Providing Free “Decodables” to Students in Grades K-2 to Support Early Literacy
NASHVILLE: The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), in partnership with Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF), is opening up an opportunity for parents to order free at-home reading resources this winter for any of their children in grades K-2.
Through this partnership, TDOE and GELF encourage at-home reading practice to help young learners become stronger readers outside of the classroom. Based on if a child is in kindergarten, first or second grade, they will receive the At-Home Decodable Book Series, which contains over twenty stories of sounds and words to practice, and books from Scholastic.
Tennessee families can order one booklet pack for each of their kindergarten, firs, and second grade students using this site (opens a link in a new tab).
“We know early literacy is incredibly important and sets the foundation for a child’s education and life after graduation,” Commissioner Penny Schwinn said. “Thanks to partners like GELF, Tennessee families can easily order free books and resources to make reading fun this winter break and help their children become excellent readers,” she said
This launch is part of the family component of the state’s Reading 360 initiative (opens a link in a new tab) to help boost strong reading skills of Tennessee students.
A “decodable” is a book or story sequenced to include letter sounds and words familiar to readers that allow them to practice phonics and decoding skills at their grade level. Families can read decodables at home with their children to help them sound out words and build their reading skills.
“Caregivers hold so many roles and responsibilities, and the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) is here to support families in giving their children the brightest future,” James Pond, GELF President said. “Through this partnership, we aim to strengthen early literacy by promoting a culture of reading and learning outside of the classroom. When children are on holiday break from school, we encourage families to take a break from the screens and read together with these resources. Books build learners; books bond families,” he said.
How to Order
Tennessee families can order one booklet pack for each of their kindergarten, first, and second grade students using this site (opens a link in a new tab). The order will be delivered to the mailing address provided.
Your order will be fulfilled in the order it was received. Please note that USPS is continuing to experience staffing shortages and delays, and your Decodables resources will arrive as soon as possible.
Contact Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov (opens a link in a new tab) for information.