Step #5 Learn why “decodable text” is crucial for beginning readers.

Estimated time to complete this step: 22 minutes

Decodables Get Children Reading Early

Children need a good reason to do all the hard brain work involved in learning the phonemes, graphemes, segmenting, and blending. That’s where decodable text comes in. Decodable text is made from the letters the child has already learned so that all or almost all the words can be decoded (sounded out) successfully. That pattern of letters is then imprinted in the neural pathways for automatic retrieval in the future through a process called orthographic mapping.

In this next video, long time reading teacher Steve Tattum explains why he puts children immediately into his sequential decodable books even after learning a few letters. His decodable book The Cab is the first in his series and one of my favorites to get a nonreader started on the road to fluency.

Video:
Steve Tattum on the LearnUp Difference (August 27, 2021)
*Turn up the volume button on the right side of the screen, then restart the video*

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The Importance of Decodable Text

Decodable text is a must at the beginning, but children should not remain in “decodables” any longer than necessary so that they can move on to add complex vocabulary and background knowledge to improve reading comprehension. Remember the equation for the Simple View of Reading, D x LC = RC? Natalie Wexler explains the importance of teaching background knowledge to build vocabulary and improve reading comprehension. Please read this article from Five from Five and watch the embedded video from speech pathologist Alison Clarke about decodable text. Save the hour-long video from Dr. Tanya Serry for another time. Then please watch the video featuring Natalie Wexler. Later, please check out some sources for decodable text and books which are either free or for purchase under the resources section of this website. Decodables rock! But so do vocabulary and background knowledge!

Article:
What Are Decodable Books and Why Are They Important?
Five from Five

(Please read the article, watch the video, and appreciate the Australian accents. Learn how some pattern books with complicated text could be problematic for early readers.)

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Decodable Text is Not All That’s Needed

Video:
Why Prior Knowledge Wins the Game
Natalie Wexler

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Step #1: The Big Picture

Step #2: Understand How Reading Works

Step #3: Toddlers and Reading

Step #4: Learning About Speech to Print

Step #5: Decodable Text

Step #6: What NOT to Do for Initial Reading Instruction

Step #7: Handwriting & Reading

Step #8: How English Works

Step #9: English Language Varieties

Step #10: For Extra Credit

Go to Step 6