Beginner readers at Anchor Pointe now have innovative texts enabling them to strengthen application of phonics skills and to take big steps toward fluent, independent reading – “de-code-able” books.
Through the Classroom Grant program, Reading Specialist Barb Knott and teachers Katie Vogel, Sarah Wheeler, Abbie Witherbee, Sharla Barada, Courtney Pruneau and Kristin Straight made these pivotal books available for Kindergarten and 1st grade students now and in the future.
“Decodable books are texts that introduce words and word structures in a planned scope and sequence,” said Knott, “They provide students the opportunity to apply the phonics skills they are learning, to build their confidence in reading short stories, and to practice their decoding skills instead of relying on pictures for guessing.”
The decodable texts strengthen the students application of the phonics skills they are learning in the elementary school’s current reading curriculum. While the books are initially intended to aid beginner readers, they can be utilized by all grade levels at Anchor Pointe as well as be sent home for parents to support students on an Individual Reading Improvement Plan.
“Research tells us this type of learning strengthens the growing connections in the brain and the orthographic memory,” said Knott, “meaning the more students see these phonics patterns, the more they get an automated sense of when words look ‘right.’ The books are really helping students take big steps toward fluent, independent reading.”
