Phonic Books Overview

Features of Dandelion Books

Written by three practising teachers, these books are designed to engage and enthuse beginner and reluctant readers. The highly-structured phonic sequence encourages reading success and building confidence from the very beginning.

  • Imaginative stories with appealing characters
  • Colourful and motivating illustrations
  • Highly-structured phonic progression
  • Text on cream background to make the books reader-friendly
  • Gradual introduction of high-frequency words
  • A clear explanation of Synthetic Phonics for teachers and parents
  • Game in every book to consolidate learning
  • Additional reading and spelling activities for further reading practice

Features of Books for Catch-up Readers

  • Vocabulary Page
  • Short chapters for reluctant readers
  • Text on cream background for easier reading
  • Motivating illustrations and storyline
  • Syllables split for reader
  • Dyslexia friendly font
  • Reading practice page with phonic focus
  • Workbooks for further learning linked to stories

Why should your pupils read decodable books?

Decodable books consolidate the phonics taught in your classroom. With step-by-step progression, the pupil succeeds at each level while learning the phonics needed to become a fluent reader. This approach develops confident readers with reliable reading strategies.

How do I choose the right books for my pupil?

The level of your pupil’s reading and his/her age will determine which books are suitable for him/her. Our general guidelines are:

Book Category Reader Age
Tell a Story Nursery and Reception 2 to 5 years
Dandelion Launchers Beginner Readers 3 to 6 years
Dandelion Readers Beginner Readers 5 to 8 years
Moon Dog, Magic Belt, That Dog!, Alba, Totem, Rescue, Talisman and Titans Gauntlets Series Older, Struggling and Reluctant Readers 8 to 14 years

 

To see how children should progress through our books please look at our Phonic Progression Chart.

How can I use the books in my class?

Decodable books are used as part of a reading programme in schools. Our books are suitable to use with any phonics programme to offer reading practice and can be used in a number of ways:

  1. Whole class: decodable books can be part of the phonics lesson providing a book for each child or pair of children to read together.
  2. Group work: children reading in groups as part of guided reading.
  3. 1:1 reading support with the teacher, teaching assistant or parent.

For a child to succeed, you will need to ensure that he/she knows that target phoneme at each stage. This is explained in the ‘How to use’ page of every book.

Each book in our Dandelion series also includes a game. This helps to practise and consolidate the learning in a fun way.

Do I need the workbooks?

The workbooks complement the reading books with a variety of activities some of which precede reading the books and others directly linked to the stories. They offer exercises which develop reading, spelling, writing and comprehension. A great supplementary resource for children who need further support.