Decodable books for Beginner Readers
Our Dandelion Launchers Series is a step-by-step phonic series for beginner readers aged 3-6. Each book introduces only a few letter/sounds at a time, allowing independent reading from the outset. With 1-2 lines of text per page, the series covers the sounds of the alphabet at cvc (consonant/vowel/consonant) word level.
Catch-up Readers
All too often, older struggling readers are offered books for younger beginner readers that reinforce their already low esteem. Our Catch-up Reader series for ages 8+ are decodable, synthetic phonic reading books for older students who are not progressing and require reading intervention. The age-appropriate stories will engage and enthuse older readers while filling in the missing gaps in phonic skills and knowledge that often prevent students from making progress.
When a student begins a reading program, it is important to assess where the student is at, what knowledge and skills he/she has acquired and what he/she needs to learn.
It is also useful to observe his/her reading strategies as this will inform the teacher where to start and what to focus on.
This is particularly important for students who are struggling with reading.
Use the chart below for guidance.
| Series | Who is it aimed at? | What does it cover? |
|---|---|---|
| Dandelion Launchers | Kindergarten (age 4+) at the very early stages of reading. Consolidation of letter/sound correspondences | Sounds of alphabet at CVC level |
| Moon Dogs Set 1 | Older, catch-up readers at very early stages of reading. Consolidation of letter/sound correspondences | Sounds of alphabet at CVC level |
| Moon Dogs Set 2 | Early stages of reading | CVC level and adjacent consonants and consonant digraphs |
| Moon Dogs Set 3 | Students learning first vowel spellings | Two spellings for a vowel sound |
| Magic Belt Series and That Dog! | Students who can read simple CVC words | Adjacent consonants, consonant digraphs and suffixes -ed and -ing |
| Totem and Alba | Students able to read text at CVC level who now need support consolidating consonant digraphs and some vowel spellings | A recap of adjacent consonants and consonant digraphs. Introduction to alternative spellings for vowel sounds e.g. ai, ay, a-e, a |
| Rescue, Island Adventure and Talisman 1 | Students with poor knowledge of vowel digraphs | Recap of alternative vowel spellings covered in Totem and Alba with additional vowel spellings for new vowel sounds |
| Titan’s Gauntlets | For students needing to learn more complex vowel and consonant spellings and suffixes | Alternatives for new vowel and consonant sounds and common Latin suffixes. More text per page |
| Talisman 2 | For students who need to revise spellings introduced in Titan’s Gauntlets | More alternatives for new vowel and consonant sounds and common Latin suffixes |
| Amber Guardians | For students needing to build reading stamina | Higher ratio of text to illustration, bridges the gap between structured reading series and mainstream reading |