What helps a new reader go from sounding out words to thinking, “Hey, I can do this”?
Practice, the right books and plenty of opportunities to experience reading success.
That’s at the heart of a recent episode of Reading Is Fundamental’s (RIF) Reading Inspires podcast, where Epic’s Cherish Mims, Manager of Educator Relations, and Letitia Truslow, who leads Epic School Plus and Customer Experience, joined host Dr. Erin Bailey and Christine Hjorth, author of ALIGNED Decodables and CEO of Aligned Educational Resources, for a conversation about building confident readers through high-quality decodable books.
The group talked about Epic’s growing collection of 250+ decodable books, what makes decodables useful and engaging and how educators and families can use them to support developing readers.
So, What Makes a Great Decodable?
Decodable books are designed to give kids opportunities to practice the phonics skills they’re learning in real reading experiences.
Christine explains during the conversation that a good decodable isn’t simply a string of easy-to-sound-out words. The books can still surprise kids, introduce new vocabulary and cover interesting fiction and nonfiction topics, all while giving readers practice with specific phonics patterns.
That balance matters. Because learning to read takes work, but the books kids practice with should still give them a reason to turn the page.
Epic’s collection of ALIGNED Decodables is organized to align with the scope and sequence of 23 curricula, helping educators find books that complement the skills students are already learning.
From Phonics Practice to Reading Confidence
One of the big themes of the conversation was confidence.
Cherish described decodables as a bridge between direct phonics instruction and authentic reading experiences. After learning a particular skill, students can practice it independently, with a partner, in a small group or one-on-one with their teacher.
And the experience doesn’t have to stop once kids decode the words.
Educators can ask students to retell the story, talk about their favorite part, visualize what’s happening or explore how a character might be feeling. Those conversations help kids move beyond phonics practice to think about and engage with what they’re reading. As Cherish explained, the ultimate goal isn’t phonics itself. It’s helping kids become independent learners, thinkers and readers.
Meeting Readers Where They Are
Any teacher who’s worked with a classroom full of young readers knows they don’t all arrive at the same place.
One student may be practicing short vowels while another is ready for blends, vowel teams or more advanced word patterns. The podcast explores how a large digital decodable collection can give educators more options for meeting different reading needs within the same classroom.
Christine shared an example of having multiple books about the same topic written at different decoding levels. Students can practice with a text appropriate for them and still come back together to talk about the same subject.
The opportunity is to meet students where they are now.
Bringing Reading Practice Home
The conversation also explored something we care deeply about at Epic: strengthening the connection between school and home.
Teachers can use Epic to assign decodable books or collections that correspond with the skills students are practicing. Families don’t have to figure out which phonics pattern comes next or search for the right book., Teachers can help guide the experience by assigning books or collections that match what students are practicing.
Letitia also shared feedback from educators about English language learners and, in some cases, parents using decodables while learning English alongside their children. It’s a powerful reminder that giving families access to the right reading resources can create opportunities for learning together.
Keep the Conversation Going
There’s plenty more packed into the episode, from the unexpected story of how Epic connected with Christine and ALIGNED Decodables to ideas educators can use to make phonics practice more meaningful.
Most of all, the conversation comes back to a simple idea: learning to read is hard work and successful reading experiences can help kids build the confidence to keep going.
Listen to “Building Confident Readers Through High Quality Decodables” on RIF’s Reading Inspires podcast to hear the full conversation.
Then explore the growing collection of decodable books on Epic and help your readers find just the right story for where they are in their reading journey.
To find the decodable collection that matches your curriculum:
- Go to the search bar on Epic
- Search for “decodables” + your curriculum name (for example, decodables UFLI).
- Select Collections from the tabs at the top of the search results.
- Find and open the collection that matches your curriculum.
Frequently Asked Questions
▶ What are decodable books?
Decodable books are designed to help developing readers practice phonics skills by featuring words and spelling patterns they’ve learned. They give kids an opportunity to apply those skills while reading an actual story or nonfiction text.
▶ How can teachers use decodable books in the classroom?
Teachers can use decodables for independent reading, partner work, small-group instruction or one-on-one practice. On Epic, educators can also find and assign decodable books that complement the phonics skills their students are learning..
▶ Where can I listen to Epic’s episode of the Reading Inspires podcast?
The episode, “Building Confident Readers Through High Quality Decodables,” is available through Reading Is Fundamental’s Reading Inspires podcast and can be found here: https://www.rif.org/podcasts/building-confident-readers-through-high-quality-decodables-christine-hjorth-cherish-mims. . It features Epic’s Cherish Mims and Letitia Truslow alongside ALIGNED Decodables author Christine Hjorth.
