗)


Alright, now let's jump into all things decodable readers!

What are decodable readers?

Decodable readers are carefully controlled books that contain phoneme–grapheme correspondences matching the scope and sequence of phonics skills students are learning (Adams, 1990). Decodable text can be books, passages or poems, as long as it contains only the specific phonics patterns and high frequency words that you have already taught your students.

Decodable readers are a key part of a structured literacy approach to reading instruction and, when used correctly, are extremely effective.

What should I look for in decodable readers?

There are so many decodable readers available, that it may be difficult to know which are high-quality and truly align with the Science of Reading. When choosing decodable text, look for the following:

• Written using a logical scope and sequence
• Focuses on a specific phonics concept
• Includes previously taught skills for review
• Contains natural sentence structure
• Has a storyline that makes sense
• Written about interesting & engaging topics
• Includes fiction & nonfiction texts 

 
Okay, confession time. One of my biggest pet peeves with decodable text is when the sentence structure and storyline are nonsensical. For example, can you make sense of the following sentences?

"The rat had a rag bag. The bag is big. The rag bag is red. The rat sat on the red rag bag."

Oh my. What in the world is a rag bag? And why would a rat have a bag full of rags? And... why would he sit on it? If we have trouble making sense of sentences like this, imagine how difficult it is for our students. That's why it's important to look for decodable text that is written with storylines that are engaging and make sense! (And exactly why I decided to write my own fiction and nonfiction decodable readers-- more on that to come!) Plus, since comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading, we need to be providing our students with texts that they can understand and discuss.

Why are decodable readers important?

Decodable books are like the training wheels of reading. They provide support for those just starting out on their reading journey. Since decodable books contain phonics patterns that have been explicitly taught, students are encouraged to sound out words using decoding strategies rather than relying on the pictures for help or guessing. This helps them establish strong decoding skills, setting them up to be accurate decoders.

Also, decodable text gives students multiple exposures to the new phonics skill. Repetition is so important for beginning readers, so reading a story with many words containing the new pattern gives students the opportunity to practice over and over.

Last, using decodable readers helps students build confidence! Growing readers feel successful with the controlled text which, in turn, makes them actually enjoy reading. It's a win-win!

Who are decodable readers for and when should I use them?

Decodable books are best for beginning readers who are learning grapheme–phoneme correspondences. They are most appropriate for students who are transitioning from partial to full alphabetic reading (Ehri, 2005). This phase of reading is when students are attending to letters and the way they represent sounds (like “ai” for the “long a” sound in “pain”) or understanding common prefixes and suffixes (like “-ed” at the end of “messed”) (Brown, 1999; Cheatham & Allor, 2012).

Decodable readers are relied on heavily in Kindergarten and first grade, when students are really focused on decoding and word recognition. Research suggests that when reading is effortless and quick for students, these students would benefit from activities that develop vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, and critical text analysis (Mesmer, 2010). This is when the transition to leveled texts is recommended.

To learn more about the different types of texts and when to use them, check out our blog post, Decodable, Leveled, and Trade Books... Oh My! Which is Right for My Child?

How do I use decodable readers?

Okay, we've made it to the part that you've been waiting for! Hopefully at this point, you know why decodable readers are so important. But how do you use them with your students? What does it actually look like and sound like? Below, we'll walk you through the steps of how we use decodable readers with our students!

Step 1: Introduce your students to the story with a brief book introduction

If you are familiar with book introductions using the balanced literacy approach, a book introduction for decodable readers has some similarities but also several important differences. One similarity is that you want to build excitement and interest for the story your students are about to read. Also, you may point out or highlight words with the specific phonics pattern that you just taught. However, the biggest difference is that you want to keep your introduction brief. Since students should be able to decode almost all of the words, you don't need to spend a lot of time pre-teaching words and having students explore the pictures and photographs. Get your students excited, explain the phonics focus of the book, and move on!



Step 2: Have your students go on a "highlighter hunt" for words with the new pattern

This step is always so fun for students! Plus, it has a sneaky purpose of providing a visual reminder of the new pattern when students go to read the text independently 😉. Have your students choose a highlighter (I always like to give them fun colors to choose from!) and tell them they have 3-4 minutes to find, highlight, and read words with the new phonics pattern. Make sure to remind them to actually READ the word once they highlight it! This is a great warm up activity and students love it!



Step 3: Have your students read the story and provide support, as needed

After the highlighter hunt is over, collect the highlighters and give students a pencil to use as a pointer. I like to have them flip the pencil over and use the eraser end to point to the words. This helps them attend to the text while reading. If they get stuck on a word, all they have to do is flip over their pencil and "code" the word. While students are each reading quietly aloud, go around the table and listen in to each one. Provide support and encouragement, as needed.



Step 4: Choose a teaching point to discuss after the story

Once most of the students in your group have finished reading the story, choose a teaching point to discuss. See below for ideas on what your teaching point could include! Keep the teaching point brief (no more than 5 minutes) so that you have time to discuss the story.



Step 5: Discuss the story with comprehension questions

After the teaching point, have students discuss the story by asking comprehension questions. Depending on the decodable reader you chose, questions may be included or you may have to come up with them on your own. Encourage students to refer back to the text for evidence of their answers.



Step 6: Encourage your students to reread the story often

It is SO important to have students reread the story over the next few days and weeks. You can do this by having them save the decodable reader in a book box, folder, pocket, or other place for safe keeping. I would encourage you to build this routine into your reading block. Carve out a time for students to reread their book, whether it be a center or during independent reading. It will help to reinforce the phonics skill, build fluency, and improve your students' confidence!

Where can I find decodable readers?

Nowadays, decodable text can be found pretty much anywhere: online, in catalogs by major publishers, etc. Just remember to be choosy about the quality of the decodable readers!

One of the things that I really like about using printable decodable readers is the fact that students can highlight and mark up words without ruining the book. Plus, if the book gets lost (which we know happens often), it's okay!

I know I'm biased, but my favorite decodable readers are the LIFT OFF! decodable readers (written by yours truly!)

Here's what makes the LIFT OFF! decodable readers unique:

• Simple booklet format (you only need to print 1 page, double-sided, and fold in half)

•  Photos & illustrations look great printed in grayscale or color

•  Interesting facts & fun stories kids can relate to

•  Easy-to-read font

•  Controlled text so your students can be successful

•  Digital version (Google Slides) of each reader included

•  The back of each book includes comprehension questions and a word box  highlighting words with the target pattern, any heart (sight) words in the book, and any vocabulary terms or words to preview prior to reading
  

If you'd like to check out the LIFT OFF! fiction and nonfiction decodable readers, click on the images below!

NONFICTION SET:

FICTION SET:

ULTIMATE BUNDLE OF NONFICTION & FICTION:

Download Your Free Guide!

(Also, be sure to download your free copy of "A Teacher's Guide to Using Decodable Readers" by clicking the image below. You'll get all of the information in this blog post plus MUCH more, including a lesson plan for decodable readers and a free decodable reader you can use with your students right away! We can't believe we're giving away this much for free-- but you are worth it! 💗)


Happy teaching, friends! Please reach out if you have any questions about using decodable readers with your students!