The library uses Road to Decode labels and signage. Use them to find the Decodables Collection in the Children's Room. All of the materials are shelved together.
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What's in the Decodables Collection?
The section contains:
What's a Decodable?
Decodables are a new kind of book for beginning readers that focus on phonics. Children use their phonics knowledge to sound out words instead of memorizing words, guessing words or relying on pictures. As kids learn the alphabetic code, they become better decoders and move from simpler to more complex letter-sound patterns.
What's phonics?
In a nutshell, phonics are the 44 letter sounds and blends that are commonly used in the English language. Kids progress systematically through the sound blends. Click here to see the Phonics Code Chart. Click here to listen to the sounds.
Examples of some beginning letter-sound relationships are:
How do I use Decodable books?
Ask your child's teacher what phonics skills your child has learned, then check books in each set to see which ones focus on those letter sounds. Each book is clearly labeled with the letter sounds it reviews. Use them to practice those skills and then move on once your child has mastered them.
Decodables use specific letter patterns and go in a specific order from simple to more complex. Many of the sets are arranged by levels. Check book covers to see if they belong to Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, etc.
We offer an array of sets by different publishers. Try different sets to see which ones you like best. You can mix and match sets. Some offer teaching guides, either enclosed with the set or available separately online.
How do Decodables differ from other beginning reader materials?
Decodables support phonics learning, while other beginning readers like Easy Readers or Early Chapter Books support vocabulary and knowledge building. Used together, this variety of materials supports your new reader in different ways on their road to decode written language.
Where will I find Decodables at the Saratoga Springs Public Library?
They are shelved together in a Road to Decode section. Book sets, parent/teacher books, Launchpad tablets, and kits featuring games and phonics activities are located in one shelving unit. Look for the sign that says Road to Decode and the label on book spines.
Why are libraries creating Decodables Collections?
New York State and other states across the nation are re-evaluating how reading is taught in schools. This is driven in part by low scores on assessments such as 2024's National Assessment of Educational Progress, which showed that 40% of America's fourth graders are not reading proficiently.
In response, educators are delving into the Science of Reading. This is the body of scientific research accumulated over the last several decades that illuminates several skills needed to learn how to read: phonemic awareness (identifying sounds in words), phonics (letter-sound relationships), fluency (smooth reading), vocabulary development, reading comprehension and oral language.
Of these, phonics is one of the skills that educators say has been lacking in reading curriculum. To remedy this, beginning in Fall 2025, every school district in New York must teach phonics in prekindergarten through third grade.
Libraries are creating collections focused on phonics to help meet the community's new need for materials based on the Science of Reading.
