Decodable books use only the letter sounds a child has already learned, so beginners can sound out every word. Levelled readers are graded by overall difficulty and often include words a child has not been taught to decode yet. Both have a place – but for a child just learning to read, decodable books come first.
Decodable books are written to match a phonics sequence. If your child has learned the sounds s, a, t, p, i and n, a decodable book uses only words built from those sounds – like sat, tap and pin. Because every word can be sounded out, the child succeeds by decoding, not guessing. This builds real reading skill and confidence from the very first book.
Levelled (or graded) readers are sorted into levels of overall difficulty, based on things like sentence length, vocabulary and picture support. They are useful for tracking progress and choosing the next step up. But because they are not tied to a specific phonics order, early levelled readers sometimes include words a beginner cannot yet decode – which can push children to guess from pictures or the first letter.
For a child just starting out, lead with decodable books so they learn to decode rather than guess. As their phonics becomes secure and they can read most words, levelled readers are a great way to widen vocabulary and grow fluency. Many children benefit from both, in that order, alongside plenty of read-aloud story books.
Saving Grace Learn to Read pairs structured phonics with decodable and graded readers in the right order, so your child always reads at the level that builds skill and confidence. The first two lessons of every grade are free, no card needed.
