| |

5 Tips for Choosing Decodable Books

Share:

This is a featured image for a blog post about choosing decodable books.

Decodable text is one of the most important resources for an Orton-Gillingham or structured literacy instructor. Especially for students who have relied heavily on pictures and meaning-based guessing, decodable stories are very important for breaking unhelpful habits and reinforcing their emerging decoding skills. The number of decodable options has increased quite a bit over the past few years as the importance of scientifically based literacy instruction has gained prominence. This can make choosing decodable books a challenge.

Learn more about how decodable texts support social-emotional learning. Listen to season 1, episode 8 of the Together in Literacy podcast!

Here are Five Features to Look for When Choosing Decodable Books

1. Clearly marked skills

You want to be able to determine exactly what skills the text will focus on. This may be listed on the front or back cover, on the inside first few pages, or in a separate scope and sequences guide. This will help you to match the books with your student’s skills to ensure a high degree of success.

2. High decodability

You want to choose books with a high rate of decodability. This will vary somewhat based on the concepts a student has mastered in your particular scope and sequence. However, this will ensure students experience success, practice their decoding skills, and practice reading with fluency. High decodability also discourages the use of inefficient strategies.

You can determine how decodable a book is by reading it carefully, but some decodable books even offer a percentage. While no books are going to be 100% decodable, you want to be aiming for a high percentage of decodability, particularly at the very earliest levels.

3. Word list

It can be helpful if decodable books include a word list either at the beginning or the end of the book. This is particularly helpful for intervention students to provide rehearsal and word reading practice. Since struggling readers often need many more exposures to a new word or pattern before mapping it in their orthographic memory, a word list like this can facilitate maximizing the opportunities to practice and reinforce that skill.

4. Pictures that don’t trigger guessing

Any illustrations or pictures should be engaging and support the meaning of the story, but should not encourage guessing. Using the pictures to figure out unknown words is something that many kids new to OG may have been encouraged to do by classroom teachers. There need to be words in the text that can not be figured out based on the pictures alone. A student should be able to read the text without the pictures, but not read it using the pictures alone.

5. Additional resources

Are there literature guides, printables, workbooks, or games that you can use to support the work with this decodable text and reinforce student learning? This may be something that could be sent home for additional family practice or used during a lesson or center. Taking this into consideration can help you make wise choices and find the best value.

Wise Words Decodable Books

One such resource is new from Simple Words Publishing. I have partnered with them to author a series of decodable books called Wise Words Decodable Books. They come in a set of four books. Each book contains several short stories working on a particular skill.

To learn more, watch Tips for Choosing Decodable Books for Students on my YouTube channel!

All books include a section at the back with a breakdown of the scope and sequence of skills and percentages for each type of word pattern, a word list that includes words that may not be decodable yet for your student. The first book contains six stories with short vowels, the second book tackles consonant digraphs in five stories, and the third book has eight stories to practice consonant blends. The fourth book in the series includes six stories for vowel-consonant-e patterns.

These books also include ISBNs so the books can be used in schools and public libraries. Books can be ordered from Simple Words Books via this link, and purchase orders are accepted. Literature guides will be coming soon!

For more information, please see the attached flyer and samples.

Are you looking for professional development that will help you better support your students with dyslexia? The Literacy Nest has a membership for that

Building Readers for Life Academy is a monthly membership program that empowers educators AND families. It dives into structured literacy and strategies for ALL learners. With BRFL Academy, you’ll learn what it takes to help EVERY student become a reader for life.

Join Building Readers for Life Academy today and pay just $1 for your first 30 days! Click here.

This is a pinnable image for a blog post about choosing decodable books.

Share:

Similar Posts