Sound Waves Reading
Decodable Readers with a difference
You name it, we’ve got it! Sound Waves Decodable Readers feature captivating stories, charming illustrations and three levels of difficulty: support, core and extended.
Foundation and Year 1 available now.
A systematic sequence
Perfect alignment with Sound Waves Spelling
Sound Waves Decodable Readers follow a systematic synthetic phonics sequence and consolidate the explicit teaching of phoneme–grapheme relationships in corresponding Sound Waves Spelling lessons.
Download the Scope and Sequence document to see how the two programs perfectly align.
A clear focus
Every phoneme–grapheme relationship gets its own story
Each Decodable Reader features a focus phoneme–grapheme relationship*. Every book has been expertly written to frequently include the focus phoneme–grapheme relationship, while still maintaining a clever and captivating storyline.
For the best experience, have students read the relevant book after the associated Sound Waves Spelling lesson so they can apply their new phoneme–grapheme knowledge to reading. Read our How to use guide for more information about using Decodable Readers with students.
* Some books include more than one grapheme for the focus phoneme.
Three levels of difficulty
Every student can experience independent reading success
Sound Waves Decodable Readers are available in three levels of difficulty so you can provide a positive and successful reading experience for your whole class. For every focus grapheme* covered in the sequence there is a support, core or extended title to choose from.
- Support books are suited to students who need to build confidence with their reading and would benefit from starting with simpler, shorter texts.
- Core books are ideal for the majority of students who can comfortably apply their new phoneme–grapheme knowledge to reading.
- Extended books are suited to more advanced students who need more complex texts to maintain their motivation and engagement.
View Foundation sample books for the grapheme w as in web.
View Year 1 sample books for the grapheme r as in robot.
* Some books include more than one grapheme for the focus phoneme.
It's all in the details
How do you make Decodable Readers exciting and fun to read? With high-quality texts, clever illustrations and a diverse range of themes.
High-quality and varied texts 
Each book has been carefully written by literacy specialists who set out to achieve a seamless blend of quality reading material, systematic instruction and unique stories to capture students’ attention.
You’ll find a range of different text types including traditional narratives, rhyming stories, clue books and more.
Clever illustrations and clean layouts 
Although the words are the main ingredient, the illustrations and page layouts are far from an afterthought!
We’ve partnered with a range of celebrated illustrators including Tom Jellett, Cheryl Orsini and Claudia Frittitta to create beautiful and engaging books.
Every illustration has been cleverly crafted to enhance the story and prompt discussion without enabling students to predict the text.
What’s more, the carefully selected font and considered page layouts help to reduce the cognitive load for students.
It’s this level of detail that will truly enhance the overall reading experience for your early readers.
Captivating and diverse themes
Students will enjoy reading books that feature an eclectic range of themes – from animals and the environment, to emotions and fantasy! Best of all, the books feature current Australian settings and themes that are intended to be relatable for students.
What’s more, our Decodable Readers feature a diverse range of ages, ethnicities and family structures.
Collectively, we hope these diverse themes make for an enjoyable and meaningful reading experience for students.
But wait, there's more!
From start to finish, the reading experience has been considered every step of the way.
The Warm Up section introduces students to words that include the focus phoneme–grapheme relationship featured in the book. This allows students to practise reading words in isolation before attempting to read the words in the text.
The Book Chat questions provide discussion prompts to encourage students to engage with and reflect on what they are reading.
Plus there are handy tips for helping students during the reading process.
Teacher support
Workshops, articles, videos and more
We believe in supporting teachers.
So, register for a free workshop delivered by one of our experts, browse our professional learning articles and videos, or find technical support and answers to frequently asked questions.
It’s all there, all year round! Explore now.