Flip a Word

The very minimal words on a page and bright, silly illustrations make the Flip a Word books most appealing to younger students who are just getting started with reading. Single words progress into short phrases and then simple sentences. Each book in this interactive phonics series features three different word families. Word families help children recognize similarities between words that rhyme and connect words with matching vowel sounds.

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. The books below are listed in order of simple short vowel words to increasing difficulty.

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.

Updated June 11, 2024
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Pig wig /
Ziefert, Harriet.
Paper Book
A creative approach to teaching beginning readers, the Flip-a-Word series invites children to flip pages to reveal new words. A cat turns into a bat, then a rat and finally a hat, as die-cuts change one word to another rhyming word with each turning page. Subsequent pages present the newly learned...

Pig Wig features these short vowel sound word families: -ig, -ug, -at

Wet pet /
Ziefert, Harriet.
Paper Book
The Flip-a-Word interactive early reading books invite children to discover different words and pictures, with a die cut on each page highlighting the shared word endings. Wet Pet word families are: -ed (sled, bed, shed, red), -et (pet, wet, net, jet), -am (ram, clam, jam)."Children will be...

Wet Pet features these short vowel sound word families: -et, -ed, -am

Crab cab /
Ziefert, Harriet.
Paper Book
These unique interactive early-reading books invite children to flip the pages and presto-change-o! a different word and picture appear. The use of word families helps children grasp the connections between similar words while Yukiko Kido's bright and inspired illustrations in a Japanese anime style...

Crab Cab features these short vowel sound word families: -ot, -ab, -it

Stop pop /
Kido, Yukiko
Paper Book
Yukiko Kido's Stop Pop continues the Flip-a-Word series, where bright colours and changing die-cuts teach kids reading skills. These are great first books, and showcase a creative approach to teaching beginning readers. In Stop Pop kids learn words like top, stop, pop; fun, sun, run; and van, plan,...

Stop Pop features these short vowel sound word families: -op, -un, -an

Quack shack /
Ziefert, Harriet.
Paper Book
Children learn reading skills and have fun as they flip the pages and discover different words and pictures, with a shared word ending showing through a die cut. The bright, humorous illustrations in a Japanese anime style will keep the attention of both kids and parents. Quack Shack word families...

Quack Shack features these short vowel word families with the "ck" ending: -ack, -ick, -ock

Snow bow /
Kido, Yukiko
Paper Book
The Flip-a-Word series is a creative and interactive format that teaches kids reading skills. Children flip each page, and the die-cuts change one word to another. The latest in the series, Snow Bow, continues Yukiko Kido's love of bright colours and teaches words like feet, meet, street, beet; gate...

Snow Bow features these long vowel sound word families: -ow, -eet, -ate


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