Decodable texts are usually used in the primary grades. But what if your third, fourth, or fifth graders are struggling to read grade-level texts? Should you have them read decodable passages, or will that put them further behind?
In this post, I’ll talk about when you may want to use decodable texts with older students, where to find good decodable passages for older students, and how to support your struggling readers so they don’t fall further behind.
👉Click here to jump to a free sample of decodable passages for older students!
Why Use Decodable Passages for Older Students?
Research shows the benefits of decodable texts for improving accuracy, reducing guessing, and supporting orthographic mapping. (Source) Decodable texts allow students to practice the phonics skills they have been taught.
But decodable texts can also be somewhat limiting. Ultimately, we want our students to be able to apply their skills to any text. So, why might you use decodable passages with an older student?
Here are a few reasons:
1️⃣They need to improve their accuracy:
If a student frequently guesses words and/or decodes words inaccurately, it’s probably a sign that they have some gaps in their phonics skills. Decodable texts can help close those gaps.
2️⃣They need to build their fluency and/or confidence:
When grade-level text is hard for students, their fluency and confidence can suffer. Decodable passages can be a great way to help struggling readers build their confidence and become more fluent readers.
3️⃣They need to work on a specific phonics skill:
If data shows that a student consistently decodes words with a specific phonics pattern inaccurately, using a decodable passage to target that phonics skill is a great way to address this.
Best Decodable Passages for Upper Elementary Students
One problem with using decodable passages in older grades is that they are often geared towards younger children.
Older students may feel embarrassed to read decodable passages or find them boring. The good news is that there are options out there.
When using decodable texts with older students:
- Avoid “childish” clipart
- Choose full-page passages over printable books
- Look for content-rich texts with academic vocabulary
- Choose decodables that include multisyllabic words
Here are my two favorite options:
💻Flyleaf Publishing Ebook Library
These digital decodables are a great free option! This library includes several nonfiction titles like Interesting Elephants, Amazing Snakes, and Plates, Quakes, and Glowing Magma.
These books are about 80% decodable, and they include multisyllabic words starting with books 15-21.
I personally used these books with my third grade students, and they loved them. As of right now, the E-Book library is completely free to use. The downside is that you can only use these books in a digital format.
These printable, full-page decodable passages were designed with upper elementary students in mind. They’re about 90% decodable.
These passages include fiction and nonfiction topics such as panning for gold, The Great Plains, railroads, healthy eating, pickleball, and more. They’re designed to build knowledge and provide opportunities for deeper comprehension.
How to Prevent Students from Falling Further Behind
We can’t expect students to read decodable texts forever. They need to encounter irregular words to learn how to tackle them. Plus, students need to be able to access content-rich academic texts to build their knowledge and vocabulary.
So, don’t rely exclusively on decodable texts. In 3rd-5th grade, decodable texts should be used as an intervention strategy to target specific skills. Students still need to be exposed to grade-level texts through whole-group lessons and scaffolding.
Resources
👉FREE Digital Decodable Library
👉Printable Decodable Passage Bundle
👉Five-Step Routine for using decodables with a struggling reader
Free Decodable Passages
Download a free sample of my decodable passages – perfect for building fluency and comprehension with text students can actually read! Ready to print for centers or small groups!
