Curated from publishers and educational organizations
As an experienced reading specialist, I am often asked by parents and teachers for free decodable passages, so I curated this list of the best publicly available resources.
Based on the Science of Reading, the most effective way to learn to read is through explicit phonics instruction paired with decodable texts. When students are taught a new phonics pattern, they learn best by immediately applying that skill in decodable reading, where the majority of the words follow the taught pattern. This practice supports accurate decoding, builds confidence, and strengthens reading fluency.
All resources below are free and were made publicly available by their publishers or educational organizations. This is a curated list intended to support educators, parents, and interventionists.
Please alert me to broken links, errors, or any additions. Thank you!
Table of Contents
- Core Decodable Book Collections and Program-Based Readers
- Decodable Passages and Short Reading Practice
- Custom and Generated Decodable Texts
- Printable Booklets and Emergent Readers
- Syllables and Advanced Phonics Decodables
- Systematic Phonics Programs
- Core Knowledge Decodable Readers
- Inexpensive Comprehensive Program for Purchase
🟦 Core Decodable Book Collections and Program-Based Readers
These resources provide full decodable books or structured collections of decodable stories. They follow a clear phonics progression and are suitable for systematic reading instruction aligned with the science of reading. Publishers or creators made all resources listed below freely available.
| Resource | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UFLI Foundations | Printable PDFs | The program includes systematic, phonics-aligned decodable texts that follow a clear scope and sequence. Follow my link to the original PDFs, supplemental passages, a teacher-created reader’s theater, placement testing, and more! |
| Flyleaf Publishing – Structured Literacy Decodable Books | Digital / Printable | 89 full-color decodable books. |
| Beyond Decodables | Online / Printable | The decodable books are arranged according to the phonics pattern (CVC, vowels, and multisyllabic). |
| Free Phonetic Readers | Online / Printable | Short- and long-vowel decodable book collections. |
| Open Source Phonics—see 3rd column
|
Online / Printable |
McGraw-Hill Grade 1 Decodables 1-62 Kindergarten—not printable “Around the Neighborhood” Grade 1—not printable “Animals Everywhere” Grade 2—not printable “Our Life/Our World” McGraw-Hill has uploaded these materials. |
| Houghton Mifflin Harcourt—see 3rd column | Online / Printable |
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt provides decodable grade-level resources online through the Sweet Home School District’s website. It looks like the kindergarten eBooks are decodable. There are also first-grade decodable readers. |
| Reading Elephant (Free PDFs)—see 3rd column | Printable |
Silent e story 1, silent e story 2, silent e story 3 Check out their other free stories. |
| Half-Pint Kids | Digital / Printable | Decodable readers and early literacy materials. |
| Phonic Books – Free Mini Books | Printable (account required) | The publisher provides decodable mini-books for both home and school use. |
🟦 Decodable Passages & Short Reading Practice
These resources offer short decodable passages rather than full books. They are ideal for targeted phonics practice, fluency building, intervention, or quick reading checks.
| Resource | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free Reading – Decodable Fiction & Nonfiction | Online / Printable | These are skill-based decodable passages. |
| TextProject – Decodable Reads | Online / Printable | Controlled texts aligned to phonics development. |
| TextProject – Beginning Reads | Online / Printable | Each level includes 12 short books that utilize highly concrete vocabulary. |
| Reading Universe | Printable | Search “free decodable texts” by phonics skill. |
| Sound City Reading – Reading Street Stories | Printable | Decodable stories from Reading Street. |
| Phonics Reading Passages PDF | Printable | Compiled phonics reading practice passages. |
| Just Right Reader – Decodables e-Library | Online / Printable | The e-Library offers decodable books sorted by grade level and includes Science of Reading resources available in Spanish. |
| Clarkness | Digital / Printable | Decodable passages are available online or as PDFs. |
| ReadWorks | Online / Printable | Create a free account and access decodable passages through the Teacher Guide. |
🟦 Custom & Generated Decodable Texts
| Resource | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Project Read AI – Decodable Story Generator | Printable / Digital | Create custom decodable stories based on phonics patterns, word lists, and lengths. Follow the Orton-Gillingham or UFLI curriculum and more! |
🟦 Printable Booklets & Emergent Readers
| Resource | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hubbard’s Cupboard – Printable Booklets | Printable | These are simple decodable booklets that can be used in the classroom or at home. |
| CSDELA K–2 Decodable Book | Printable | Structured phonics instruction with decodable text. |
🟦 Syllable & Advanced Phonics Decodables
| Resource | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi DOE – Syllabication Unit | Printable | A decodable passage for each syllable type:
|
🟦 Systematic Phonics Programs (Free Access)
These include instruction and decodable text, not just readers.
| Program | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential Phonics (Spencer Learning) | Printable | 262 lessons, 4,400 words, 2,100 decodable sentences. |
| Teach My Kid to Read | Printable | The eBooks provide both beginning and advanced reading instruction, along with cumulative decodable stories. |
| I SEE SAM | Digital / Printable | The decodable texts are specifically tailored to cater to the needs of diverse learners. (Academic Success For All Learners) |
| Starfall (Classic Phonics) | Online / Printable | Early phonics with optional printable materials. |
| Success for All | Digital / Printable | Structured literacy program with decodable texts. |
🟦 Core Knowledge Decodable Readers (Printable)
| Level | Includes | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Core Knowledge Reader 1 Practice Book to accompany (handwriting, phonics, additional stories, and questions) |
Reader + Practice Book | Printable |
| Core Knowledge Reader 2 Practice Book to accompany (grammar, phonics, additional stories, and questions) |
Reader + Practice Book | Printable |
| Core Knowledge Reader 3 Practice Book to accompany (grammar, phonics, additional stories, and questions) |
Reader + Practice Book | Printable |
|
Core Knowledge Reader 4 |
Reader + Practice Book | Printable |
| Core Knowledge Reader 5 Practice Book to accompany (grammar, phonics, additional stories, and questions) |
Reader + Practice Book | Printable |
| Core Knowledge Reader 6 Practice Book to accompany (grammar, phonics, additional stories, and questions) |
Reader + Practice Book | Printable |
| Core Knowledge Reader 7 Practice Book to accompany (grammar, phonics, additional stories, and questions) |
Reader + Practice Book | Printable |
If You Are Looking to Purchase a Quality Program
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Orton-Gillingham 13-book decodable series is a high-quality option for structured phonics instruction. The books can be purchased individually on Amazon, allowing families and educators to buy them as needed. The series progresses systematically from CVC short-vowel stories to compound and multisyllabic words, supporting cumulative skill development. Each book typically costs around $20.