Choosing and Using Decodable Texts

by Wiley Blevins

Overview

In this must-have follow-up to his landmark best-seller Phonics From A to Z, Wiley Blevins explains why quality decodable texts are an essential early learning tool and how to distinguish the good from the bad. This resource offers practical lessons and routines for using decodable texts to build children’s phonics and fluency skills, as well as tips on selecting strong decodable texts and what you can do if you don’t have any. Includes fun and engaging reproducible decodable mini-books.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338714630
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/01/2021
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Wiley Blevins is an author, educational consultant, and researcher. He completed his graduate work at Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has taught both in the United States and South America. Wiley has written more than 16 books for teachers, including Phonics From A to Z (Scholastic) and A Fresh Look at Phonics (Corwin). He has authored several phonics and reading programs (Scholastic, Sadlier, Benchmark Education) and wrote the recent phonics brief by the International Literacy Association, “Meeting the Challenges of Early Literacy Phonics Instruction.” Wiley’s current focus is on adaptive technology, differentiated professional development, and children’s literature. Wiley has also written more than 75 children’s books.

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Chapter 1 What Are Decodable, Accountable Texts? 6

Two States: Different Decodable Text Requirements 8

Chapter 2 Why Are Decodable Texts an Essential Learning Tool? 9

Brain Research on Early Text Impact 12

Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction 13

Common Causes of Phonics Instructional Failure 14

The Research on Decodable Text: A Snapshot 17

Decodable Text-Does It Really Matter? 20

But I Use Leveled Books…How Do I Include Decodable Texts in My Instruction? 25

Chapter 3 What Distinguishes Strong From Weak Decodable Texts? 28

Common Issues with Decodable Texts 29

Chapter 4 What Routines Do i Use When Teaching a Decodable Text to Build Phonics and Fluency Skills? 37

Before Reading 37

During Reading 40

After Reading 42

Chapter 5 How Do I Connect Decodable Texts to Writing? 61

Connecting Reading to Writing 64

Chapter 6 How Do I Extend the Use of Decodable Texts to Build Comprehension and Vocabulary? 71

Extending Reading to Comprehension and Vocabulary 73

English-Learner Supports 76

Sample Decodable Text Lessons 80

Decodable Mini-Books 86

Select References 128