Choosing and using decodable texts: Q&A slide outlines

1. Choosing and using decodable texts: Q&A  

2. Question: How should I group my students for reading a decodable text? 

3. Question: Which students should be reading decodable texts, and when can students read other texts? 

4. Question: Should take-home books be decodable too? 

5. Question: Do you only use decodable texts for the phonics that students know or have been exposed to? 

6. Question: Do you have recommendations for decodable texts for older students, and where can I access free resources? 

7. Question: Should my school have a variety of decodable text series? 

8. Question: How would you suggest assessing comprehension when using decodables? 

9. Literacy Hub: Choosing and using decodable texts 

[Image: Screenshot of the Literacy Hub website topic page on Choosing and using decodable texts. Text reads: Decodable texts are an integral part of teaching reading using a systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) approach. This topic will show you how to use decodable texts to complement your phonics instruction, including an explanation of: 

  • orthographic mapping 
  • how decodable texts support the orthographic mapping process 
  • how to effectively use decodable texts in your classroom. 

Learning objectives 

By the end of this topic, you will: 

  • understand what orthographic mapping is 
  • understand how decodable texts support SSP instruction 
  • be able to choose quality decodable texts for your students 
  • know how to use decodable texts as part of your SSP instruction.] 

10. Reading assessment 

Decoding multiplied by language comprehension equals reading comprehension [the Simple View of Reading].  

Decoding: 

  • Accurate reading of an unseen decodable text 

Consider: 

  • Taught letter–sound correspondences 
  • Word complexity 

From Year 1: 

  • With developing fluency 

Language comprehension 

  • read aloud/view and demonstrate understanding 
  • oral narrative assessments. 

Reading comprehension 

Demonstrate understanding of a self-read text. 

Consider: 

  • accuracy 
  • fluency 
  • background knowledge and vocabulary. 

11. Question: I’ve noticed that some of my students can read a decodable text, but cannot read words from the text in isolation.  

12. Question: What should you do when comprehension for a student is significantly below their decoding abilities? 

13. Question: Many of my students sound out every letter in a word, even if they have just read the word on the previous page. Why do they do this? 

14. Question: When my students are reading, they can say the letter sounds correctly, but when they read the whole word, it doesn’t match. 

15. Question: If a school wants to align decodables to levelled texts, what would you suggest for this? 

16. Question: What are the other students doing when you are with your teacher focus group? 

17. Question: I’m wondering how we fit everything into a literacy block.