The Best books about teaching phonics

Looking for books about teaching phonics? Here are my top recommendations!

Phonics from A-Z, by Wiley Blevins

This classic is on its third edition, and Wiley Blevins starts with phonemic awareness and takes us through planning phonics lessons and meeting the needs of students who struggle. It truly is the A-Z guide!

A Fresh Look at Phonics, by Wiley Blevins

Unlike his previous book, which 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.

Choosing and Using Decodable Texts, by Wiley Blevins

Yes, I’m a Blevins fan, and with good reason. This one is a short, easy-to-use guide to making 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 design before, during, and after reading activities to make the most of them.

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Making Sense of Phonics, by Isabel Beck  & 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’ aforementioned books, this is a must-own.

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. Eide shows us that English isn’t as “crazy” as some of us have been led to believe. The book is a quick and easy read and one you’ll want close by.

Teaching Reading Sourcebook, by Bill Honig, Linda Diamond, & Linda Gutlohn

This gigantic guide is an incredible reference book. Don’t let the price tag scare you away; you’ll reference this book often. It’s not just about phonics; you’ll refer to this book as you teach phonemic awareness, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary as well. Put it on your wish list!

How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction, by Sharon Walpole & Michael McKenna

If you want to get started with small group phonics lessons but 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 the materials for each lesson. I wouldn’t call the lessons highly creative, but they ARE effective.

Free phonics assessment

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