How Decodable Readers Can Help Struggling Readers

Teaching Literacy with decodable readers is one of the most important things a teacher can do to promote success with struggling and dyslexic readers!

For over 40 years, scientists have studied how our brains go about learning to read connected text efficiently and have concluded that decoding skills – attending to all the letter-sound correspondences in a word – is essential. In current literacy research, this is called orthographic mapping.

What are Leveled Readers

When literacy instruction is done with leveled readers students are encouraged to use pictures and context clues for guessing words as they are reading. Teaching phonics is incidental and is encouraged as it “comes up” in a lesson. This strategy is extremely detrimental to struggling readers and set them up for failure. Struggling Readers especially Older struggling readers need explicit phonics instruction.

Accurate Reading is Not a Priority with Leveled Readers

With leveled readers, accuracy is not as important as comprehension skills, and often mistakes made when reading unknown words that don’t affect meaning are ignored. Phonics skills may be addressed but not in a systematic way. However, reading research tells us that for young readers to become fluent they must automatically and accurately connect speech sounds and letters ie. (the alphabetic principle.) This phoneme-grapheme mapping is put in jeopardy when students are encouraged to guess words without looking at the full spelling patterns and internal structure of the words.

In the Emergent Reader below students are encouraged to use the pictures to “read” the text.

Pictures should only be used after a student has decoded the words

With leveled books, students are encouraged to use the pictures to help them decode the story. However, research has shown that in reading instruction, context clues and pictures should not be used as primary tools for beginning readers who are still mastering their decoding abilities.

Use pictures after decoding with phonics skills

However, once early readers have decoded a difficult passage using sound symbol analysis alone, it’s perfectly fine (and even encouraged!) for them to check reading comprehension with visuals like images.

Covering the pictures discourages bad habits

Covering the pictures until students have decoded the words will deter bad habits from developing. We do not want students to look at the first few letters of a word and then guess based on other cues. Skilled readers need to apply phonics skills to develop fluent independent reading.

What is a Decodable Reader?

A Decodable reader or decodable text only includes words with phonics patterns that have been explicitly taught to students. Similarly, High-Frequency Sight words are also only introduced after explicit instruction. They are an essential part of an effective phonics program.

Decodable Readers Set Struggling and Dyslexic Readers Up For Success

Decodable readers provide a great way to help your students become confident, accurate readers! When students read connected text with only decodable words and carefully chosen high-frequency words their reading abilities can dramatically improve.

Start with CVC Spelling Patterns and Move Up

Students can start with simple CVC words and progress with more difficult words as their phonics knowledge grows. Accuracy is key for the early stages of reading–encouraging more complex comprehension beyond literal questions comes later once fluency has been established.

How Decodable Readers Are Used

To help students strengthen their reading skills, teachers will first instruct them on high-frequency sight words and phonics patterns. This way, when presented with a decodable text when they encounter unfamiliar words, they’ll be able to sound out what they don’t know using their knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondence.

Decoding Should Be a Student’s First Instinct

Effective decoding skills should be the first strategy a student uses. Students develop strong habits as early readers. Teachers can encourage these habits by encouraging reading decodable books and texts. Children will develop reading fluency as they read words with accuracy.

Accuracy Comes Before Fluency

Accuracy is paramount with early readers as it helps lay down a foundation that leads to fluency in future readings. After decoding correctly once through the passage, the teacher can have the student read again for fluidity and expression! Strong decoding skills get even better as children practice reading with accuracy. Reading difficulties develop rapidly with guessing and inaccurate reading of words. Repeated practice is only helpful when it is correct practice.

When to Use Decodable Readers

Building good reading habits is the cornerstone of learning to read. To help students reach this goal, teachers should always begin by engaging them with decodable texts during instruction time. This will allow pupils to develop their phonemic awareness and decode words accurately.

Should I Use Leveled Books and other Texts for Struggling Readers?

Yes, leveled books with good stories are wonderful for building vocabulary and love for books. Introduce leveled readers through teacher read-alouds which will help develop background knowledge and comprehension. Build up your student’s vocabulary and listening comprehension as they are working on their decoding skills.

Build Your Student’s English Language Knowledge

Read lots of authentic texts to your children as they are building their orthographic memory and phonics skills will strengthen their reading readiness.

ELL students and struggling readers often fall short with comprehension and vocabulary if they only are exposed to decodable reading material so give these students lots of exposure to authentic texts during read-aloud time.

Use Balance When Teaching Reading

It makes good sense to set students up for success by developing good accurate reading skills in students. It also is essential for teachers to help students develop their comprehension by reading stories that open the world to them through rich vocabulary and illustrations. Let’s set up all children for success by utilizing both decodable texts and leveled books in the classroom. This will help our students become reading champions!

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FAQ About Decodable Readers

1. What is a decodable reader?

A decodable reader is a text that contains words with phonics patterns that have already been taught, as well as high-frequency words that have also been taught. It is designed to help students practice their decoding skills and improve accuracy in reading.

2. How are decodable readers used?

Decodable readers are used to help improve students’ decoding skills. Students are encouraged to use their knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondence when presented with an unfamiliar word, and then practice reading the text for accuracy.

3. What is the importance of accuracy in early reading?

Accuracy is important for early readers because it helps provide a strong foundation for future reading fluency. Without accurate decoding, students tend to develop poor habits and create difficulty when trying to read more complex stories.

4. Should I use leveled books with my students?

Yes, leveled books can be used in the classroom to help build vocabulary and introduce students to stories. Introduce leveled readers through teacher read-alouds and use them alongside decodable texts during instruction time.

Some of the information in this resource come from the webinar with Linda Ferrell and Michael Hunter Using Decodables and Leveled Readers