Hundreds of Free Decodable Readers, Books, PDFs, & eBooks

Free Decodable Resources

Current research rooted in the Science of Reading (SOR) tells us that decodable texts are useful to establish effective reading skills and to reinforce the phonics skills we teach.

This is important for all students, but especially crucial for students who struggle with reading and writing.

In recent years, many educational companies saw the need to release free decodable resources to educators to help us do our jobs with research-based best practices in place.

And many have continued offering decodable texts for free, sharing books, readers, passages, e-books, and even comic books!

We’ve been searching high and low to compile an updated list of the best, free decodable reader resources, and we want to share them with you right now!

👉 Learn more: Explore the importance and benefits of using decodable readers in your classroom.

Leveled Readers vs. Decodable Readers

Before we get to the resources, let’s talk about the differences between leveled and decodable readers, and the recent Science of Reading-driven shift away from leveled texts.

What Is a Leveled Reader?

Leveled readers are texts that are given a readability score (or level) based on overall difficulty. As the level increases, the overall difficulty of the text increases.

But rather than being based on taught phonic concepts, the difficulty score is based on things like sentence structure, sentence length, and the number of syllables in words.

Which Should We Use?

Both decodable and leveled readers can be valuable tools in a teacher’s toolbox, but only if used correctly. As an Orton-Gillingham Certified teacher, I’ve found there’s a place for both types of texts within the classroom! 

Research indicated that decodable texts are best for younger students (or any emergent reader) because they build strong phoneme-grapheme connections in the brain, an essential skill that all strong readers share. 

H. Mesmer, in a study with first graders, found that those students who used decodable texts applied letter/sound knowledge more consistently, were more accurate in their reading, and needed the assistance of their teacher less often.  

But leveled readers can be useful, too! Generally speaking, leveled readers should not be used for reading instruction until children have “cracked the code” and should NOT be used to teach kids how to read.

But this doesn’t mean that kids who are still learning to read can’t touch leveled readers. There are many good uses for leveled readers, particularly adult-directed reading to build background knowledge and vocabulary!

👉  Learn more: If you’re wondering what to do with your library of leveled texts, please watch this informative webinar to learn more about using decodable AND leveled readers in a way that is supported by current research.

📚 Free Decodable Resources

We’ve compiled a huge list of trustworthy, high-quality, Science of Reading-aligned decodable texts for busy teachers like you!

The resources are listed in order of personal preference based on my experience teaching, but be sure to check them all out!

Simply click the links below for direct access to the free resources!

1. SPELD-SA
   The texts are available in downloadable PDF’s or PowerPoint versions and include reading tips and helpful notes for teachers. 👇 Read more on these AMAZING resources below!
2. Flyleaf
   These are available online and come with a downloadable homework packet for each book! Great for giving kids opportunities for repeat exposures.
3. UFLI Decodable Passages
   There are TONS of printable decodable passages with space for students to illustrate the passage. This helps ensure comprehension, plus it’s just plain fun!
4. Teach My Kid To Read
   I use these e-book readers as a reliable resource to share with parents for at-home practice.
5. Half-Pint Readers
   These digital decodables have fun illustrations and comprehension questions at the end!
6. Beyond Decodables
   These books are culturally relevant and come in both digital and pdf format.
7. Academic Success for All Learners
   There are lots of digital books that each include notes for teachers/parents to help engage readers.
8. Success for All
   Get 19 downloadable books, perfect for beginning concepts for kids K-1.
9. Open Source Phonics
   These are very basic pdf passages with no illustrations, but lots of options are included covering many phonics concepts. 
10. Free Phonetic Readers
    These books are organized by long and short vowels, with included black and white illustrations. They can be downloaded as pdfs and printed to create booklets.
11. Project Read
    This AI resource generates decodable passages and stories for the specific skills you’re working on. Options include alignment to specific curriculums. The basic version is free forever!
12. Dog on a Log
    You’ll need to scroll past the paid resources to get to the five printable pdf books that they offer for free.
13. Sounds-Write
    You can access their free high-quality books by creating an account (this is required), then they email you the file directly for each book.
14. Moon At Home Series
    These 10 free books cover more advanced concepts (starting with long vowels) and free downloadable worksheets for continued practice.
15. Reading Doctor
    These e-books are interactive and great for sentence reading practice for lots of phonics skills. Each page of the book includes decodable text, and then kids flip the page to confirm the meaning with pictures.

We want to sincerely send a big THANK YOU to all of the publishers and organizations listed above.

You saw a great need to help teachers make the switch to practices that support the Science of Reading, and you stepped up to meet it.

We appreciate your hard work and dedication to ensuring literacy for ALL!

SPELD SA

There are tons of quality options on the HUGE list of decodables above, but SPELD SA Decodable Readers are our top choice.

The best part is that they have released their sets of decodable readers online for free!

Why We Love It

This resource is the most comprehensive and includes various formats, including special versions for ipads or tablets.

Each book can be used online in an HTML version OR downloaded as a free PDF that can be printed as an actual book.

Worksheets and fluency charts accompany each book! There are ten total sets of readers with many books included in each set.

This is an excellent resource within the classroom or to share with parents for effective at-home learning!

More Decoding Resources

• 60+ Pages of Decodable Sentences practice for all phonics skills
• Decodable CVC Sentences (Free Resource)
• Decodable Digraph Sentences (Free Resource)

We’d love to hear about your experience with decodable readers, especially those online! If you have any other suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below or tag us on Instagram @LiteracyLearn.