How to choose decodable books

What is a decodable book?

A decodable book is written so that a beginning reader can sound out nearly every word with the phonics they know. If your child has learned short a, m, s, t and p, a decodable book at that level might say: "Sam sat. Pam sat. Sam and Pam tap."

That can sound dull to an adult. To a 5 year old who just read a whole page alone, it is thrilling. The point of the book is practice: using the code in connected text, again and again, until it is fast.

How are decodable books different from leveled readers?

Many early leveled readers repeat a sentence pattern, like "I see a cat. I see a dog.", and show the animal in the picture. A child can "read" it without looking at the words. That feels like reading, but it trains your child to guess.

Does the research support decodable books?

Mostly, with some limits. A 2012 review by Sharon Cheatham and Jill Allor looked at the studies on decodable text. They found it seems to help beginners use their phonics while reading. They also found that studies were few, and that decodable text works best as part of a full program with good phonics lessons.

The 2016 practice guide from the What Works Clearinghouse recommends that every student read connected text daily, matched to what they are learning, to build accuracy and fluency. Decodable books are a simple way to do that at home.

How do you check if a book matches your child?

Open to any page and look at each word. Ask: has my child been taught every pattern in this word? Count the words they can't sound out yet. If it's more than 1 in 10, the book is too hard for now.

1. List the patterns your child knows, like short vowels, sh, ch, th and blends.
2. Read the book's front or back cover. Many series list the patterns each book covers.
3. Pick a page and circle any word with an untaught pattern.
4. Check the common words, like "the" and "said". Have you taught those?
5. If 9 of 10 words or more are readable, the book is a good fit.

You can also paste a page into our free decodable text checker at /tools/decodable-text-checker. It shows which words use patterns past a chosen lesson, so you can see the hard spots at a glance.

What makes a good decodable book?

• It follows a clear order of patterns, and says which ones it uses.
• It has a real story, even a tiny one, with something that happens.
• Sentences sound like real English, not just strings of rhyming words.
• Pictures support the story but don't give away the words.
• Each book adds only one new pattern, so your child is not overwhelmed.

How should your child read a decodable book?

Read each book at least twice. The first time, your child sounds out the words slowly. The second time, it should be smoother. A third read, a day later, builds speed. Then talk about the story briefly: who was in it and what happened.

Where can you find decodable books?

• Your public library. Ask a librarian for decodable or phonics readers. Many libraries now shelve them together.
• Free printable sets. Several school districts and nonprofits post free decodable stories online, sorted by pattern.
• Boxed sets from publishers. These cost more but follow one order of patterns from start to finish.
• Your own writing. A sentence or a short story on paper, using only taught patterns, works just as well as a printed book.

Whatever you choose, look at the order of patterns in the set and compare it with the order you teach. If the two don't match well, you will keep hitting words your child can't read yet. A close match makes everything easier.

How do you know when to move up a set?

Look at how your child reads the current books on a second read. If they read smoothly, with only a few slips, and can tell you what happened, it is time to add books with the next pattern. Keep the old books in the basket for rereading. They are great for building speed.

If your child stops and sounds out most words even on the third read, stay at this level for another week or two. Speed comes after many accurate reads, not before.

When do you stop using decodable books?

Slowly, not all at once. Once your child knows the main patterns, often in late first or second grade, they can read many regular children's books. At that point, mix in early chapter books and let them try. If they start guessing, return to decodable text for a while.