Starting the school year with decodable books sets the stage for a year of reading achievement. Decodables reinforce essential phonics skills and make reading more engaging and accessible for students.
Learn why decodable books are an important resource for teaching phonics and which activities to use during the first weeks of school.
Why You Should Use Decodable Books
Developing readers use decodable books to apply their phonics knowledge in a structured way. These texts contain words with the phonics patterns students are currently learning or reviewing. This helps students become better readers by giving them lots of decoding practice in an engaging reading experience.
Our Complete Guide to Decodables gives you an in-depth look at decodable readers and why they are critical for teaching reading.
7 Engaging Back-To- School Activities Using Decodables
Explore back-to-school activities that incorporate decodable books and add an extra layer of engagement to keep students learning.
Choose decodable books that contain phonetic patterns students have already learned. Giving students random decodables is not best practice.
For tips on using decodable books,Dr. Heidi Mesmer provides 10 practical strategies for using them effectively.
1. Phonics Treasure Hunt
Create an engaging phonics treasure hunt using clues hidden in decodable books. This creates excitement and reinforces decoding skills as students search for specific sounds and patterns.
2. Read, Swap, and Discuss
Start a reading circle where students read and then swap decodable books. Students have discussion to share insights, enhance comprehension, and social interaction.
3. Create Your Own Decodable Books
Students write their own short stories using the phonics skills they've learned. This allows them to apply their knowledge in a creative and personal way.
4. Decodable Book Reviews
Students read a decodable book and write a review, sharing it with other students.
5. Decodable Role-Play
Create a role-play activity where students act out narratives from decodable books, deepening comprehension and increasing fluency. This also makes for a great team building activity.
6. Decodable Bingo
Develop a Bingo game using words from decodable books. This game enhances decoding and word recognition as students mark off words while they are reading.
7. Phonics Art Gallery
Have students create colorful art inspired by phonics rules from their decodable books. Hold a classroom gallery walk where students observe artwork and discuss with each other how their art is connected to their decodable.
4 Tips for Using Just Right Reader Decodables Effectively
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Read our Complete Guide to Decodables for an in-depth look at decodable
readers and why they are critical for teaching reading.
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Utilize the Just Right Reader Teacher Resources. Find curriculum alignment charts, implementation guides and complete lesson plans for each decodable reader.
- Scan the QR codes on decodables to access engaging videos that reinforce the phonics skill in each book.
- Extend learning beyond the classroom by encouraging parents to engage with the decodables at home. Read our blog post, Reading Tips for Parents, for tips on communicating the importance of reading at home.
What Makes Just Right Reader Science of Reading Decodables Special?
Classroom Libraries and Take-Everywhere Packs provide opportunities for students to practice their decoding skills in engaging, connected text.
Our Decodables feature:
- An extensive library of 750+ titles in English and Spanish
- Engaging and relatable stories with diverse characters and vibrant illustrations that motivate students to keep reading
- Research-based, rigorous phonics scope and sequence that aligns to all phonics programs and curriculums
- QR codes that link to memorable video lessons in English and Spanish
