Breaking the Code: Essential Decodable Readers Aligned with the Science of Reading

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Breaking the Code: 10 Essential Decodable Readers Aligned with the Science of Reading

After teaching your phonics lessons, your students need some practice reading words in context!

Decodable readers play a crucial role in helping young learners develop strong phonics skills and build fluency.

When selecting decodable readers, we need to find high-quality resources that align with the SOR and are engaging for students!

I use a lot of decodable texts with my reading intervention students! In this blog post, I will share my favorite decodables that are perfect for early readers in kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade!

Whole Phonics

I discovered Whole Phonics about two years ago and started with their CVC words and digraph stories. Last year I added a few more books to my collection. The stories in the books are engaging and the pictures are adorable and funny.

They offer color books and black and white take home books, plus now they also have accompanying workbooks. BUT one important reason that they are my favorite decodable book company? Whole Phonics does not make you buy an entire set of books for $1,000 (or more)… you can buy small sets or even individual books which comes in handy for reading or classroom teachers who do not have much of a budget for books, or if you are buying out of your own pocket.

They are aligned with UFLI and the alignment document states that starting at lesson 20 students should be able to read these books in their entirety by students.

Bonus: They are a woman owned business enterprise!

Charge Mommy Books

Charge into Reading (from Charge Mommy) decodable readers are a great option – I just grabbed some fiction VCE books for my reading intervention students. I noticed they also have some great non fiction options, too!

These texts are also aligned to UFLI! And they also have free decodable passages, reader’s theaters and stories on their website! Those are downloadable only but some of the resources come with decodable word flash cards that you class print for students. Note: the book downloads are in color, so I am not sure how they will look if you, like me, don’t have access to a color printer. Probably fine, but just FYI.

Charge into Reading also offers a bunch of options for purchase so you don’t get stuck with only being able to buy a super expensive set. For example, you can grab 30 books, including literacy activities for $72. That’s how I got the books pictured below.

Breaking the Code: Essential Decodable Readers Aligned with the Science of Reading Charge Mommy

Beyond Decodables

This website is chock full of free downloadable books by Julia Louis, PH.D. Her website offers a scope and sequence document that you can compare to your phonics program to see where to get started.

Many of her texts are available in a displayable digital version and printable version. Note: the printable versions I have seen so far have color photographs so some quality is lost when printing in black and white. She has some terrific options for non-fiction texts so if you are on a budget and looking for those, try her website!

Flyleaf Publishing

Flyleaf has some beautifully illustrated decodable readers!

At this website, you can buy a curated classroom set for $769 + or individual sets such as the emergent reader book set of 41 individual books for $162. This might be a great option if you know your district is willing to invest in class sets of texts.

They also offer foundational skills teachers’ guides and guides for close reading as well as other instructional materials for students such as a word chain deck.

Learning without Tears

Did you know that Learning without Tears now has decodable readers? They offer both fiction and non-fiction texts. Some have high quality photographs and others have cute, clear illustrations.

They offer a scope and sequence document so you can see how their texts align with your phonics program’s skills. Cost is affordable if your district is buying – for example you can get a set of 60 books (6 copies of 10 books) for $170+.

Learning without Tears also offers other products like less expensive take home books and reading response journals!

Cherry Blossom Press

Cherry Blossom Press has something cool for decodable readers! Besides regular decoable texts for young readers, they have a decodable graphic novel series called Code Breakers! Eek!

This series is great for older readers. Prices of this series start at just over $71, so fairly affordable if you have to pay for them yourself.

Their decodables for younger readers have some adorable choices like “Llamas” from their So Cute! Baby Animals series (yes that’s actually what they are called – clever).

The series In Bloom is for slightly more advanced readers who are working on skills like VCE. One of the titles I peeked at was a fiction story called “Duke the Mule”. I love seeing options to practice the uCe rule since I find that the toughest silent e vowel for kids. Check it out!

Beanstalk Books with Junior Learning

Beanstalk Books are new to me and I was excited to see that they have non-fiction AND fiction options.

The books fall into different categories and phases such as Letters & Sounds Phase 1, Sound Families R-controlled Vowels, and Science Decodables (just to name a few). If you need something specific, they probably have it!

I ordered a set of the blends books. Each one varies a little in sentence length and text length and looks like it will be great practice for my students!

Keep reading for more ideas for how to use pop its to make phonics more engaging and effective!

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Daffodil Hill Press

Daffodil Hill Press is another woman owned business! One thing that jumped out at me is that they are the first company I have seen that offers Spanish Language decodable readers.

Daffodil Hill Press offers free ebook samples and their books come with teacher support materials! And you can buy sets that come with ten copies of each book or smaller sets with six copies. You can try their assessments, check out their alignment to phonics programs, and they offer some professional development too (for example: school based, workshops, and even curriculum writing support).

Developing Decoders

Developing Decoders is new to me! They have twenty free books aligned to UFLI and twenty free books aligned to Fundations (these are downloadable books). In order to access them, you just have to fill out their online form.

The illustrations are cute and the sets of books come with 6 copies of each set! So for the kindergarten set for example, you get over 1,300 books. Another terrific option if your school or district is trying to stock their classroom with essential decodable texts.

Heggerty

Yes, Heggerty now has decodable readers! It is not just a phonemic awareness program.

At their website, you will find the typical decodable readers for kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 but also will see a series for older students. The sets that come with 6 copies of each book range in price from $62-$489. And of course they go right along with the other Heggerty programs!

Their Toucan Series is for grades 2-4 and as they say, “It was created with older learners in mind to provide important reading opportunities.” Titles include “Stick Bugs”, “Drum Team” and “The Magic Pearl” and you can get a set of 6 books, 1 copy each for $39. I am a reading intervention teacher for K-2, but if I taught reading to 2nd graders in the classroom to older students, I would check these out!

Save time with Ready to Go Resources

How terrific would it be to have ready to go decodable resources for your classroom at your fingertips, without having to wait for shipping?

Mastering phonics is essential for building strong readers. This resource with differentiated decodable sentences offers a variety of activities to help your students practice essential phonics skills. Perfect for students in grades K, 1, and 2, this resource will enhance reading fluency and comprehension.

Click here or on any of the images below to check it out at TPT .