A decodable text gives pupils a real chance to use the sound-letter patterns they have already been taught. It should be manageable enough for the pupil to read with growing independence, without limiting all of their classroom reading to the same level.

Match the text to taught knowledge

Before using a book or passage, check:

• Which sound-letter patterns it contains.

• Whether the pupil has been taught those patterns.

• How many exception words will require support.

• Whether the vocabulary and meaning are accessible.

• Whether the pupil can read most of it without repeated adult rescue.

A text is not well matched simply because it is short or labelled with a reading level.

Allow limited, planned challenge

One or two less familiar patterns may be manageable if they are previewed briefly. A text containing many untaught patterns is likely to become an exercise in guessing or adult prompting.

Ask the pupil to read the first page or a short section aloud. If they need help with more than one or two words on a page, the text is too hard for independent practice; use it for shared reading instead. Notice whether they:

• Apply taught patterns.

• Blend unfamiliar words.

• Recover after an error.

• Maintain the meaning of the sentence.

• Need substantially more help as the text continues.

Use accuracy and independence to decide when to increase the challenge. Do not use reading speed alone.

Keep practice and curriculum access separate

A pupil may need a carefully matched text for decoding practice while also taking part in age-appropriate stories, discussions and curriculum reading.

Use teacher reading, shared reading, paired reading or audio support when a more demanding text contains knowledge the pupil needs. Decoding level should not determine the limit of what they are allowed to learn.

For a pupil in Years 4 to 6, look for decodable books written for older readers, so the practice text does not look as if it was meant for a much younger child. Many phonics programmes include catch-up books of this kind; check what the school's programme offers first. Published options include the Phonic Books catch-up readers (paid), such as Talisman, and Ransom Publishing's Reading Stars Achieve Phonics (paid), written for pupils in Key Stages 2 and 3 who are still securing their phonics. Check each book's sound-letter patterns against what the pupil has been taught, as the order may differ from the school's programme.

Increase difficulty gradually

Move on when the pupil can read the current material accurately and with limited prompting. The next text should extend the taught sequence without introducing several new demands at once.

If progress stalls, check whether the difficulty is caused by:

• An insecure sound-letter pattern.

• Weak blending.

• Unfamiliar vocabulary.

• Sentence complexity.

• Limited understanding of the topic.

This prevents every reading difficulty being treated as a phonics problem.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Selecting by age label or reading level without checking the actual patterns.

• Encouraging guesses from pictures or sentence context instead of decoding.

• Requiring independent access to curriculum texts that are currently too demanding.

• Keeping a pupil on very simple texts after the patterns are secure.

• Increasing difficulty because the pupil read one familiar passage quickly.

What the evidence says

Systematic phonics teaching is strengthened when pupils read books closely matched to the sound-letter knowledge they have been taught. Wider language, knowledge and comprehension still need to be developed through richer texts and classroom teaching.

Sources and further reading

• The DfE Reading Framework
  Guidance on decodable books, phonics progression and maintaining a broad reading curriculum.

• EEF: Phonics
  Evidence and implementation guidance for matching phonics teaching to pupils' current knowledge.

• National curriculum in England: English programmes of study
  Expectations for applying developing phonic knowledge and rereading to build confidence and fluency.

Talamo has no commercial relationship with any of the organisations named here. We suggest them only because we think they could be useful to schools.