Decodable books are different from leveled text and trade books. Decodable books/readers are specifically constructed to have the main syllable type, sound, or morpholological structure students learned through explicit instruction when using structured literacy. (🔗 below )
Unfortunately, it is next to impossible for teachers to effectively use decodable books if the district uses balanced-literacy or other antiquated theories. Structured-literacy explicitly teaches each level. Other reading programs that do not explicitly teach the skills and knowledge using the scientific structured, a teacher cannot assume that students have even posses the skills and knowledge of single closed-syllable words. Therefore, it is difficult to know where to begin.
Decodable books allow students to practice skills they learned to work on accuracy, fluency to achieve mastery and the ability to automatically decode words. They give students practice with prosody (phrasing and expression) and allow their brains to have the stamina to engage in a more complex understanding of the text.
Students must demonstrate mastery of the specific decoding skill(s); read the words, sentences, paragraphs with ease and accuracy (98% or higher); and be able to retell the text BEFORE expecting students to independently engage in complex comprehensive thought processes (from reading a text).
As in all foundational literacy skills, comprehension needs to be explicitly taught. (More information on how to teach complexity of thought on a future post and will be available on my blog.)
Educational leaders and teachers must understand that having the tools to implement structured literacy is not enough. Teachers must be provided regular, intensive professional development for them to understand how to use these tools. Leaders overseeing reading programs and providing professional development MUST have a deep understanding of the neurodevelopment of language, the science of reading, and dyslexia science to implement effective instruction and interventions. Knowing the ingredients in the science of reading is important, but will lead to ineffective instruction if the ingredients are not used following the recipe - proven by science. In this case, decodable readers are an important piece, but providing children with decodable readers will not be effective until the children have mastered phonemic awareness (using a sensory integration technique). 🔗 below to a must read article on the difference between phonological awareness, phonemic awareness and phonics.
Wilson sells their materials to individuals or schools without ensuring teachers are properly credentialed. Wilson relies on the oversight of local administrations and school boards; therefore they sell materials to any individual and/or schools Most schools boards are unaware of the producer’s protocol, which MUST be followed with fidelity for an intervention to work. The important factor for student success is a teacher that have mastered the knowledge and skill i’m the science of reading and dyslexia interventions. “Teachers must have an in-depth knowledge of language structure and master multisensory and diagnostic instructional techniques in order to meet the needs of dyslexic students,” (Wilson, 2019). To achieve this, Wilson Language Training® provides extensive teacher training in the Wilson Reading System® by offering supervised certification programs.”
NOTE: I have come across many individuals who claim to be Wilson credentialed, and that was not the case. They attended a workshop, often not even endorsed by Wilson. If someone is truly credentialed in Wilson, there is no need to purchase decodable text because the Wilson Academy allows a credentialed teacher to have unlimited FREE access to all different genres of decodable text, at all different levels, with a wide variety of topics. 🔗 below
Remember: Differentiation is used to teach content NOT with scientific processes or interventions.
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🔗Wilson: The important of Critical factors for student success are teacher knowledge and skill.
https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/parents/why-wrs-certification/
🔗AnchorED Blog and Resources
🔗The Three Ps – Don’t Mix Them Up!
Information on Decodable Readers
Free Decodable Books
🔗https://rolls.bublup.com/abctutor/free-decodable-books
Decodable Readers Resource from IDA
🔗FREE download here (look for the reader in each grade/unit). Printed copies are available only for purchase in the U.S. https://www.coreknowledge.org/curriculum/download-curriculum/
🔗S.P.I.R.E. decodable readers Levels 1-8 (S.P.I.R.E. Scope and Sequence) http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/products/literacy/readers/spire-decodable-readers/about-the-program
🔗Primary Phonics Storybooks Levels 1-6 including Scope and Sequence (Click here for brochure) http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/products/literacy/phonics-word-study/primary-phonics/components
🔗Alphabet Series Readers (from Recipe for Reading) - http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/products/literacy/reading-intervention/recipe-for-reading/pricing/recipe-for-reading-alphabet-series-starter-set
🔗All About Reading readers (Levels 1-4) - nine readers with multiple stories in each that follow this scope and sequence. https://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/all-about-reading/
🔗Wilson Reading System (Grades 2-12) - Student Readers (Levels 1-12). The readers follow this scope and sequence. https://www.wilsonlanguage.com/programs/wilson-reading-system/
🔗High Noon Books offers a selection of phonics-based chapter books. https://www.highnoonbooks.com/HNB/HNB-SoundOut_Intro.tpl?cart=151700724613709948
🔗Readinga-z.com offers short, downloadable, decodable readers. Membership subscription. A free 14 day trial is available. https://www.readinga-z.com/books/decodable-books/
🔗Fly Leaf Publishing Emergent Readers https://flyleafpublishing.com/emergent-readers/
Decodable Literature https://flyleafpublishing.com/Decodable-Literature
🔗The Specific Learning Difficulties Association of Australia downloadable phonics readers FREE https://www.speld-sa.org.au/services/phonic-books.html
🔗Hill Readers - are a series of 13 phonetically controlled, decodable texts that are designed to complement the Hill Reading Achievement Program (HillRAP). https://www.hillcenter.org/professional-development/hill-readers/
🔗PAF! The PAF Reading Series follows the instructional sequence in the PAF curriculum Teacher Handbook and can be used to supplement any reading program. https://www.pafprogram.com/paf-reading-series/
🔗Phonics First Stories for Reading Practice - Skill sequence complements Phonics First. Layers One to Four or can be used with any phonics program.
🔗Phonics Books for Beginners and Catch-up Readers. These books are from the U.K. but there is a Canadian distributor. https://brainspring.com/phonics-first-decodable-stories/
🔗Now I'm Reading - Animal Antics by Nora Gaydos. Booklets 1-5 focus on mostly three-letter short-vowel words, some consonant blends, and early sight words. Booklets 6-10 progress to mostly four-letter short-vowel words, plus additional sight words and consonant blends. https://www.amazon.ca/Now-Im-Reading-Level-Animal/dp/1584760737
🔗Dog on a Log books - by Pamela Brookes. The books, available on Amazon, follow this Structured Literacy/Orton-Gillingham based phonics sequence . Printable games and activities are also available on the website. https://dogonalogbooks.com/
🔗SyllaSense Readers - by Lee-Ann Lear, available on Amazon. http://syllasense.com/wp/ The "Green" series includes short vowels, consonant blends, digraphs, and trigraphs. http://syllasense.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Green-Series-Scope-and-Sequence.pdf
🔗Core Knowledge Readers - these readers are part of the Skills Strand of the Language Arts program of the Core Knowledge Curriculum. https://www.coreknowledge.org/