Free Decodable Texts
Written by: Brianna Guild, MHSc SLP
Date: September 23, 2024
Why Decodable Texts?
The Science of Reading (SOR) is the collection of research from multiple disciplines (e.g., psychology, neuroscience, education) that provides scientific evidence for how children learn to read and write, and how to best support literacy development for all readers. The evidence supports the importance of using a structured literacy approach, which teaches skills through systematic and explicit instruction, and incorporates review of taught skills.
A structured literacy approach uses decodable texts that contain the specific phoneme-grapheme correspondences a beginning readers has learned. Decodable texts are important for beginning readers because they can use their knowledge of phonics to decode each word. This promotes orthographic mapping – the process whereby readers connect the sounds in a word (phonemes) to the letters (graphemes). This is crucial for storing printed words in long-term memory, which makes for a fluent reader! Overall, decodable texts help beginning readers develop the skills and confidence necessary to become strong readers.
Here is a list of links to FREE digital and PDF versions of decodable texts including books, passages, and comics. Thank you to all these sources for sharing high-quality decodable resources for free!
Decodable Books
Sounds-Write First Steps Initial and Extended Code Books
(enter your information to receive an email with a link to all the books)
PhonicBooks - Moon Dogs at Home Series
(download each book directly from the website)
(download each book directly from the website)
The Measured Mom Fiction Decodable Books
(enter your information for each book to receive an email for each)
The Measured Mom Nonfiction Decodable Books
(enter your information for each book to receive an email for each)
(download each book directly from the website)
(download each book directly from the website)
(read the books right on the website)
(read the books right on the website)
Decodable Passages
UFLI Foundations Toolbox - Decodable Passages
(download each passage directly from the website by clicking on the “Decodable Passage” link for any lesson)
Reading Universe - Free Decodable Texts for Each Phonics Skill
(download each passage directly from the website)
FreeReading - Fiction and Nonfiction Decodable Passages
(download each passage directly from the website)
Open Source Phonics - Decodable Stories
(download each passage directly from the website)
Decodable Comics
(read on the website, or download a PDF directly from the website by clicking on the “printable version (PDF)” button at the bottom of a comic)
Hooked on Comics Free Resources
(download their free decodable comics from Teachers Pay Teachers)
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