Decodable Text
What are decodable texts?
Decodable texts are designed for emerging readers as they begin to develop blending and segmenting skills. As emerging readers develop their knowledge of letters and corresponding sounds, decodable readers allow for the opportunity to practise essential decoding skills, which in turn support orthographic mapping. Decodable texts contain many words that incorporate the letter-sound relationship that these emerging readers have been explicitly taught during systematic phonics instruction. They also contain some sight words, which are often referred to as tricky words or heart words. As the decodable texts increase in complexity, the students are exposed to more of the phonetic code including, but not limited to: consonant blends, digraphs and medial vowel sounds.
Why decodable texts?
Decodable texts include:
- a sequence of phonemes/graphemes, with increasing difficulty
- concepts about print
- punctuation
- repetition of the focus phoneme/grapheme in multiple words
- high frequency words/sight words and irregular phonics words that are introduced gradually
- illustrations which are supportive of the text
- repeated opportunities to develop decoding skills to support orthographic mapping.
Emergent readers need to experience success in the early reading stage and through the use of decodable texts, they are given this opportunity. Decodable texts build the self efficacy and confidence of emergent readers. As students progress from this emergent readers stage and require less support and scaffolding, decodable texts are used less and less. Rich literature texts can still be used with these students through shared reading and read to experiences with family members. It is not uncommon for emergent readers to engage in reading decodable texts, as well as other rich literature texts, as both hold a very valid place and purpose in the reading journey.
The school has recently purchased some decodable take home readers from Decodable Readers Australia and Little Learners Love Literacy. We hope that these texts will foster a love of reading in our students and build both self efficacy and confidence.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me either via email or via the school office.
Warm Regards,
Dina Rubini
Literacy and Learning & Teaching Leader
dina.rubini@olhceltham.catholic.edu.au