Best books about teaching phonics

In today's episode, I'm going to share my favorite books about teaching phonics.

First, I recommend "Phonics From A to Z" by Wiley Blevins. This classic is on its third edition, and he starts with phonemic awareness and takes us through planning phonics lessons, and meeting the needs of students who struggle. It truly is the A to Z guide.

Then also from Wiley Blevins, "A Fresh Look at Phonics." So where "Phonics from A to Z" is more of a guidebook, this book challenges us to think about mistakes we may have made when teaching phonics and how to fix them.

There's also "Choosing and Using Decodable Texts" by Wiley Blevins. This one's short, easy to use, and helps you make the most of decodable text, which lets kids put the phonics knowledge you've taught them to use. You'll learn how to spot the best decodables and how to design before, during, and after reading activities to make the most of them.

Another favorite is "Making Sense of Phonics" by Isabelle Beck and Mark Beck. This book will help you understand where phonics fits in the big picture of teaching reading, and gives powerful tips and ideas for helping kids sound out words and tackle multisyllable words. Like Blevins's afore-mentioned books, this is a must-own!

I also recommend "Uncovering the Logic of English" by Denise Eide. If you've ever felt that English is so illogical that you want to throw up your hands in despair, you need this book because in it, she shows us that English isn't as crazy as we may have been led to believe. It's a quick and easy read and a good reference that you'll want close by.

The "Teaching Reading SourceBook" by Bill Honig, Linda Diamond, and Linda Gutlohn is an incredible reference book. Don't let the price tag scare you. You'll reference this book a lot and it's not just about phonics, you'll refer to it as you teach phonemic awareness, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary, so I would definitely put this one on your wishlist.

Finally, I recommend "How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction" by Sharon Walpole and Michael McKenna. If you want to get started with small group phonics lessons, but you don't have a curriculum, this book is an affordable option. It tells you everything you need to know to form reading groups based on phonics knowledge and gives you materials for each lesson. I wouldn't call the lessons highly creative, but they are effective.

You'll find links to all of these books in the show notes for today's episode at themeasuredmom.com/episode30. See you next time!