Lets Talk Fiction Decodables and Non-Fiction Decodables Pt.2 Decodable Books are essential for the intention we need to have with them.  They are a practice source of phonics for children at their level, not a source for giving kids knowledge, background,  and vocabulary.

Like so many others, I was a Balanced Literacy teacher, but I saw the disconnect between the learning in my classroom and the lack of structured practice... and with that, Express Readers was born.

We didn't draw our books for adults; we drew them with children in mind, which is one of the things people love the most about Express Readers' Decodable Books.  Let's all agree that there are a lot of books out there that look similar.  We don't want to look like everyone else.

Not sure who needs to hear this, but it is worth repeating.  You can't take away the love for reading for a child if that child can't read in the first place!!!  #GuessingIsNotReading

Decodable books don't need to be boring.  FULL STOP

When a child struggles to read, everything becomes difficult, and when we continue to put books in front of them that they can't read, we are without words, telling them that they cannot do it and are not living up to our expectations.  That isn't right!!!!

If teachers don't feel prepared, the best curriculum in the world won't help them.  Change starts with training and ensuring teachers know how to use the tools in their toolbox to teach reading.  More tools won't change the outcome without the right knowledge of how to teach it

"When a child struggles to read, everything becomes difficult." This is so logical, but the truth often is.  Literacy is a root cause of so many future issues because everything becomes much more difficult when a child lacks these foundational skills for the classroom and beyond.

Everything has to do with reading...everything.  As a society, if we are okay with only 1/3 of 4th graders being proficient in reading, the future is in peril.  We all need to do our part to fix this NOW!!!!

You can love something you can't do!!!! I am tired of hearing people tell me that decodable books and structured literacy are causing their child not to love reading.  You can have decodable books that are engaging, have full stories, and drive children to seek out the next one.

The connection between our reading crisis and prison is real, which is why this is a root cause action we need to take to eliminate the correlation between these two facts.  As the adults, we need to prioritize this change for our children to reduce the number of prisons.

Reading is the vein that runs through all of education. It is how you access any knowledge from the point you hit school, and people stop doing read-aloud. Administrations need to support those teachers who need the resources and books to help them teach reading.

I will give a talk at Literacy & Justice for All 2025 on Equity in Literacy Begins Before Kindergarten. #LJ4All - via #Whova event app

The reading crisis is not just about some kids not doing well in school!!!  Literacy is the gateway to so many other subjects; without it, we are handicapping students from accessing it. Shed light on this. #expressreaders #earlyliteracy #structuredliteracy #literacymatters

Teachers dont need another thing on thier plate that is really important to learn and build for their classrooms.  It is on all of us as a community of educators, administrators, and publishers to create materials that teachers can easily implement in their classrooms.

"I was a struggling reader, so I know how it feels." Reading is the great equalizer.  Whether you're good at it or if you struggle, we need to ensure a level playing field for all of our children.  It won't be easy, but ensuring a better world for future generations is critical.

It is really important that we give teachers grace, and that we give ourselves grace, knowing that this is learning process.  Now that we know this we need to do better, for our kiddos who want and need this skill to be successful in the future.

"If you teach a child to swim and ask them to practice by giving them a bike, how will it help them learn to swim?" You need to practice what you are learning, and that is where Express Readers' decodable books came to be.

Teachers know!!!  You know from the second you see something whether or not it was created by someone who had spent time in a room with 10 other adults or 25 7-year-olds.  We know you know, and that is one of the biggest compliments we get when we share our products with teachers

GUESS WHAT? The Lit Champs Decodable Book Set, Set 1, is LIVE for pre-order (Ships in June). Come join the community of LitVille in 6 CVC books! expressreaders.org/lit-champs/ Tre Hadrick