Decodable books
A controlled text a child can read independently, because every word is built from spellings they have already been taught. Nothing in it needs guessing at.
Are all phonics books decodable?
No. "Phonics" on a cover is not a guarantee. Look inside the front for a list of the spellings taught in that book and the spellings assumed from earlier ones. No lists, no guarantee.
What is the difference between decodable and levelled books?
Decodable books are controlled by the spellings a child has been taught. Levelled books are grouped by overall text difficulty, so they can contain words the child has no way of decoding.
Are colour-banded books the same as levelled readers?
Broadly yes. Book Bands and similar systems sort by difficulty, not by phonics progression.
Can a book be both decodable and levelled?
Yes. They describe different things, and many schools shelve decodable series inside their colour bands so staff can find them.
Is a decodable book the same as an easy book?
No. A decodable book can be hard. It is matched to the code a child has been taught, which is not the same as being simple. A book at the right level should take effort.
Common words that cannot be fully sounded out at the point a child needs them, like the, of and I. They are also called common exception words or helper words.
Why do decodable books contain tricky words at all?
Because you cannot write a sentence worth reading without them. What matters is that there are few, that each one is named in the front of the book, and that you know to supply them.
Many are, and that is a failure of craft, not a limit of the form.
Choosing books
How do I know if a book is right for my child?
Open it and read one page. If your child could work out every word from the sounds they know, it fits. Three words with no route in, and it is too hard.
How do I match books to my child's phonics programme?
Ask the school which programme they use and roughly where your child has got to. Then the spellings listed in the front of any book will tell you at a glance whether it fits.
What if the school won't tell me?
Most will, readily. If not, use the word list instead. Have your child read three or four words from it. Most working means the book is about right.
Does the order matter?
Yes. Decodable series are cumulative, with each book adding a few spellings and keeping everything before. Skip one and the sequence breaks.
How many books does a child need at each stage?
Enough to meet the same spellings several times. A word becomes automatic through repeated successful decoding, so six or eight books at the right level do far more than thirty at the wrong one.
When should children stop reading decodable books?
Once decoding is automatic and they read with expression without sounding out. Usually somewhere in Year 1 or Year 2. Moving on too early is more common than moving on too late.
Reading at home
How long should we read for?
Five to ten minutes a day. Short and daily beats one long session at the weekend, because the practice works better spaced out.
Should my child read the same book more than once?
Yes. The first read is decoding. The second and third are where fluency comes from. Three reads of one book beats one read each of three.
What do I do when my child gets stuck?
If the word is decodable for them, sound it out together, left to right, finger under the word. If it contains a spelling they have not been taught, just tell them the word. You are not cheating.
Should I make my child sound out every word?
No. Once a word is known on sight, let them read it. Sounding out is the route to a word, not the destination.
My child guesses from the pictures. How do I stop it?
Cover the picture while they read the words, then look at it together afterwards. Also check the book is actually decodable for them, because guessing is usually a sign it is not.
Should I still read aloud to my child?
Always, and far beyond what they can decode themselves. That is where vocabulary and a taste for stories come from, and it is not in competition with phonics practice.
What is the word list at the front for?
Three things: checking the book matches your child, practising the words before the story, and warning you which words you will need to supply. A minute with it saves a lot of struggle later.
When it isn't going well
My child knows the sounds but can't blend them.
This is very common. Blending happens in working memory, which is small, so most fixes are about reducing the load. Check they are using sounds and not letter names, keep the sounds crisp, and try building the word two sounds at a time.
My child reads a word, then can't read it on the next page.
This is totally normal. A word is not stored the first time it is read, or the second. It takes repeated successful decoding before it becomes automatic.
My child can read the words on the list but not in the story.
Also normal. A word in a sentence is harder, because there is more to hold in mind. It improves with rereading.
Reading practice keeps ending in tears.
Usually the book is too hard. Drop back a stage, keep sessions to five minutes, and stop before either of you has had enough. If a book was going to be a fight, read it to them instead tonight.
Is it my fault?
No. Learning to read is a developmental process and it arrives when it arrives. Short, regular practice helps. Anxiety does not, and children pick it up from across the room.
Could this be dyslexia?
On its own, early on, a single difficulty tells you very little. If it persists despite regular practice, or reading difficulties run in the family, ask the school for their view. The British Dyslexia Association has guidance on early signs.
When should I talk to the school?
Sooner than you think. There is no need to wait a term to see whether something sorts itself out, and teachers would far rather hear early.
Older readers
My child is nine and still can't decode. Is it too late?
No. The principles are identical at nine, at fourteen and in adulthood. What has to change is the reading material.
Aren't these books babyish for an older child?
The ones designed for four-year-olds are, and handing them to an older child does real damage to their confidence. Look for age-appropriate decodables: the same restricted code, completely different content.
Tip Top Phonics
What is in Set 1?
Eight books introducing the spellings of the alphabet in small stages, plus ff, ll, ss and zz. Book one uses just s, a, t, i and m, so a child can read a whole book from their first week.
What order should they be read in?
In order, from one to eight. Each book builds on the sounds and words introduced in the books before it. Book eight introduces nothing new, giving children a chance to consolidate everything they have learnt in a completely familiar setting
Will they work alongside our phonics programme?
They should. Programmes vary in the order they introduce spellings, so check the front of each book against where your child has got to. The lists are there for exactly that.
Do the books tell me which words my child might need help with?
Yes. Every book names its helper words on the page before the story. Book one has two, is and a. Across the whole of Set 1 there are seven.
Are they suitable for schools?
Yes, in whole-class phonics lessons, in small groups, in pairs and one to one. Get in touch about class sets and school orders.
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