As the Science of Reading has shown us, decoding skills are a fundamental aspect of the reading process. To read with fluency and comprehension, children must be able to accurately and quickly decode words through the use of letter-sound relationships. That’s where decodable passages come in! By providing consistent and controlled exposure to letters and sounds, decodable passages effectively help children develop these essential skills.
In this blog post, I’m breaking down what to look for when choosing strong decodable passages for your readers.
Why decodable passages?
So, why are decodable passages so effective? The Science of Reading emphasizes the use of phonics to help students read unknown words and become better readers overall. By connecting phonemes (the sounds in words) to graphemes (the letter representations of those sounds), students can quickly and easily learn to read and sound out new words. Passages that are specifically designed and sequenced to focus on one phonics skill at a time allow students to practice their phonics skills and build confidence as readers, without feeling overwhelmed by too many unknown words.
What should I look for in decodable readers?
When looking for decodable readers for your classroom, be sure to find passages that are aligned with the Science of Reading and introduce one concept per passage. This way, students won’t feel overwhelmed by too many new phonics skills at once. If possible, aim to find a set of decodable readers that flow into one another, building on one skill per passage. This type of progression is a treasure for any literacy program!
Where can I find strong decodable passages?
If you have ever struggled with finding the right true decodable passages to help your students improve their reading skills, look no further than the Decodable Passages VIP Pass!
The Decodable Passages VIP Pass is a collection of more than 200 highly decodable passages with controlled text that are aligned to the Science of Reading research. These decodable passages are the perfect tool to help your students develop strong foundational reading skills.
These decodable passages follow a research-based, systematic scope and sequence. We carefully select each and every word to ensure that students are only exposed to target phonics skill words, previously taught phonics skill words, and high frequency words. This means they’ll get plenty of practice reading words they’ve learned before, while also encountering new words in a controlled, manageable way.
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN USING THESE DECODABLE PASSAGES IN YOUR CLASSROOM, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE BUNDLE AT 60% OFF HERE.
Let’s breakdown the Decodable Passages VIP Pass:
The structure and layout of each passage is the same. By having a consistent structure and format across all passages, students are able to concentrate on the phonics skill being practiced rather than on figuring out the mechanics of each activity.
Mouth Motion
Students need to see how their mouth is supposed to be shaped to produce certain phonemes. Included in this resource are detailed photographs demonstrating exactly how the mouth, tongue, and teeth should be aligned to create certain sounds.
Decodable Passages
There are highly decodable passages aligned with the Science of Reading research included in the VIP Pass. Each passage breaks down one phonics skill at a time.
Focus Sound Spelling
On each passage, you’ll also find a section that asks students to highlight words from the text that demonstrate the focus of sound spelling.
Visualize the Text
After students have read the text and highlighted phonics focus skills, they are asked to visualize what happens in the story and draw a picture to match their visualization.
Reading Comprehension Questions
Reading comprehension is one of the highest goals while using the Decodable Passages VIP Pass. We want students to understand what they are reading and enjoy it. In this resource, you will find relevant reading comprehension questions for students to answer.
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN USING THESE DECODABLE PASSAGES IN YOUR CLASSROOM, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE BUNDLE AT 60% OFF HERE.
Decodable Readers Library
Needing additional Science of Reading aligned decodable readers for your small group instruction time? If so, be sure to check out the Road to Decode!
The Road to Decode is a research-based, systematic program providing primary teachers and students with beautifully illustrated, diverse decodable readers, explicit lesson plans, and multisensory phonics-based activities.
This Science of Reading-aligned system has everything you could possibly need to teach students how to read, while also fostering a love of reading. If you’re interested, you can sign up for The Road to Decode program today! Alternatively, you can take advantage of a FREE TRIAL to see if it is the right fit for your classroom.
If you have any questions about how to implement these activities in your classroom, please leave me a comment below or contact me at lyndsey@lyndseykuster.com.
Happy teaching!
