LANGUAGE:
A PROJECT OF:
KNOWING THE SOUNDS OF WRITTEN LETTERS AND WORDS
Teachers Call This Skill:
PHONICS
Phonics is the understanding of the relationship between the letters in written words and the sounds of these words when spoken.
To become skilled readers, children must have a strong base in phonics, or an understanding of the sounds of written letters and words. Children will use phonics when learning how to blend sounds together to read words.
Because several areas of the brain must work together to “decode” or sound out words, children must practice this skill repeatedly. Children also use phonics to spell words when they write.
Remember to have fun! The end goal is joy of reading. Build automaticity with letter sounds and decoding to have greater understanding of what you read.
WATCH & LEARN
Captions and Languages
To watch videos with subtitles: Click the settings icon in the lower righthand corner, next click “subtitles,” and then “English.”
To see subtitles in another language, after selecting English, next click “auto-translate” and then select the language of your choice.
TRY THESE ACTIVITIES
DOWNLOADABLE AND PRINTABLE DECODABLE BOOKS
Courtesy of Community Reading Buddies
Click on any title below to access phonics (decodable) books that focus on particular letter sounds. Use the arrows at the bottom of the table to see more books.
Decodable Books for Beginning Readers
More Decodable Books for Beginning Readers
Decodable Books for Emergent Readers
Short Vowels: A, E, I, O, U Short Sounds | Long Vowels: A, E, I, O, U Long Sounds | Consonants: Multiple Consonants-Focused | Consonant Blends |
|---|---|---|---|
Champs
Short & Long Vowel Sounds (various) | Queen Bee
Long vowel sounds (more advanced) | *NEW!*
Dangerous Places: Caves
Prefixes, suffixes, and kn-, -ough, and -augh phonograms | |
Bass Lake
Short & Long Vowel Sounds (various) | Greg and the Bike Ride
Long vowel sounds (various) | *NEW!*
Next-Door Detective Agency: The Case of the Horned Shadow
Prefixes, suffixes, and -ey, -su, -tu phonograms | Diving Dinosaurs (level H; includes multiple texts)
suffixes: -s, -es, -ing, -ed, -ful, -er, -est, -en, -y, -ly |
Consonant Digraphs: Two Letters that Make 1 Sound (sh, ch, ck, wh, th) | Long Vowel Patterns & Vowel Teams | R-Controlled Vowels |
|---|---|---|
*NEW!*
Planet Series: Jupiter
Prefixes, suffixes, and su and -tu phonograms | *NEW!*
Mr. Pickle
-le ending | *NEW!*
Lizzie's Waddle
-le ending |
*NEW!*
Baseball with Grandpa
Compound words | *NEW!*
Huck's Epic Trip
Words with -ed ending | *NEW!*
Not Just a Painting
-le ending |
Decodable resources courtesy of Community Reading Buddies
Community Reading Buddies mobilizes Bay Area young adults to mentor younger students in literacy and ignite them with a passion for reading. In turn, the young adults are trained in leadership, communication, and other social-emotional skills that prepare them to become successful, independent community members.
