Many parents want to be involved in teaching their kids how to read, and witnessing a child\u2019s progress can be right up there with the excitement of other independence milestones like tying shoes or riding a bike. Just like we teach tricks for making shoelaces into \u201cbunny ears\u201d or give kids training wheels, we can intentionally adjust the job of reading to help kids practice and improve. Decodable books are an excellent tool for this. <\/p>\n
What are decodable books?<\/strong> How our brains learn to read<\/strong> Matching kids to decodable books<\/strong> Decodable books typically progress in a cumulative sequence. This allows the phonics demands to build over time. Later titles in the Phonic Books Dandelion Launchers series include words with other consonant sounds, short vowels \u2018o,\u2019 \u2018e,\u2019 and \u2018u,\u2019 and eventually, other patterns like word endings \u201c-ing\u201d and \u201c-le,\u201d consonant digraphs like \u201cch\u201d and \u201csh,\u201d and consonant blends like \u201cst.\u201d <\/p>\n Progressing through a series of decodable books lets kids practice previously learned skills while making small steps forward. Brand-new readers can start at the beginning of a decodable book series. If a child already has some reading skills, talk with their teacher about any phonics assessment data they\u2019ve collected and about the class\u2019s phonics \u201cscope and sequence\u201d \u2014 which phonics skills are taught and in what order. All this information can help you know where to jump into a decodable book series.<\/p>\n (It\u2019s important to know that decodable books usually contain a handful of \u201coutlier\u201d words that don\u2019t match the phonics skills. Many series list them at the front of each book. It\u2019s best to pre-teach or practice these words with kids. These are often high-frequency words \u2014 common words like \u201cthe\u201d or \u201care\u201d that help make meaningful sentences. For more information about high-frequency words, see Research-Based Tips to Help Kids Learn Sight Words<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Talking to kids about decodable books<\/strong> Take care to choose decodable books that fit a child\u2019s developmental level and phonics skills. Younger kids generally get excited to read \u2014 actually read! \u2014 any decodable books that match their skill set. Older kids still working on building their phonics skills might be more sensitive. For them, choose a decodable series written for older readers, such as the Phonic Books Moon Dogs series<\/a>. These books have illustrations, storylines, and humor that appeal to older kids.<\/p>\n Decodable books are one part of learning to read<\/strong>
\nDecodable books contain a highly controlled collection of words that fit a certain stage of phonics learning. For instance, in the Phonic Books Dandelion Launchers series<\/a>, in the first books, Sam, Tim, Tam<\/i>, and Is It Sam?<\/i>, almost all the words are spelled only with the consonants \u2018s,\u2019 \u2018t,\u2019 \u2018m,\u2019 and the short vowel sounds \/a\/ (as in \u201cat\u201d) and \/i\/ (as in \u201cit\u201d). Readers who have been introduced to these letters and sounds can use what they know to read these books \u2014 and become more and more automatic while they do it. <\/p>\n
\nReading decodable books can be a perfectly tailored workout for the reading brain. Brain imaging studies from cognitive neuroscientists like Stanislas Dehaene, author of Reading in the Brain<\/i><\/a>, show how different areas of the brain light up as a reader sees the letters in a word, links them to spoken sounds, and lands on the word meaning. For proficient readers, this all happens unconsciously, within milliseconds. Newer readers need systematic teaching about how letters represent sounds to spell words, plus lots of repetitive practice, to successfully wire the brain for reading.<\/p>\n
\nA child can\u2019t automatically decode any book labeled \u201cdecodable.\u201d Rather, a book is decodable for a reader when its demands fit what that reader knows about phonics. Then, they can realistically use what they know to practice decoding \u2014 or \u201csounding out\u201d\u2014 the words. Decodable books help reduce frustration and build good reading habits. When the words in a book fit kids\u2019 decoding skills, they know what to do. They don\u2019t need to guess at words based on the picture or context. <\/p>\n
\nSometimes adults worry that decodable books are too stilted, boring, or babyish for children to enjoy. This is easy to mitigate by hitting on some key points when we present them to kids:<\/p>\n\n
\nDecodable books are useful \u201ctraining wheels\u201d while learning to read, but they aren\u2019t the only way we help kids become readers. Being able to read decodable text hinges on phonics teaching. Before reading a decodable book that requires a new phonics skill, teach kids that skill with a quick introduction and some practice words jotted on a whiteboard or a fun game or practice activity. Children also need phonological awareness skills<\/a> to hear the spoken sounds represented by the letters and patterns they\u2019re working on, so revisiting those foundational skills is important, too.<\/p>\n