Decodable Reading Books
Decodable Reading Books have been meticulously designed for children learning to read through a Structured Synthetic Phonics (SSP) approach. Authored by speech pathologists, these books incorporate regularly decodable high-frequency words and systematically introduce Heart Words (high-frequency words that are not yet easily decodable) following a carefully sequenced progression.
The books are developed in alignment with current research on font size and spacing, with thoughtful consideration given to the appropriate font and layout for each set. They begin with very low word counts and single lines of text, gradually increasing to longer texts with multiple lines, supporting a steady and manageable progression in reading development.
PLD Decodable Reading Books (Sets 1 – 7) have been shortlisted in the Decodable Books category for the 2025 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards! Learn more here.
Download PLD’s Foundation – Year 1 Catalogue HERE.
Catch-Up Books Junior Primary
Catch-Up Books Middle & Upper Primary
Catch-Up Books
• 6 Sets – 140 books in total!
• Sets 1- 4 support learning during Semester 1 Foundation with a focus on CVC and a gradual introduction of alphabet sounds
• Sets 5 and 6 support learning during Semester 2 Foundation, introducing Digraphs and CCVC and CVCC words, as well as longer CCCVC and CCVCC words
• Easily aligned with a Foundation SSP Teaching Sequence
• 4 Sets – 100 books in total!
• Sets 7 & 8 support Semester 1 Year 1 learning and introduce extended code including vowel digraphs.
• Sets 9 & 10 support Semester 2 Year 1 learning, continuing the extended code and including consonant digraphs.
• Easily aligned with a Year 1 SSP Teaching Sequence
The Early Reading Screen is available for download in the Year 1 & 2 and the Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 downloadable Screenign manauls. It is a quick single-word reading assessment. It presents words that gradually increase in length and phonic complexity. The progression reflects PLD’s Structured Synthetic Phonics approach. The assessment takes 2-5 minutes to present and should be used to determine the level of decodable books that students require for home and in-class reading.
The graphic below outlines reading book options, from PLD’s own decodable book range, curated PLD sets and compatible book sets from other publishers.
At PLD, we also carefully curate a range of high-quality catch-up decodable reading books that align with our SSP Teaching Sequence and are appropriate for older students with Junior Primary reading levels.