What are decodable books?

Beginner reader

What are decodable books? Although the rise of the Science of Reading movement has meant that systematic phonics teaching programs are gaining popularity in the US, one of the most frequently asked questions is still, “What are decodable books?”. Phonic Books co-founder, Tami Reis-Frankfort, provides a brief clarification of the meaning of the term, ‘decodable…

Read More

Teaching the Reading Rope

Scarboroughs reading rope

Scarborough, H. S. (2001). Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities: Evidence, theory, and practice. In S. Neuman & D. Dickinson (Eds.), Handbook for research in early literacy (pp. 97-110). New York: Guilford Press. Teaching the Reading Rope The Reading Rope was developed by Dr. Hollis Scarborough to provide a framework for understanding the different…

Read More

Structured Linguistic Literacy

Dystinct magazine clair wilson

Supporting structured linguistic literacy at home with games and decodable reading books – by Clair Wilson This article was originally published in the January 2023 issue of Dystinct Magazine. Click here for free access to this issue until December 2024. Reading is one of the most important skills we want our children to learn. We…

Read More

Phonic Acronyms

Phonic acronyms

Reading Specialist, Savannah Campbell from Campbell Creates Readers, provides a helpful reference guide to phonic acronyms. There are A LOT of acronyms in education. IEP, IDEA, NCLB, NRP. I could go on and on and on. If you are a teacher or parent, it can feel overwhelming! Today, I want to walk you through some…

Read More

Holiday rereading

Pile of books with coffee cup, writing pad and pen

Over the holidays, we all need to take a break and enjoy time with family and friends. However, amongst the ribbons, reindeer and rejoicing, there may also be space for a little retrospection, reflection, reading… and even rereading. Reading specialist, Miriam Fein, explores the benefits of giving new consideration to an already well thumbed book.…

Read More

Building blocks of literacy

Tower of building blocks

We all want our children to find learning to read exciting and enjoyable, but what happens when they get stuck? Should we be quick to help, or wait and let them figure it out themselves? With the help of a set of building blocks, literacy specialist, Savannah Campbell, explains how we can encourage productive struggling.…

Read More

Phonic Books stand out from your average decodable

Dandelion Launchers - Decodable Books

At Phonic Books, we know the importance of continuous and lifelong learning. We’re always delighted to hear from our customers, and feedback on our decodable books is especially welcome. Your comments help us to understand what we are doing right – as well as flagging up anything that could be improved. In this testimonial, Dyslexia…

Read More

Organizing decodable books

Trays containing decodable books

What’s the best way to organize your decodables? There are many different ways to go about this. Here, K-5 reading specialist, Savannah Campbell, shares some helpful tips and tricks to make your classroom library user friendly.   Now that you have decodables, how do you organize them? I’m lucky to live in a district that…

Read More

Moon Dogs Extras – An Independent Review

Ann Sullivan of Phonics for Pupils with Special Educational Needs, is an experienced SEND teacher, who has created her own phonics programme specifically for SEND children.  This is what she has to say about our latest set of Books: Moon Dogs Extras for Catch-Up Readers. If there is one question I am asked more than…

Read More

Summer reading doesn’t have to be a struggle – simple tips to stop the slide!

Our kids are out for summer, and now all learning rests squarely on the parents’ shoulders. I know that it can be daunting. You want to make sure your child doesn’t lose any of the skills they’ve learned, but you aren’t always sure of the best way to help during the summer. So today, I…

Read More