Many teachers are now using decodable books to help their beginner readers practice the phonics taught in classroom lessons. This is because it is now accepted that decodable texts, which are controlled texts, help children develop decoding, and decoding ability is an essential skill for learning to read. It is important that the books match […]
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Beginner readers need a great deal of practice. Where possible, sending home decodable books is an important opportunity for reading practice. It is difficult for the teacher or teaching assistant to hear every child read every day or even every week. So, an adult reading at home with the child has a very significant role […]
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On many occasions, especially at conferences, teachers have said to us, “You have gone ahead and done what I always dreamed of doing!” They describe how every lesson they write decodable stories for their pupils and thought what a good idea it would be to actually publish them! Well, that is how Phonic Books got […]
Read MoreI read this post and thought it was really worth reposting. It explains in simple and sympathetic language why decodable books have an important role to play in learning to read. New Zealand has been slow in adopting Systematic Synthetic Phonics, but things are changing for the better. This is a really worth a read! […]
Read MoreCritics of synthetic phonics have claimed that the language of phonic reading books (decodable books) limits children’s vocabulary. Instead of enriching their vocabulary, they read about a ‘cat’ that ‘sat on a mat’. To this, I would say, “Have you seen the variety of decodable books that publishers have produced in recent years? Many of them […]
Read MoreMany people have preconceived ideas about decodable books. Some believe they are intended to compete with ‘real’ children’s literature. In fact, decodable books have unique purposes of their own.
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