Decodable Books for Struggling Readers

The new Fox Kid book series has been designed for kids that struggle to read or have dyslexia and is the only decodable series of its kind in Australia.

About 10% of Australian primary school kids have significant reading difficulties and even more struggle to master the skill without specific teaching support. This can be compounded by the embarrassment of having to try to read lower-level readers in class, often triggering a persistent disdain for reading.

These 80-page chapter books ‘look’ like the books the other kids are reading, but are fully decodable, so the reader can sound out the words independently, without guessing. Readers will experience success and build confidence.

Each book in the series provides a slightly higher level of word complexity than the last, building reading skill.

The series was created by Australian education publisher, Little Learners Love Literacy® and author/illustrator Adrian Beck, who was tasked with writing the engaging stories with a limited word list.

“Even though I was limited to certain word and sound parameters, I was determined to write books that were funny and full of action and adventure. I think kids are going to love Fox Kid,” he says.

Fox Kid is a story about Dan, an ordinary kid that hangs out with his big sister Mac. When a fox wees in a bin in Dan’s backyard something strange happens…Dan accidentally walks in the mess and is lit up by a chemical reaction. He becomes Fox Kid - part kid, part fox. He can do mega-yaps, has super sniffing skills and can send out bugs. Dan must learn how to be fox-tastic by balancing his new powers and fame with his commitment to basketball and his superhero responsibilities.

All six books in the Fox Kid series provide much needed practice supporting the learning taking place in Tier 2 and 3 interventions (intensive, frequent, additional Systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) teaching).  They are matched with reading and writing practice workbooks and there are three Fox Kid card games also available to build fluency.

Systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) is an effective method for teaching reading, it involves the explicit teaching of sound and spelling relationships in a systematic order. Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension - the five pillars of reading are explicitly taught - a more advanced and refined version of the traditional phonics method.

The series includes Fox Kid and the Rat Bot, Fox Kid and the Mud Men, Fox Kid and the Endless Frost, Fox Kid and the Pond Trolls, Fox Kid and the Big Sting and Fox Kid and the Skull Twins. All are available 12th November, 2023.