Are you familiar with decodable books? These phonics based readers provide an opportunity to practice letter-sound skills in a controlled manner. Beginning readers rely more heavily on decoding than illustrations and context. These make decodable books advantageous at the beginning stages of reading. These books are good reinforcement of previously taught phonics skills, and, in my experience, they boost confidence as well. Readers feel success because they can decode more words on their own. If students guess, they can be redirected to use the skills previously taught.
Sometimes, however, the over reliance on a specific phonics skill makes the language seems unnatural. Then meaning can be lost, particularly for students learning English. When choosing a decodable text, I still want the topics to be relevant and help to build vocabulary. Luckily, there are more high quality resources available, as teachers and publishers rush to keep up with the latest reading research.
Here are two favorites for practicing short vowels. I love “The Little Blossom Stories” mystery series on getepic.com. My English learners love reading to find the missing animal. Printable short vowel passages and mini books such as the ones below are quick practice for English learners and foster discussion of relevant topics. Teachers can build language learning around topics such as animals, food, weather, and vehicles, and provide reading practice for students acquiring English.
As students learn more phonics skills, a greater variety of texts is accessible to them. In the meantime, look for decodable books and passages that reinforce skills, build vocabulary, and interest your students. Feel free to share your favorite decodable series in the comments. Happy reading!
