Learn to Read at Your Library: Decodable Books for Families

What if a public library helped families teach decoding—not just borrow books?

In Bartholomew County, that “what if” became a plan.

The Bartholomew County Public Library (BCPL), in partnership with Cummins, Inc. and community leaders, has launched a research-aligned Learn to Read collection—decodable books and caregiver guides designed so families can support real decoding at home.

Librarians and community partners built the collection to serve caregivers at the crucial moment when children are learning to read and “break the code.”

By pairing source texts that explain how reading develops with decodable books aligned to a child’s current phonics knowledge—the collection removes guesswork, meets a locally identified need, and reflects broad community collaboration you’ll see in the next section.

Family guide welcoming caregivers to the Learn to Read collection

Part 1: How the Library Built a Learn to Read Collection

In Bartholomew County, two threads finally came together: caregivers asking for decoding support and librarians—with Cummins and community partners—ready to build it. 

BCPL has long been a champion of literacy and a trusted resource for families, serving a diverse population and offering a vibrant children’s section, satellite branches, the Bookmobile, and BCPL Express.

BCPL children’s section with book displays, reading nooks, and computers

And in recent years, more and more parents and caregivers in Bartholomew County turned to the local library for help. Their most common question? How can I help my child learn to read? (It’s a concern that’s only grown since the pandemic and continues to echo through community discussions.)

Reading experts in the U.S. and Australia speak of this as an important shift in conversations and resources around reading.

Librarians say parents in the county already understand the significance of reading aloud to children. They instead want more specifics about supporting that time of life when children are learning to read. 

Parents like Heather Riegle, a parent of three. 

She serves on the School Ministry Board of a local private school just down the street from the library. This school has also focused its attention on building evidence-based instruction.

After diving into early reading research and being directed by school staff toward resources her son might benefit from, this mama learned some things – 

  • The importance of sound-based decoding—connecting sound and symbols tightly for early reading,
  • The critical role of presenting phonics in a structured sequence, and 
  • Decodable books as a tool to support instruction—helping students practice what they are learning with feedback from adults.

So, naturally, she turned to the library for help but—found a shortage of the type of book she was after.

Here’s Heather…

When we identified that our son was not grasping reading concepts being taught in our school, we were looking for reading material focused on decoding that wasn’t available at the library.

She’d already scoured websites and had titles in hand. But when she showed up, she found only one structured, phonics-based book series on the shelves and a lot of books that her child couldn’t access, or that she feared produced habits that prevented accurate decoding.

Heather’s experience underscored a clear need—one that aligned with the library’s vision and Cummins’ mission—so this project gained momentum immediately.

Recognizing this growing demand, and the shifting tide of instruction in our local schools and state initiatives, the library staff began dreaming up a solution — curating a “Learn to Read” collection with research-backed books and resources available across all library access points, including satellite locations and mobile services.

But the library needed funding.

That’s where Cummins Inc., a global engine manufacturer headquartered in the midwestern U.S. with a long history of community engagement, got involved to do what community development grants are supposed to do:

  • Someone comes forward with a need (in this case, parents and librarians) → 
  • The community partner that can fill the need is identified (Bartholomew  County Public Library) → 
  • The community partner approaches an engagement team that can provide a grant (Cummins, Inc.)

Cummins is a global power leader dedicated to making a lasting impact in the communities where employees live and work. Through initiatives like CARE – Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity, and Cummins launches new global education strategy to encourage STEM opportunities, the company invests in education, workforce development, and community engagement to create sustainable, meaningful change.

Cummins has had many opportunities to invest in projects around evidence-aligned reading and support the local library in past initiatives as well. Read more about Cummins' efforts around reading in Bartholomew County, Indianapolis, and nationally:

A Call for Action—and a Library–Community Partnership in Motion

Heather’s experience underscored a clear need — one that aligned with the library’s vision and Cummins’ mission, so this project garnered excitement out of the gate. 

Mostly because this need was solvable, sparking action – focused discussions, research, collaboration, and ultimately, a grant application.

Here is an overview of our activities beginning in the summer of 2024, leading up to the launch of the collection.

An online call was set up, where stakeholders brainstormed what was already in rotation, what was missing, and what goals we needed to reach. 

We compiled an extensive list of resources to reference.

 

How we built it

  1. Librarian-led research to narrow options for BCPL patrons.

  2. In-person, hands-on review of decodables, high-low titles, and caregiver materials—plus myth-busting on decodable vs. predictable.

  3. Logistics & funding: space, organization, pricing, vendors → funding request.

  4. Employee engagement plan (a Cummins requirement) finalized.

  5. Go time: order, display, signage, outreach.

 

The anticipation built, and it felt so good for these librarians to now be able to say, 

It’s coming! Just wait. We are taking care of you. Come back to us in just a couple of months!

Meet two crucial children's library team members, Lindsey Bailey and Rachel Akemon, who then brought the collection to life!

And now, the much-needed Learn to Read collection is ready to support children and caregivers on their reading journey!

What’s Inside the Learn to Read Collection (Decodable Books + Guides)

The collection provides…

Decodable book sets aligned to structured phonics progressions: 

BOB Books 

High-interest, low-level decodable books on BCPL shelves

High-interest, low-level readers (also called catch-up readers for older readers): 

Caregiver support books on decoding and early literacy at BCPL

Caregiver guides on how to support their child’s reading journey. 

Making Sense of Interventions for Children with Developmental Disorders: A Guide for Parents and Professionals by Caroline Bowman

Clear storage bins organizing decodable book sets for checkout

Access & organization: Clear storage bins for easy checkout (available at Amazon) with portions of materials available at multiple locations, including the Columbus branch, Hope branch, and Bookmobile. Just Right Readers (Spanish) were also added to the library and shelved with other Spanish-language materials,

By making high-quality, research-backed books accessible to all, the library is taking a critical step toward ensuring that every family and child has the tools they need to become a strong, confident reader.

And of course, new ideas are always emerging. Librarians will observe how families engage with the resources and respond to parents’ questions to refine and expand support. Already, they have two key additions in mind: assessments to guide placement and phonics games to include in the boxes.

Ideas like these: 

Printed phonics scope and sequence sheets for decodable sets

Lessons Learned: Working With Publishers and Decodable Book Vendors

A quick note on an unexpected hurdle…

Scopes and sequences: One challenge that caught the team off guard was tracking down the scope and sequence of certain publishers’ materials. Some publishers buried these or offered non-printable formats. BCPL reformatted what they could so families would have a clear roadmap.

Lindsey and her team spent countless hours reformatting documents. Fortunately, as Lindsey notes, “Librarians love to share,” so their hard work is now available to help others facing the same issue.

Placement assessments: A similar challenge arose in obtaining user-friendly placement assessments to accompany the books. 

District-aligned sets: Additionally, while the library hoped to purchase a decodable set aligned with the district’s adopted curriculum, that set was unavailable to libraries and only came in bulk, making it difficult to replace copies when damaged.

Spanish decodables: Finally, after extensive searching, the team was disappointed to find that high-quality Spanish decodable books are difficult to obtain from U.S.-based vendors without direct connections to Spanish educational publishers. 

Meanwhile, English-language educational publishers typically market only to schools and offer materials in full classroom or grade-level sets, making them a poor fit for most library purchasing needs.

The good news: 

Despite a 4–6 week delay, demand was immediate. 

Just two days after Lindsey sent me pictures of the new Learn to Read Collection, I visited the library and saw that five containers had already been checked out—without any marketing! 

The demand is clear, and for a child just learning to read, 4–6 weeks of extra support can make a big difference.

While we could conclude the blog here…

…If you're curious why decodable texts are essential in libraries and the community where this project takes place, please keep reading. 

Explore the Learn to Read Collection

See decodable books, caregiver guides, and how to check them out.

Part 2: Do Libraries Help Kids Learn to Read? A Closer Look

Front entrance of Bartholomew County Public Library, Columbus IN

Yes, absolutely! 

For decades, librarians have nurtured a love of reading through storytime, thoughtfully curated collections, and hands-on programs to spark children’s interest in reading. 

Walk into BCPL, and you’ll find colorful book displays on round tables, cozy reading nooks, engaging storytime sessions, and interactive kits that allow children to immerse themselves in storytelling. Some of these kits even include props or stuffed animals—though at BCPL, the beloved “potty buddy” is often mysteriously missing!

And now this cherished tradition continues—alongside a new focus: how to support children who are actively learning to decode.

BCPL kids’ events webpage showing upcoming storytimes and programs

BCPL offers more than seven public storytimes each week for families with children ages 0–5. During these sessions, team members provide explicit early literacy tips and model the types of caregiver-child interactions that nurture language and literacy development.

The library also leads a two-part Growing Readers initiative: the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, and a partnership with local pediatricians and Viewpoint Books. This collaboration puts high-quality books directly into the hands of families at well-child visits for children ages 6 months to 5 years, along with practical tips to support early literacy at home.

BCPL librarians extend their support even further—training local childcare providers in early literacy practices, visiting elementary schools to read and teach library skills, and participating in school district literacy nights.

With the partnership in place, the next step was simple: stock what families actually need.

Here’s what BCPL chose—and why it matters.

Trade Books and Leveled Texts: What They’re Great For

What many don’t realize is that the body of trade literature being published has been influenced by some long-standing misunderstandings about the way children learn to read.

Trade books excel at building language, knowledge, and motivation—especially through rich read-alouds and discussion. They are not, however, designed for systematic decoding practice.

Many trade books include complex spelling patterns and words that beginners haven’t been taught yet.  

Even simple-looking picture books can push children toward guessing instead of sounding out.

Read-alouds still matter—during decoding instruction and long after—but they don’t need to be the main practice text while a child is learning the code.

Leveled texts (guided reading sets) have traditionally been included by libraries because they have long been part of the dominant literacy instruction model in schools. 

These books are organized by publisher-created levels (sentence length, word difficulty, theme) and often feature familiar characters like Flat Stanley or Fancy Nancy.

Early levels frequently use predictable patterns (e.g., “She likes red. She likes blue. She likes green.”).

Leveled texts tend to prioritize patterns and high-frequency words over explicit phonics. 

As a result, children may lean on pictures and context to identify words—habits that can work against developing strong decoding skills (as noted by Linda Farrell and Michael Hunter). 

This doesn’t mean we need to toss out leveled books altogether.

It just means not relying on the leveling system as the primary driver of what beginners practice with. Use trade and leveled texts for knowledge, vocabulary, and enjoyment—while ensuring decoding practice happens with decodable books that align to taught phonics.

Graphic: “Reading Levels Assessments Don’t Direct Instruction”

The Issue with “Instructional Level” Reading

Leveled books are often assigned based on a child’s supposed “instructional level,” which can limit their access to richer vocabulary and more complex language. 

As literacy expert Timothy Shanahan points out, research hasn’t found consistent benefits to this approach. Sticking too rigidly to reading levels may prevent children from encountering the sophisticated language structures they need to build comprehension.

Instead, experts increasingly recommend letting students choose books based on topics. 

For example, if a child is fascinated by the topic of friendship or pigs, give them access to books on that topic across a range of levels. 

Some of these they’ll be able to read independently, while others might be better suited for adult or digital read-alouds.

Encouragingly, this interest-driven approach, Lindsay says,  

“…is the approach librarians have always favored! We always encourage kids (and their grownups) to choose books according to interest, as it's a huge motivator for wanting to learn to read!”

Curricula can also be built around topics with multiple texts and other media to help students build knowledge and vocabulary. These are referred to as text sets. 

Text sets:

  1. Provide scaffolds so students can access content across subjects.
  2. Boost motivation by letting interest drive reading and viewing.
  3. Are recommended for multilingual learners.

Both trade books and leveled texts are considered non-decodable because they aren’t controlled for systematic phonics instruction. While they build vocabulary and expose students to natural language, they can challenge beginners and students still developing decoding.

 

For more on these concerns and possible solutions, see:

Why Add Decodable Texts to a Child’s Reading Diet

Children learning to read (and those having difficulty) can practice with decodable texts — books designed with controlled phonics patterns aligned with explicit instruction, while also being exposed to rich read-alouds and other reading opportunities.

Decodable books contain grapheme-phoneme correspondences (GPCs), helping children map sounds to letters and store words in long-term memory. 

Unlike leveled readers, which often promote guessing, decodable books systematically build decoding skills and reading fluency.

Graphic: “Decoding Begins With the Alphabetic Principle”

Overall, decodable books support the alphabetic principle and that's where decoding begins—the understanding that letters represent sounds in spoken language. Success with these books depends on what a child has been taught, not just the book itself. 

The key is aligning decodable texts with a well-structured scope and sequence that introduces phonics concepts progressively.

Explicit strategies matter.

Try This Decoding Strategy Today

A scope and sequence is an educational term for a plan that gives order to concepts, knowledge, and skills students need to learn, which builds from easier to more complex.

But just as other types of texts can be overused or promote some habits for too long, we can do the same with decodable texts. So it’s important to use them for their purpose and flood children’s days with many types of texts.

For more, see: 

The Learn to Read Collection provides resources to help children practice the sound-symbol relationships necessary for pulling words off the page that were previously not available in the local library, getting them stored for quick retrieval as children interact with increasingly complex texts.

Part 3: Putting the Library’s Learn to Read Work in Context

The Reading League’s Compass shows how change accelerates when many stakeholders move together to improve reading outcomes—including Educator Preparation Programs, Educators and Specialists, Families and Caregivers, Curriculum Decision Makers, Policymakers and State Education Agencies, and Administrators. It also includes support for those working with English Learners/Emergent Bilinguals and Adolescents.

I believe libraries and local businesses belong in that circle, too.

BCPL’s Learn to Read collection is one model of how community partners can align around evidence-based practice.

Change can come from the top, but it can also rise from the grassroots. 

Several years ago, I was inspired by a guest blog for PhonicBooks. It is a powerful example of the latter. Faith Borkowsky and Tre Hadrick helped spark the Goodfellas Barbershop literacy initiative—proof that when communities come together, real change begins: Cutting Illiteracy: Decodable Books at the Barbershop.

Cover of If Only I Would Have Known… by Faith Borkowsky

(Faith’s book, “If Only I Would Have Known…” (3-in-1 Edition) is on the shelves in the Learn to Read Collection!)

No single group or project can make a lasting impact on its own. I encourage you to explore the resources provided here and those in The Reading League’s Compass if you’re looking to support similar efforts in your own community.

Real change happens when many spokes of the wheel move in the same direction. That’s exactly what we’re seeing here. Multiple stakeholders are engaged, learning together, and taking more evidence-based steps toward the same goal — ensuring all children become confident, capable readers.

So let’s take a quick glimpse at the other spokes active in Bartholomew County.

Policymakers: State Guidance Fueling Learn to Read Initiatives

Indiana toolkit Section 10: parent and community learning resources

Thankfully, Indiana has worked hard — with the support of multiple partners — to provide high-quality guidance and resources. 

The Advancing Science of Reading in Indiana – Lilly Endowment,  Indiana Literacy Cadre, and the Indiana Learning Lab (featuring The Reading League’s Science of Reading: Experts Explain Series, and the newly released Science of Reading and Dyslexia Toolkit) offer dozens of resources to support all stakeholders in strengthening word recognition and language comprehension. And that’s just a drop in the bucket when it comes to evidence-aligned resources now available in the state. 

These coordinated efforts have already paid off, with Indiana seeing a historic jump in reading scores.

Educator Prep Programs, Curriculum Decision Makers, and Administrators: Aligning With Decodable Practice

Several community colleges in our county are overhauling their teacher preparation programs to better equip future educators with the knowledge and tools they’ll need in the classroom.

Locally, Bartholomew County School District has been making significant strides, aligning its curriculum, professional development, and intervention practices with the Science of Reading. This includes implementing systematic phonics instruction, increasing eyes on print, consistent progress monitoring, and regular fluency checks.

As highlighted earlier through Heather’s story, private schools are also adapting their approaches to better meet students’ literacy needs.

By expanding access to evidence-aligned literacy resources, stakeholders across the community, including libraries and local businesses, can work together to build stronger readers and engage the families they serve.

Designing for Empowerment: Key Takeaways

Reading success shouldn’t be left to chance.

  • Align on evidence: Decoding requires explicit instruction and matched practice texts.

  • Equip families: Provide decodables, clear guidance, and easy checkout.

  • Leverage partnerships: Libraries, schools, and local organizations can share costs, space, and expertise.

  • Watch and improve: Notice which decodable sets move, which scopes are confusing, and where parents get stuck—then adjust labels, add guides, or swap titles.

And finally remember, decodable texts are only one type of text students need.

Get Decodable Book Lists

Librarian-vetted series matched to phonics progressions—ready for home, classroom, or library.

Your Turn—Share Your Library’s Learn to Read Efforts

Celebrate BCPL’s Learn to Read collection—or tell us what’s happening in your community. Which partners could you bring together to make decodable practice accessible for every family?

Want deeper training later?

Learn more about the Reading Simplified Academy