We define an emergent reader as a child who can recognize letters, their names, and the sounds they make. They are now ready to start decoding words! Our Emergent Readers eBooks are designed to take children from reading and sounding out single words, to recognizing sight words, and moving from two-word phrases to multiple-word sentences.
A transitional reader has mastered basic CVC word patterns and is ready to tackle more complex phonics concepts like silent E, vowel teams, and multi-consonant blends. These eBooks build upon the foundation established in the Emergent Readers series.
Our aim is to empower students in their journey towards becoming confident readers. We believe this journey is one of the greatest a child will embark on in their young lives.
The Phonics Playground collection is engaging, and children can interact with the books in a variety of ways:
Our series has been specifically structured and scaffolded to build children's confidence and improve their reading skills at each stage. While you may choose to use the books in a different order based on your students' needs, we recommend the following progression:
For children who can recognize letters and their sounds, and are ready to start decoding words:
The foundation of our collection. Students learn short vowel patterns with words like "cat," "dog," and "sun." Books are divided by word endings (like -at, -og, -un) before progressing to mixed practice books.
Building on CVC confidence, students combine sight words like "the," "a," and "I" with CVC words they already know. Progresses from 2-word phrases to 3-4 word patterned sentences.
Students tackle beginning blends like "stop," "clip," and "frog." Books are organized by initial sounds (bl, ch, cl, etc.) and common endings, following the same pattern as CVC practice.
Combines previously learned sight words with new ones like "this," "that," "his," and "her." Includes simple question patterns to build comprehension skills.
Students learn ending blends with words like "jump," "milk," and "best." Grouped by word endings with mixed practice, combining all previously learned patterns.
Combines all vocabulary learned with additional sight words like "look," "here," "they," and "you." Moves from 2-word phrases to 5-6 word sentences with comprehension questions.
For children who have mastered basic CVC patterns and are ready for more complex word structures:
Master complex blends at both the beginning and end of words like "stamp," "trust," and "blend." This advanced stage combines all previously learned skills.
Students discover the "magic" of silent E with words like "cake," "bike," and "hope." Learn how adding an E changes the vowel sound from short to long.
Explore vowel teams and patterns like "ai," "ea," "oa," and "oo." Students learn that two vowels can work together to make one sound, with words like "rain," "boat," and "feet."
Supplementary video content that reinforces phonics concepts through engaging visual and auditory learning. Perfect for introducing new concepts or reviewing previously learned skills.
Our curated eBook collection gives students a carefully sequenced path through each phonics level â but confident readers need volume. The more decodable text a child encounters at their current level, the more fluent and automatic their reading becomes. That's where the Phonics Book Maker comes in.
Designed specifically to support transitional readers, the Phonics Book Maker lets teachers generate custom decodable storybooks in minutes. You choose the sentence patterns and phonics targets, and AI fills in words drawn from those exact levels â so every book you create stays fully within the patterns your students are working on.
Our eBooks establish the pattern. The Phonics Book Maker keeps the practice going. A student working through Magic E Path can read multiple AI-generated CVCe storybooks in the same week, all at exactly the right level â keeping reading volume high without requiring a teacher to source or write new material.
The combination also means progression is never one-size-fits-all. If one group of students needs more practice at the Star Bridge blend level before moving on, a teacher can generate a fresh set of books tailored to that group in a few minutes, while the rest of the class moves ahead with the next zone.
đ ī¸ Phonics Playground eBooks ensure the right sequence. Phonics Book Maker ensures enough practice at each step. Together, they give every student the reading volume they need to become truly fluent.
Each of our Emergent and Transitional Readers collections has been scaffolded so students can practice new sounds individually before moving to mixed books. We recommend using a 90% accuracy benchmark when determining if a student is ready to progress to the next set of books.
As students read, observe and note skills like whether they're using picture clues, sounding out all letters, or reading fluently. These observations inform next steps in instruction.
Given that children are in the beginning stages of learning to read, comprehension questions should be simple and could include:
The frequency and depth of assessment is entirely your choice. You may assess after each word ending set, at the end of each term, or use only the mixed books to identify gaps. Some teachers find it helpful to test using every book, while others assess solely on mixed books. Adapt the approach to what best suits your needs!
The purpose of our program is to help you identify students' gaps in reading and build a strong foundation for lifelong literacy.