Books for Beginning Readers to Read
Here is a list of the best decodable stories for beginning readers. The books are listed under the phonics rule children should have mastered before reading them. Keep in mind that phonics rules are sequential, and each step builds upon the one that came before. Because of that, if you are looking for books for kids to read to practice words with long vowels in them, for example, make sure they have mastered the phonics rules that come before long vowels (short vowels and blends) as well since those words will also be appearing in the stories. Some of the decodables listed are free downloads and, when they are, I provide the links to download them.
If you are in doubt about your child’s phonics proficiency, click here for an excellent phonics assessment. When you reach a phonics rule your child has trouble reading, that is the rule where you should start teaching. If the child has trouble reading more than three words on a page, you should review (or teach) the phonics rule corresponding to that page.
Steps to Reading Book 1: Short Vowels
These are books and passages children can read as they progress through Steps to Reading Book 1: Short Vowels
Phonics rule: Short a
Read the following short a stories in the order listed.
Mac and Sam. These are the first two stories in Bob Books Set 1 by Bobby Lynn Maslin.
FREE: Mac and Tab. This is Book 1 in a set of 10 stories by Barbara Makar published by EPS Learning. Click here for a free download of Mac and Tab from the publisher. You may want to ask your library to get you the whole set, or buy it, since the set excellent and I will be sending you to each of the stories at some point in this list.
FREE: Zac the Rat. This is an animated, online story from the BEST website out there for beginning readers—starfall.com
Phonics rule: Short i
FREE: The Big Hit (Starfall)
Jig and Mag. This is Book 7 in Bob Books, Set 1
The Tin Man, by Barbara Makar, in Primary Phonics, Set 1
Phonics rule: Short u
FREE: (Starfall)
FREE: Tim in Primary Phonics, Set 1. Click here for a free download of Tim from the publisher.
Muff and Ruff.” This is Book 8 in Bob Books Set 1.
Phonics rule short e:
FREE: (Starfall)
Peg and Ted. This is Book 10 in Bob Books Set 1.
The Vet. This is Book 12 in Bob Books, Set 1.
The Jet in Primary Phonics, Set 1.
Phonics rule: Short o
FREE: Mox’s Shop (Starfall)
Bob Books, Set 1, has 4 good books to read for short o. These are:
Dot, Book 3
Mac, Book 4
Dot and Mit, Book 5
Dot and the Dog, Book 6
Phonics rule: Review of all the short vowels
These are all from Primary Phonics, Set 1:
Ben Bug
Meg
Ted
The Wig
Ed
Steps to Reading Book 2: Blends
Phonics rule: Blends
These books are great for kids to read as they progress through Steps to Reading Blends.
THIS LIST IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION. MORE TO COME SOON RE BLENDS
Phonics rule Digraphs (words with —ch, —sh, —th, and —wh)
These books are great for kids to read as they progress through Steps to Reading Digraphs.
FREE: Chip Had a Hut, by Mary Geiger. This is book 7 in The Alphabet Series Volume 1. This set of 18 little books was compiled by Frances Bloom and published by EPS Learning. If you have used Steps to Reading Book 2 with your student, then you probably already have this set. Click here for a free copy from the publisher.
Phonics rule: Long Vowels and y at the end of a word
These books are great for kids to read as they progress through Steps to Reading Long Vowels.
The Dick and Jane series. These books are great because they include only words that follow early phonics rules above as well as the most frequently used sight words. I have kids start reading these books once they have finished Book 4 in Steps to Reading. (Click here for info on those workbooks.) That means they have learned long vowels and the sound y makes at the end of a word like “funny” and “Sally.”
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss. I can’t praise this book enough. It is SUCH an excellent story for the kids to read at this point. It allows them to apply the first four phonics rules, as well as the most frequently used sight words. They will be SO excited and proud to be reading it.
The book is full of :
· Short vowel words like sun, wet and sat.
· Blends like bump, jump and fast
· Digraphs like fish, ship and thing. A digraph and ending blend in one word. Be still my heart! You have no idea how hard it is to find books like this on the market!
· Long vowels such as like, rake, cake and shake.
· Frequently used sight words like down, look, said, could and should. Kids will have just learned could and should in Steps to Reading Long Vowels, so this is really great practice for those words.
The Cat in the Hat does include just a few new words kids have not learned yet like house; know and hear. That is totally fine. Just read those words to the kids when you reach them. When you reach the word “fear” on page 14, tell them words with –ea are part of the next phonics rule they will be learning—vowel teams.
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back. This is a great followup to The Cat in the Hat. You can get it as an individual book at the link provided (click on the book’s title) or I recommend getting the Big Aqua Book of Beginner Readers compilation of stories listed below. It is much less expensive to buy the set than it is to buy the individual books. The set includes The Cat in the Hat Comes Back as well as five other stories your child will be reading when he or she gets to the rule below.
Just Me and My Puppy, by Mercer Meter. I always use it after kids have learned the sound y makes at the end of a word, which they do at the end of Steps to Reading Long Vowels. It has words like “puppy” and “dry” in it. Unlike Dick and Jane, the book features some words the kids have not learned yet, like “right” or “surprised” or “morning.” Just read those words to the child. Do not have them guess what they could be. Tell him he will learn them soon!
Phonics Rule: Vowel Teams (words with—ee, —ea, —ai, —oa, —oe)
Random House has an excellent compilation of stories for kids to read at this point. Many of them were written by Dr. Seuss. I recommend having your child read the books in the order listed below:
The Big Blue Book of Beginner Books. This includes the stories:
Put Me in the Zoo
A Fly Went By
Are You My Mother?
Go Dog. Go?
The Best Nest
It’s Not Easy Being a Bunnny
The Big Aqua Book of Beginner Books. This includes the stories:
There’s a Wocket in My Pocket! (Skip this one. It is much too hard for kids because it takes difficult real words like “bureau” and turns them in nonsense words like “nureau.” I’m not sure how this story slipped into an otherwise excellent compilation of stories!)
Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb
The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
New Tricks I Can Do!
Oh Say Can You Say
Please Remember the First of October!
Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter series. As I mentioned, I have kids read Just Me and My Puppy after they have learned the sound y makes at the end of a word. Then, once they have learned vowel teams, I have them work through the whole series. The series is good to use once kids have learned vowel digraphs like —ea, —ai and —oe.
The Mr. Putter & Tabby series by Cynthia Rylant. If you don’t want the whole set, I recommend getting the following titles:
The Little Bear series by Else Minarik. If you don’t want to get the whole series (but I highly recommend that you do!) start with the book called Little Bear. It contains four little stories. Once kids can read the first story (called What Will Little Bear Wear?) I no longer consider them beginning readers. We always celebrate because they are now "really" reading and can go on to read many other stories.
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