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Young kids

Learn-to-Read 

DECODABLE COMPREHENSION WORKBOOKS for K-2
Intentionally Different

Just like our 3-book Reading Comprehension Series for Middle School, our Decodable Comprehension Workbooks  for grades K-2 are intentionally different from the way reading comprehension has been taught in the past.

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For decades, primary teachers have explained to students what it means to compare and contrast, predict outcomes, make inferences, draw conclusions, and identify main ideas. 

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Yet, despite all this effort, students have not improved their ability to comprehend grade-level material. The standard approach that teaches decoding, grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension as independent skills results in frustration for both students and teachers. 

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Our approach is different: We use direct, explicit instruction to teach Word Recognition and Language Comprehension at the same time.

Students use...

  • Decodable Books to apply phonics skills in connected text.

  • Decodable Comprehension Workbooks         to learn, practice, and reinforce Language Comprehension skills.​​

Learner Outcomes

When students read our decodable books 

and complete our decodable comprehension workbooks simultaneously, they...

  • Think school is fun.

  • Make continual academic progress.

  • Become skilled readers who enjoy reading.

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Intentionally Inclusive

Our workbook pages are written to ensure 

every student has the decoding skills they need to successfully complete each page. For example, the sentences used in Comprehension Workbook 1 do not include any silent e words because students have not yet learned that phonics skill.

The words used in each Decodable Comprehension Workbook match the vocabulary practiced in the corresponding Learn-to-Read Decodable Book Set.

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Research Based

The Science of Reading provides a blueprint for effective reading instruction. Renowned researcher and literacy expert Dr. Hollis Scarborough identified key reading strands and created the Reading Rope to illustrate the interdependence of all the components involved in learning to read and comprehend. 

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Every lesson in our Decodable  Comprehension Workbooks aligns with one of Dr. Scarborough's five Language Comprehension strands:

  • Background Knowledge

  • Vocabulary

  • Language Structures

  • Verbal Reasoning

  • Literacy  Knowledge

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Our Curriculum
In Comprehension Workbook 1...

  • Students are taught how to use Background Knowledge to visualize what the words they read express.

  • Vocabulary Development focuses on how adding an s to a noun changes the meaning from singular to plural.

  • Our study of Language Structures shows how words are put together in an order that makes sense.

  • Students are directly taught to look for evidence in text, a Verbal Reasoning skill they will use later to make references.

  • Our Literacy Knowledge focus is understanding the fantasy genre, recognizing elements that do not exist in the real world.

See Samples 1 and 2.

In Comprehension Workbook 2...

  • Students continue to use their Background Knowledge to visualize what the words they read express.

  • Vocabulary Development focuses on words that have opposite meanings, the difference in meaning between s and 's, and homophones.

  • Our study of Language Structures includes capital letters, end marks, and question words.

  • Students are directly taught how to find specific details (facts) in a story, a Verbal Reasoning skill they will use later to draw conclusions.

See Samples 3 and 4.

In Comprehension Workbook 3...

  • Students are taught how to use Background Knowledge (what they know) and text details to form their own opinion and evaluate situations, two Verbal Reasoning skills.

  • Vocabulary Development focuses on singular/plural nouns, s and 's, possessive words (its, their, your), homophones, and contractions. 

  • Our study of Language Structures teaches students to identify phrases that express "where" and "what".

  • Our Literacy Knowledge focus continues to look at the fantasy genre, distinguishing between fiction and non-fiction. 

See Samples 5 and 6.

In Comprehension Workbook 4...

  • Vocabulary Development includes the use of context clues, homophones, possessives, compound words, and transitions.

  • Our study of Language Structures expands to explore the locations of subjects, verbs, and "when" and "where" phrases within sentences.

  • Our Literacy Knowledge includes poetry and fiction genres and directly teaches how to read charts and graphs.

  • Several Verbal Reasoning skills are practiced, using all the strands of Language Comprehension.

See Samples 7 and 8.

Samples

See samples of our curriculum below:

  1. Student Workbook 1

  2. Teacher Guide Workbook 1

  3. Student Workbook 2

  4. Teacher Guide Workbook 2

  5. Student Workbook 3

  6. Teacher Guide Workbook 3

  7. Student Workbook 4

  8. Teacher Guide Workbook 4

Components

Student Book:

  • Consumable

  • Workbook 1 aligns with the 14 books in Book Set 1.

  • Workbook 2 aligns with the 10 books in Book Set 2.

  • Workbook 3 aligns with the 12 books in Book Set 3.

  • Workbook 4 aligns with the 10 books in Book Set 4. 

Teacher Guide:​

  • Complete daily lesson plan for each student page

  • Includes learning objectives that identify which Word Recognition and Language Comprehension strands are taught, practiced, or reviewed

  • Includes daily review/warm-up activities

  • Offers differentiated instruction to meet individual needs

  • Provides time-saving teaching tips and strategies

  • Includes full-color answer key

Teacher Guide:

  • Demonstrates why this approach is easy for students to understand

  • Includes pacing guide

  • Includes full-color answer key

DECODABLE BOOKS + DECODABLE WORKBOOKS = READING FLUENCY

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why are the Learn-to-Read Comprehension Workbooks 

called decodable? Isn't that a word that describes story books not workbooks?
Yes, some early-reading books are described as decodable. This means that readers can decode (sound out) most of the words in the book by using phonics skills they already know. Any written material can be described as decodable. Unfortunately, a common problem with workbooks - or any type of worksheet - is that students can't read them independently because too many of the words are beyond the student's current reading level. Students then become frustrated and are often wrongly identified as having trouble with comprehension.

The solution to this avoidable problem is easy: use decodable workbooks. All of our Learn-to-Read materials are decodable. We never expect a child to read something in a workbook that they are not able to decode (sound out) by themselves. Each Learn-to-Read book gets progressively more difficult. We match that exact progression in our comprehension workbooks. For example, after reading the book When You Make a Mistake, students complete six workbook pages that repeat words from that book. Students can easily learn, practice, and reinforce the six different comprehension skills taught on those pages because all of our comprehension workbook pages are decodable.
 
2. Why should I buy a comprehension workbook? Can't I just ask my own questions to make sure the reader understands each story?
Yes, of course you can ask your own questions as you read each story. But these comprehension workbooks serve a different purpose: The purpose of our Learn-to-Read Decodable Comprehension Workbooks is to provide lessons in which students can master all eight reading strands so they can achieve reading fluency.

Each page is intentionally designed to integrate multiple Word Recognition and Language Comprehension strands. For example, a workbook page might ask a student to provide a detail from the story or evaluate an event to decide if it could really happen, but students will simultaneously learn new vocabulary words or how to recognize the structure of a proper sentence, all while practicing a specific decoding skill.

Sound complicated? It is! The Science of Reading is complex. That's why we made it easy for you by writing these decodable workbooks. We understand the importance of each aspect of reading, how one area impacts another, and how to integrate them in meaningful ways. We combined skills in a way that is easy to teach and easy to understand. If developing skilled readers is your goal, these decodable comprehension workbooks will help you reach it.

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3. What is included in the Teacher Guide and Answer Key?
The Teacher Guide and Answer Key provides everything you need to teach effectively with only minimal prep. Each guide...

  • Provides a complete daily lesson plan for every student page. It includes learning objectives that identify which Word Recognition and Language Comprehension strands are taught, practiced, or reviewed.

  • Includes daily review/warm-up activities and games.

  • Offers differentiated instruction to meet individual needs. Each lesson can be taught as initial instruction, guided practice, or independent work.

  • Provides time-saving tips and strategies.

  • Includes a full-color answer key for every student page.

Testimonials

"This program has been a tremendous addition in helping students learn valuable skills in my classroom. The book sets have given my students the confidence to read with fluency. The companion decodable workbooks have given power to my students to work independently while practicing mastery toward the targeted skill. The teacher guide is easy to follow and requires minimal planning."

Janet B.

1st Grade Teacher

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