5 Ways to Use Decodable Readers in Small Group Instruction

Decodable readers are more than just tools for teaching phonics—they’re a gateway to confident, capable readers. When used effectively, these texts help students develop strong foundational reading skills by supporting phonics instruction, building fluency, and boosting confidence. Here are five practical, Science of Reading-aligned strategies for using decodable readers in your small group lessons.

1. Reinforce Phonics Patterns 

Decodable readers are essential for reinforcing phonics patterns and accelerating students’ mastery of reading skills. As Wiley Blevins explains in Differentiating Phonics Instruction for Maximum Impact, these texts include a high percentage of decodable words based on previously taught phonics skills. By targeting specific patterns, decodable texts provide meaningful opportunities for practice and bridge whole-group instruction with small-group application.

• Reinforce Whole-Group Instruction: Select decodable readers that align with the specific phonics patterns taught in your whole-group lesson. For example, if your whole-group lesson focused on vowel team “ai,” use a book like Pet Tails in small groups. Start with a quick review of the pattern, asking students to find and read “ai” words in isolation before diving into the story.
• Target Prerequisite Skills: Use a phonics screener to identify specific gaps in students’ foundational skills. A phonics screener can help pinpoint whether a student needs additional practice with earlier skills, such as short vowels or consonant blends, before moving on to more complex patterns. For example, if a screener shows that a student needs more support with the short /e/ sound, you can select a decodable reader like Webs that focuses on short /e/ words to provide targeted practice. This data-driven approach ensures that each student gets the support they need to build a strong phonics foundation.

By aligning decodable readers with both current instruction and individual student needs, you can ensure that all learners have the support they need to master phonics patterns and build confidence in reading.

2. Build Fluency Through Repeated Readings

Fluency is a critical component of skilled reading, and decodable readers provide the perfect practice ground. These texts allow students to read with accuracy, pacing, and expression, transforming them into confident readers over time.

How to Make It Work:

• Create Fluency Folders: After students read a decodable text, place a copy of the book in students’ decodable folders. If needed, you can also type the story on a sheet of paper. These fluency folders can become a quick warm-up for your small group time. They can also make a great literacy station activity!
• Focus on a Goal with Each Reading: To further support fluency, have students focus on a different goal with each repeated reading. On the first read, you might emphasize decoding accuracy. During the second read, you can guide students to focus on pacing, and in the third read, encourage expression and prosody. Pair students to practice reading aloud to one another, offering opportunities to listen for accuracy and provide constructive feedback.
• Encourage Peer Practice: Pair students to read aloud to one another, offering opportunities to provide feedback and practice prosody.

To make fluency practice more engaging, consider using timers or recording apps so students can monitor their progress. Repeated exposure to decodable texts helps students internalize phonics patterns and read more smoothly, setting the stage for lifelong reading success.

3. Support Vocabulary Development

Decodable readers prioritize phonics patterns, but they also provide opportunities to enrich students’ vocabulary. Some texts may include strong vocabulary words, while others focus on simpler language to support decoding. When that’s the case, you can introduce Tier 2 academic words related to the text’s topic or theme.

How to Make It Work:

Choose a Word Beyond the Text: Select a word that connects to the story’s theme but isn’t explicitly in the text. For example, with the decodable text A Map, you might choose a word like "navigate" to discuss with students, even though this word is not in the book itself. This approach allows you to deepen students’ understanding of the subject matter while expanding their academic vocabulary. Consider how the word can be naturally integrated into your discussions and activities about the text.

Building vocabulary alongside phonics instruction enriches comprehension and oral language skills.

4. Strengthen Comprehension Skills

Decodable readers are a wonderful way to reinforce comprehension strategies within your small group lessons. The goal of reading is always for students to make meaning, and decodable texts are no exception! Early comprehension practice builds habits that will support reading as texts become more complex.

How to Make It Work:

• Ask Questions: For each decodable, you can ask literal and inferential questions about the text
• Teach Text Features: Use decodable texts to introduce text features and concepts of print
• Connect to Prior Knowledge: Relate the text to students’ experiences or other books they’ve read to make the content more meaningful

In the book Mold: Spot It! Stop It!, you can teach text features such as the table of contents, glossary, and captions. You can also teach text evidence by asking text-dependent questions such as “What is mold?” and “Where might you locate mold in a house?”. 

Scaffolding comprehension in small groups helps students build habits that will support them as they encounter more complex texts.

5. Support Writing Skills

Writing activities connected to decodable texts allow students to apply their phonics knowledge in meaningful ways. By writing, students demonstrate their understanding of the story while reinforcing spelling and phonics patterns.

How to Make It Work:

• Reread and Write: Encourage students to reread the text as they write, helping them draw on familiar words and sentence structures
• Use Text Evidence: Prompt students to incorporate text evidence into their written responses
• Create Decodable Mini-Books: Let students write and illustrate their own stories using the phonics patterns they’ve learned

For example, after practicing short vowel words blends and reading the book See the Slug, you can have students brainstorm actions that a slug can do using text evidence. Students can then work to organize these thoughts into a short paragraph.  

Writing about decodable texts not only strengthens students’ phonics skills but also builds their confidence as writers.

Final Thoughts

Decodable readers are much more than simple texts—they’re an essential component of systematic, explicit reading instruction. By using them strategically in small groups, you can strengthen phonics skills, build fluency, and foster a love for reading. Start incorporating these five strategies today and watch your students grow into confident, capable readers!

What’s your favorite way to use decodable readers? Share your tips in the comments below!