Choosing Decodable Books for K-3 Classrooms

Why Decodable Books?

For too long, early readers have been handed books that encourage guessing instead of decoding. Decodable books flip that script, empowering even the youngest readers to truly read every word on the page. Unlike leveled readers, which are simply categorized by reading difficulty, decodable books allow even early readers to read confidently and independently, without relying on pictures or other context to guess which word comes next.

Whether you are an educator or administrator, high quality decodable book series for the classroom are a worthy investment that will greatly enhance phonics instruction. It is crucial to be mindful and strategic when choosing the right series for your group.

Guiding Questions

When selecting a decodable book or book series for your classroom, regardless of grade level, there are three guiding questions you should consider as you peruse different decodable book series:

1. Is the book/series truly decodable?

Unfortunately, many books that are advertised as being “easy to read” are actually not decodable. To determine if a book is truly decodable, read the first few pages. Do 70%-90% of the words in the text contain regular, expected spelling patterns? Could your student(s) independently sound out most of the words? If not, the book may not be truly decodable.

2. Does the series align with a clear scope and sequence?

Decodable readers should move from focusing on fundamental phonics skills—such as CVC words with short vowels—to more complex skills, like vowel teams and affixes. The decodable series you pick should align somewhat closely with the scope and sequence you use for direct phonics instruction. That way, students are exposed minimally to phonics skills they have not yet learned. A good decodable reader series provides ample cumulative review, and having a clear scope and sequence can help facilitate this.

3. Are the storyline(s) engaging?

This question can make or break a decodable book series, yet it is often overlooked! Students who are wholeheartedly invested in the story will have a much easier time comprehending the text. They will be motivated to finish the story and feel excited to read the next book in the series. Purposeful, strategically placed illustrations can help with engagement—though they should not “give away” what is in the text, as it is best for students to decode the words on the page rather than guessing based on the pictures.

Stories should also be culturally relevant and inclusive, contain themes that spark interest or curiosity, and feature characters that students can relate to. Ideally, in a series of decodable readers, the same cast of characters will be featured from the first book to the last. This helps students build familiarity and connection with the characters, and consequently, the adventures they go on!

Additional Considerations: Kindergarten and 1st Grade

Kindergarteners and 1st graders are still early in the process of learning how to read. Because of this, if they are expected to read independently, the materials chosen for them must be carefully examined to ensure they are a good fit. When choosing decodable books for early readers, additional questions you can ask include:

Is the book/series ≥90% decodable?

Decodable books for younger grades should be extremely decodable and as close to controlled text as possible. Since Kindergarten and 1st grade students are still learning how to read, they will be most successful when the reading material only contains skills they have been explicitly taught.

Is the print design accessible?

Even if a book is truly decodable and has a great story, if the print itself is not accessible, it will be difficult for Kindergarteners or 1st graders to read. Skim a decodable book you are considering for your classroom. Is the font easy to read? Is it large enough? Is there an appropriate number of words on each page? Is each sentence a manageable length? If not, your group may not be ready to read the book in question.

Additional Considerations: 2nd and 3rd grade

When selecting a decodable book or series for 2nd or 3rd grade, there are also unique qualities you may want to consider. By 2nd and 3rd grade, many students become more confident decoders, so decodable readers must serve a dual purpose: support the students who are still working on their decoding skills and engage the students who are entering the “reading to learn” stage. Questions you can ask include:

Can the book/series help to build vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension?

As students become more skilled readers and phase out of the “learning to read” phase, they begin the “reading to learn” phase. In 2nd and 3rd grade, it becomes paramount that students are not just decoding the text but using it to strengthen other reading skills. Good decodable readers for 2nd and 3rd graders contain lots of comprehension questions, rich vocabulary exposure, and passages that are long enough to help build stamina in reading.

Is the book/series age-appropriate?

This consideration is especially crucial for 3rd graders. 3rd graders can tell when a book is “for babies.” Plots should be appropriate for 7 to 9-year-olds and complex enough to hold their attention. Many decodable readers focus too much on using controlled vocabulary, which can result in the story feeling inauthentic or artificial. If 3rd graders can clearly see the scaffolding in the text, they may not feel as if they are reading a real book.

Finding a Decodable Series

These guiding questions can be used to determine if a decodable reader series is a good fit for your classroom. If you have yet to look into a decodable reader series for your classroom, a great starting point is to browse publishers who specialize in writing decodable or controlled text. Alternatively, many companies that have robust phonics programs have decodable text that follows their scope and sequence.

As you weigh your options, remember that the best decodable readers are those that check “yes” to all the key considerations:

• They are truly decodable, so students can read them independently with confidence.
• They align with a clear, logical scope and sequence.
• They feature engaging, age-appropriate stories that students want to keep reading.
• These key factors are exactly what we kept in mind when developing our own decodable reader series.

Every title in our collection is carefully written to meet these benchmarks for Kindergarten through 3rd grade, with recurring characters, engaging stories, and intentional phonics alignment. We’re thrilled to share that preorders are now open, so if you’re looking for a series that’s a “yes” across the board, we’d love for you to explore Talewinds by Brainspring!