Same Reading › Letters and sounds › Decodable books
What are decodable books?
Decodable books are written so almost every word uses sounds your child has already learned, like “The cat had a nap.” They can sound a bit odd, and that's on purpose: every word can be sounded out, so there's nothing to guess.
- Decodable words use only sounds already taught.
- A few heart words, like the, are taught ahead of time.
- As your child learns more sounds, the books add them.
Why schools teach it
Practice that matches what was just taught
When a kindergartner learns short a, a decodable book gives them a whole story of short a words to sound out. Kindergartners read early books with purpose and understanding (RF.K.4), and first graders decode regularly spelled words (RF.1.3).
Predictable books, which many of us grew up with, repeat a pattern like “I see a cat. I see a dog.” and lean on the pictures. Kids can memorize them without reading the words. Decodable books are a short phase: once kids can decode most patterns, they move on to any book.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
Read it with your eyes on the words.
Which sound did we just learn? Can you find it?
What happened in that sentence?
Even short decodable stories are worth talking about.Read it again. Can you make it smoother?
Rereading builds speed.
Skip this
- Swapping in a harder picture book for reading practice.Read those aloud to your child instead. Both kinds of books matter, for different jobs.
This book is too babyish.
It's matched to what they can decode. That's the point.Look at the picture for help.
Decodable books are for practicing with the letters.
See it in action
Reading one page together
Your child reads; you point under the words if needed
On a stuck word, ask for the sounds
/n/ /a/ /p/ → napReread the sentence, then talk about it
“The cat had a nap.” Where did it nap?
Keep reading great picture books aloud too. Decodable books build decoding; read-alouds build vocabulary and a love of stories.
Free practice sheet
Make a decodable sentences sheet
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Fridge cheat sheets
Reading Fridge Cheat Sheets
Every reading method in one printable book (107 pages): a cheat sheet page like this guide, plus a practice sheet and its answer key for each, in Classic and handwritten Notebook styles. $9 one time, or all 7 subjects for $29.99. See all prices.
Teacher? This method has a classroom pack on TeachersPayTeachers: an anchor chart, a parent letter and practice sheets with answer keys, $4. See the pack
Parents: tell your child's teacher about this guide
Parents also ask
Where do I get decodable books?
Ask the teacher what the class uses. Many schools send them home, and libraries often have sets.
How long will my child read decodable books?
Usually through first grade, sometimes into second, until the main spelling patterns are taught.
Should we stop reading picture books?
No. Keep reading them aloud. Your child decodes the simple book and listens to the rich one.
My child memorizes the books. Is that a problem?
Try a new decodable book or our sentence sheet. If they can read sentences they haven't seen, they're decoding.