Dog on a Log
The Dog on a Log books are sequenced to start for the very earliest students to practice the letter sounds and then move into blending sounds together to create words, adding additional phonics skills with each step.
Decodable books encourage children who are learning to read to sound out words using reading strategies rather than guessing from pictures or predicting from other clues. Text is carefully sequenced to only include phonics skills that students have already been learning so students are practicing at the right level and build confidence in reading before they move on to the next skill. Each book builds on the one before it, introducing concepts that complement and reinforce what the students have already learned. Text is limited to one or two sentences to a page until readers are able to handle more complex stories with more text.
Decodable books are meant for children to read out loud or independently to themselves. If the book is the right level, the words should be made up of sounds the student has already learned, so it it should be good practice for them to build confidence and fluency skills. Once they are reading one level smoothly and quickly without making mistakes, then they are ready to move on to the next level.
Which Dog on a Log Book should I start with? If your student already knows their letter sounds and is able to read a few basic words, then they can probably skip the blue Get Ready! books for prereaders and move into the red/purple books. Use the author's quick assesment tool on her website to determine which step of the red/purple books is best for your student.
What's the difference between the red and purple books? Red chapter books have more text on the page. Purple Let's Go! books have less text on a page (some students get overwhelmed by too many words all at once).
Free printable games and activities to help your student practice at home are offered by the author on her website.
For more information on how to use decodable books to help your student learn to read, check out the author's free parent and teacher guides on her website