What are phonics books?
Phonics books are texts designed to teach reading. They emphasize the relationship between letters and sounds. Saddleback phonics books provide engaging reading materials for grades 4 through 12 at accessible reading levels.
How do you teach phonics to tweens and teens?
Reaching an older audience can be a bit more challenging, but not impossible. Some overlap exists between teaching phonics to younger and older students, like comprehension and reading aloud. However, it won’t be exactly the same. Make sure your students break words down into more than just syllables, including prefixes and suffixes. Affirmation is also a crucial part of this process and can help ensure your readers don't get discouraged. Instruction for older students goes beyond basic letter sounds; students learn to break words down by prefixes, suffixes, and syllable patterns- the kind of systematic phonics practice the Science of Reading calls for- with an emphasis on affirmation so students aren't discouraged along the way.
Are phonics and decoding the same?
Decoding and phonics go hand in hand, but they aren't the same thing. Phonics is a teaching method that shows the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent. Decoding, on the other hand, is the ability to apply said knowledge and correctly pronounce words. Decoding is the action, and phonics is the tool that supports it.
Does phonics help with decoding?
By learning phonics, students can begin to decode the material they are trying to read. Teaching phonics builds the relationship between sounds and letters, giving readers the tools to begin decoding written material and grow as readers.
What phonics-based products are available for teachers?
We know it can be difficult to support an older student who is still developing as a reader. That’s why we’ve created phonics-based libraries featuring decodable text for both teens and tweens.
We also created our Hi-Lo Book™ Comprehension Strategies Guide for teachers. This guide includes visual examples and simple step-by-step instructions. Educators will be able to easily assimilate this material into their lesson plans to help their learners get on the right track.
What phonics products are available for new English speakers?
Our phonics libraries are excellent resources for newcomers. Additionally, our Welcome Newcomers Library for teens and Go! Welcome Newcomers Library for tweens are perfect for learners whose first language is not English.
These libraries introduce newcomers to American culture and school and community systems, with 14 topics presented in both accessible fiction and nonfiction books. Key features include extensive teaching support, approachable text with low readability, and a focus on vocabulary acquisition.
We also offer Welcome Newcomers Fundamentals for teens and tweens, featuring fiction books on the same 14 topics written at lower reading levels.
Will these phonics books require constant guidance, or can striving readers use them independently?
Our libraries provide materials that students can use in small groups or independently. The text has low readability and full-color photos to support it, with progress monitoring that assesses what your students have just read through an activity or quiz.
Learn more about how our products support The Science of Reading.
We also offer a series of Hi-Lo Classics featuring engaging, age-appropriate versions of classic books at a lower reading level.