Free Decodable Texts for Each Phonics Skill

Decodable texts are an essential part of practice for early readers, experts agree. But they shouldn't be used for too long. In this video, Dr. Louisa Moats discusses why teachers should use decodables in their classrooms, and how to know when it's time to move on.

Looking for free decodable texts? Use the below list to match a decodable text with the spelling pattern you're teaching. And if you're just getting started, be sure to check out our How to Use Decodable Texts article.

List of Free Decodables

Short Vowels

• Short 'a': Mac the Cat, Val and the Rat
• Short 'i': A Wig in the Pit, A Rip in the Bag
• Short 'o': The Big Job, The Hot Pot
• Short 'u': The Fun Gig, A Box of Hats
• Short 'e': The Red Hen, The Pen
• All short vowels: Pals on the Bus, Zed the Cat

The short vowels skill explainer has everything you need to teach this, including lesson plans, student practice activities, and videos of great classroom instruction. 

Double Consonant Endings (also known as the FLoSS(Z) rule)

• Double consonant ending patterns - '-ff,' '-ll,' '-ss,' and '-zz': Buzz and the Quill

Suffix '-s'

• Adding the suffix '-s': Caps and Bags

Digraphs

• Digraph 'sh': The Posh Ship, The Wish
• Digraph 'ch': Lunch at the Fish Shack
• Digraph 'th': One Big Bath
• Digraph 'ck': Jack the Buck
• Digraph 'wh': Whit's Bad Luck

Glued Sounds

• Glued sound 'am': Pam and Sam
• Glued sound 'an': Tan and Me
• Glued sound 'all': A Big Ball, Hal and the Red Ball

Trigraphs

• Trigraph '-tch': Pitch and Catch
• Trigraph '-dge': Mudge and the Fudge

Review Passages

• Mixed digraphs and trigraphs: The Fun Run

Suffixes 

• Suffixes '-s' and '-es': Sack Lunches

Blends

• Ending blends: The Bent Tent
• Consonant blends: Lunch at the Shack
• Beginning and ending blends: The Lost Raft, Clams at the Pond, The Band

Review of All Patterns Previously Taught

• FLoSS(Z), digraphs, trigraphs, and blends: The Soft Doll

Consonant Pattern '-ng' and '-nk'

• Consonant spelling patterns '-ang', '-ing', '-ong', and '-ung': The Swing
• Consonant spelling patterns '-ank', 'ink', and '-unk': The Bunk Bed

Multisyllable Words

• Two-syllable words with a closed syllable: The Insect Mascot, The Junk Shop
• Two-syllable words that end in a 'y' (representing the long 'e' sound): A Picnic with Pals
• Two-syllable words with the schwa and closed-syllable pattern: The Man with the Velvet Hat, The Red Robin Rocket

More Suffixes

• Closed-syllable words with the suffix '-ing': Running and Watching
• Closed-syllable words with the suffix '-ed' as a sound: Watching the Frog
• Closed-syllable words with the suffix '-ed' as a syllable: Hiking to the Falls
• Closed-syllable words with suffixes: '-s,' '-ed,' '-ing': The Odd Plant

Three-Syllable Words

• Three-syllable words with short vowels and schwa: The Tennis Match

R-Controlled Vowels

• One-syllable words with r-controlled vowels: 'ar': Living on the Farm
• One-syllable words with r-controlled vowels: 'or': The Forts
• One-syllable words with r-controlled vowels: 'ur': Murl and the Robin
• One-syllable words with all of the r-controlled vowels: 'ur', 'ar', 'ir', and 'er': Checking on the Surf
• Multisyllable words with r-controlled vowels: 'ar': The Art Party in the Garden
• Multisyllable words with r-controlled vowels: 'or': Stormy the Horse
• Multisyllable words with r-controlled vowels: 'er', 'ir', and 'ur': Running Partners
• Multisyllable words with r-controlled vowels: 'or' and 'er': Ports and Harbors

One- and Two-Syllable Words with Open Syllables

• Multisyllable words with open syllables: The Paper Jet, Watching the Buffalo and Elk

Consonant '-le' 

• Consonant '-le': The Apple Puzzle, The Lambert Family Dinner

One-Syllable Magic 'e' (also known as Silent 'e') Words

• Magic 'e' pattern 'o-e': A Trip to the Home Store
• Magic 'e' pattern 'a-e': Jobs for Rose and Jake
• Magic  'e' pattern 'i-e': Hike, Bike, Swim
• Magic 'e' pattern 'u-e': Twins, The Class Trip
• Magic 'e' pattern (all long vowels): Planning a Trip, The Pen Pal Project

Multisyllable Words with Magic 'e'

• Magic 'e' pattern 'o-e': The Sibling Squabble
• Magic 'e' pattern 'a-e': The Math Problem
• Magic 'e' pattern  'i-e': The Homesick Pilot
• Magic 'e' pattern 'u-e': Duke
• Magic 'e' pattern 'e-e': The Stampede
• Magic 'e' pattern (all long vowels): The Extreme Race

Hard and Soft 'c' and 'g'

• Hard and soft 'c': A Visit to the Pacific Northwest
• Hard and soft 'g': The Safety Rangers, Ginger and the Gerbil

Vowel Teams and Diphthongs (Vowel Digraphs)

• Long 'o' vowel teams: The Yellow Boat
• Long 'e' vowel teams: Seeking Nuts for Winter
• Long 'a' vowel teams: Fay's Birthday Party
• Long 'i' vowel teams: Dinner by the Fire
• Long 'u' vowel teams: Jeans for Pru
• Vowel teams 'oo', 'ew', 'ue', and 'ou': The Field Trip to the Zoo
• Vowel team 'oo' as in cook: Caleb's Cookbook
• Vowel teams 'oo', 'ou', 'ew' and 'ue': Youth Troop Soup
• Vowel team 'aw' as in lawn and 'au' as in auto: The Jigsaw Puzzle
• Diphthongs /oi/ and /oy/: Troy's Pink Pig
• Diphthongs /ou/ and /ow/: Rowdy on Broadway

Silent Consonant Letters

• Silent consonants: Chaos at the Castle Game
  

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