Reading should not be presented to children as a chore or a duty. It should be offered as a gift.
― Kate DiCamillo
October is National Book Month—a time to celebrate one of life’s greatest gifts: reading. When we think of superpowers, our minds often go to flying, invisibility, or shooting laser beams from our eyes. But if you pause to think about it, reading is a superpower too. Our brains weren’t wired to read, yet we mere mortals have trained them to do something remarkable—something life-changing—that empowers us to do more, learn more, and be more.
Every superhero has an origin story, and so does every reader. Your journey to becoming a reader is your origin story. For many, it begins with being read aloud to - often with a favorite book on repeat.
For my youngest, it was Good Night, Gorilla. We read it every day—sometimes what felt like hour after hour—until one day I noticed him turning the pages himself, “reading” from memory. Today, he’s a fluent second grader. But his path from A to B wasn’t a straight line. That winding process is true for every reader: learning to read happens step by step, with the right supports along the way.
Superheroes don’t become leaders overnight. Imagine Batman without training—he became who he was by learning the rules and skills from experts and by intentionally practicing. For students using Phonics, Reading and Me, teachers play the expert role, providing explicit instruction and modeling that builds the brain pathways for fluent reading.
Just like superheroes, students need meaningful practice too—and that’s where both the Phonics, Reading, and Me’s physical and digital decodables come in. They give readers the essential opportunities to apply new grapheme–phoneme correspondences and word study skills until they become second nature.
As educators increasingly embrace the Science of Reading, one truth has become undeniable: decodable texts are not optional—they are essential steppingstones on the path to fluency. Whether you’re just beginning to explore science-backed reading practices or are have been on this journey for some time, you’ll gain valuable insight from Unlocking the Power of Decodable Texts with Dr. Julia Lindsey.
But not all decodables are created equal. The ones in Phonics, Reading, and Me are multicriteria: designed not only to support decoding but also to strengthen the upper strands of the reading rope. These texts encourage conversations about the world, make sense in context, and allow students to experience diverse perspectives, text structures, and genres. If you haven’t explored them yet, this blog is a great place to see what sets them apart.
Phonics, Reading, and Me™ goes beyond content by building digital literacy—an essential skill today. Every decodable is available in print and digital form through the teacher dashboard and student library. The dashboard helps educators model strong reading behaviors while introducing digital literacy authentically. The student library empowers children to practice independently, revisit texts, and easily share progress with caregivers, connecting learning at school and home.
When paired with the physical decodable, the digital version extends learning by reinforcing skills across formats. Linking the familiar experience of holding and reading a book to intentional practice on a device helps students view technology as a powerful tool for growth, not just entertainment.
Additionally, the adaptive digital pathway deepens learning by giving students independent practice with four digital decodable texts of varied lengths, each tied to the target skill. This bridge—from the familiar comfort of read aloud stories like Goodnight Gorilla to purposeful digital reading—scaffolds both fluency and digital literacy, ensuring students grow as confident readers in every space.
Whether in print or digital form, the goal remains the same: to equip students with the tools, practice, and confidence to become fluent, joyful readers. Decodables from Phonics, Reading, and Me are more than a bridge to decoding—they’re a gateway to unlocking every reading superpower. By pairing print and digital wisely, we offer students the best of both worlds: the deep comprehension that comes from holding a book and the digital literacy that prepares them for the future. It’s like Clark Kent and Superman—two sides of the same hero, each powerful on its own, but unstoppable together.