Why Decodable Books Build Stronger Readers Than Leveled Books
- smartstarttutorsin
- Mar 31
- 3 min read
If your child is struggling to read—or falling behind grade level expectations—you may be wondering what kind of support will truly help. You might even feel confused by the books coming home from school labeled “Step 1” or “Level B.” Do these books actually help your child learn to read?
At Smart Start Tutors, our reading specialists work with children in grades kindergarten through fifth who are struggling readers—whether due to Dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, processing challenges, or even just not interested in reading.
Even kids who aren’t technically “behind” but want to learn to read can benefit from our methods! We help close the reading gap through targeted support—and it all starts with using the right kind of books: decodable books.
What Are Leveled Books?
Leveled books are commonly used in early education and organized by levels such as “Step 1,” “Step 2,” or “Level A,” “Level B,” and so on.
These levels are typically based on:
Sentence length
Picture support
Repetitive and predictable patterns
Vocabulary complexity
While these features make books appear more accessible to beginning readers, they don’t necessarily support how children learn to read. In fact, leveled books don’t follow a phonics-based sequence.
Instead, they often rely on:
Guessing from pictures
Memorizing whole words
Repeating patterns
This is especially problematic for children who are already struggling.
The Problem with Leveled Books for Struggling Readers
For many children who have difficulty reading, leveled books encourage habits that look like reading but don’t help build real skills.
These include:
Relying on pictures for context clues
Memorizing stories instead of decoding words
Skipping unfamiliar words rather than sounding them out
Children with reading challenges need explicit, structured instruction. Leveled books don’t provide that. Instead, they can lead to frustration and slow progress—because these books aren't aligned with how the brain learns to read.
Why Decodable Books Are More Effective
Decodable books are designed with one goal in mind: to teach children how to decode words using phonics.
Here’s why they work:
They follow a systematic phonics sequence
New letter-sound patterns are introduced gradually and purposefully
Children practice decoding with the sounds they’ve already learned
Rather than guess at a word or rely on a picture, your child learns to read the word based on what they’ve been taught. That success builds true reading confidence—the kind that sticks.
How Decodable Books Support Long-Term Reading Success
Decodable books lay the foundation for lifelong literacy by strengthening core reading skills:
Phonemic awareness (hearing and manipulating sounds)
Phonics knowledge (connecting sounds to letters)
Fluency (reading smoothly with accuracy)
Comprehension (understanding what is read)
When children learn to decode, they gain the tools they need to tackle any word, in any book. This leads to independence, confidence, and long-term success—not just in school, but in life.
When Leveled Books Can Be Useful
While decodable books are essential in the early stages of reading, leveled books do have a place—once decoding skills are strong.
Leveled books can help with:
Building vocabulary through exposure to rich language
Practicing comprehension strategies
Reading for enjoyment and variety
But for struggling readers, decodable books must come first. Phonics-based instruction builds the skills needed to eventually enjoy a broader range of texts—including leveled books.
Give Your Child a Strong Start with Decodable Books
If your child is struggling with reading, switching to decodable books can be a game-changer. The right kind of reading practice—guided by skilled Reading Specialists—can build strong, confident readers.
At Smart Start Tutors, we work with children in grades K–5 to help them close their reading gap through personalized, online support and decodable text-based instruction.
Schedule a call to see how we can help your child with reading!
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