Decodable books are an important tool for reading instruction aligned to the science of reading. How can you choose the best decodable books for your students? We’ve vetted lots of great options for you here.
What are decodable books?
Decodable books have intentional word choices to let readers use their growing phonics knowledge to read. Decodable books are not predictable texts like “I see the blue bird. I see the yellow lion” that include a haphazard mix of phonics patterns. Leveled books written to encourage students to guess at words using pictures or sentence context are also not decodable books.
(To learn more about decodable text, check out What Makes a Good Decodable Text? by phonics guru Wiley Blevins. For ideas about what you can do with all the leveled books you already have that aren’t decodable, see Rethinking Leveled Readers: 8 Ways to Use Leveled Books That Align With the Science of Reading.)
Choosing decodable books
Keep in mind: Books are only “decodable” for readers who have the skills needed to decode the words they contain. For instance, if a reader knows a few consonants and short ‘a,’ they can read decodable books that include only words with those consonants and short ‘a’—plus, probably, a handful of high-frequency words they’ve been taught. When they’ve also learned short ‘i’ and a few more consonants, their decodable books could have words with short ‘a’, short ‘i,’ and all the consonants they know. Series of decodable books progress systematically in a particular order, layering on new phonics demands as they go.
Many readers are ready to transition out of tightly controlled decodable text by sometime in first or second grade, but this isn’t the case for everyone. Decodable books are a crucial tool for older readers working with a specialized systematic reading program due to dyslexia or another disability, or any student for whom growing phonics knowledge is still a primary need. More-advanced decodable books will have a much wider range of words, but the same idea applies: For a reader to decode them, they must have the phonics skills the words require.
Questions To Ask When Choosing Decodable Text
We’ve listed our favorite options below, with notes about key features to help you choose which are best for your students. Some questions to think about include:
Do the reading demands match what students need to practice?
If you’re purchasing a series of decodable books, you’ll definitely want to look at the series’ phonics scope and sequence and how it matches up with any other curriculum you use. You’ll also need to look at which and how many high-frequency words the text includes. Some books do include outlier words that aren’t “decodable” given the book’s focus—for instance, nonfiction books that include some extra content vocabulary words. This can be OK for students if they’ll receive support to read them.
How natural does the text sound?
Yes, the controlled language of decodable text can sound stilted, especially at the very early levels. But it is definitely still possible to craft a sensical and compelling book from a limited word list, and some titles do it better than others. (Food for thought: Some critics think decodable text will bore kids, but many kids actually get very excited about how decodable text lets them experience real reading and make noticeable progress over time.)
Are the pictures and format engaging for kids?
It’s important that kids’ reading experiences feel authentic. Appealing illustrations or photos that enhance a book’s plot or information can make a big difference. For older readers, having decodable books that look and feel like traditional chapter books is key.
What vocabulary support will kids need to comprehend?
Some words chosen to fit the phonetic constraints of decodable books might be less familiar to kids, like “ill” instead of “sick” or “van” instead of “car.” Unfamiliar vocabulary shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for choosing a book or series, but you will need to build in time for teaching about word meanings. This is especially important for English-language learners.
What about availability and cost?
Some series have many more opportunities for repeated practice of the same skills with different books, while others pack more skills into fewer titles. Some books must be purchased through the publisher and others are available from major retailers. If you expect kids to move through books quickly, expensive titles may be a no-go. (There are also plenty of free options for printable or electronic books, or other formats like decodable passages. See our faves below!)
Best Decodable Books: Series
These are our top choices for decodable books purchased in sets from educational publishers.
Best Decodable Books: Trade Books
These choices don’t have the same extensive scope and sequence as those from educational publishers, but they are available from mainstream book retailers. They’re good choices if you have gift cards, only want to buy a couple books to try out, or want to give suggestions to families.
Low-Cost and Free Decodable Books and Texts
If you’re looking to download decodable books or shorter text, these are some top-notch options!