AIR Language, a leader in language learning innovation, is excited to announce the release of a new series of decodable books specifically designed for secondary multilingual learners. These books are created to bridge the gap in literacy for students who are acquiring English as an additional language, with a focus on reinforcing foundational reading skills that are crucial for academic success.
Building Literacy One Sound at a Time
The new series of decodable books offers structured, explicit instruction in phonics that is aligned with the five pillars of the Science of Reading. Through carefully crafted stories, these books provide students with the opportunity to focus on phonemic awareness, decoding, and sound-letter correspondence in a way that respects their age and learning level.
Targeting Key Phonics Skills with a Focus on Sounds and Minimal Pairs
The new decodable book series from AIR Language is organized into levels that focus on specific sounds critical for English language acquisition. Each level introduces and reinforces particular phonemes, providing students with ample opportunities to practice both common and challenging sounds. This step-by-step approach ensures that learners can master the foundations of English pronunciation and phonics.
Level 1 Focuses on short vowel sounds and the following consonant sounds: /t/,/n/,/s/,/r/,/h/,/d/,/l/, /k/,/m/, and /f/
Level 2 introduces long vowel sounds and continues with these consonants: /p/,/g/,/v/,/b/,/ks/,/kw/,/dʒ/,/z/,/w/,/tʃ/,/ʃ/,/θ/, and /ŋ/
Level 3 includes the following blends: /bl/,/br/,/cl/,/cr/,/dr/,/fl/,/gl/,/gr/,/pl/,/pr/,/sc/,/scr/,/sl/,/pl/,/st/, and /ð/.
To further support accurate pronunciation and sound differentiation, the series makes extensive use of minimal pairs—words that differ by just one sound (e.g., "bit" vs. "bat," "ship" vs. "sheep"). These minimal pairs are embedded throughout the text to help multilingual learners distinguish between similar sounds, which is especially important for those whose first languages may not include certain English phonemes. This deliberate focus on sound contrast helps students sharpen their listening and speaking skills while building fluency in reading.
Empowering Secondary Learners
Recognizing the unique challenges that older English learners face, AIR Language’s decodable books are designed to be age-appropriate while also academically rigorous. The books utilize language structures and vocabulary relevant to secondary education, helping students build confidence in their reading abilities as they navigate grade-level content. These resources ensure that students are not only learning to read but are also developing the literacy skills necessary to succeed across subjects.
Interactive Support through the AIR Platform
In addition to the decodable books, AIR Language’s platform integrates these materials with personalized reading support from Ari, the AI-powered reading tutor. The platform allows students to engage in reading conferences with teachers, monitor their progress through analytics, and self-assess their reading growth. This comprehensive system ensures that the learning process is both engaging and effective.
A Commitment to Multilingual Learners
“We’ve seen the impact that explicit phonics instruction can have on literacy development, especially for multilingual learners. Our new decodable books are a step forward in providing structured, supportive resources that meet students where they are and help them grow,” said Kyle Larson, CEO of AIR Language. “By focusing on the specific needs of secondary learners, we’re empowering them to thrive in their academic journeys.”
The new decodable book series is now available through the AIR Language platform. To learn more about how these resources can support your students, visit airlanguagelearning.com or schedule a demonstration with our team.
About AIR Language
AIR Language is dedicated to improving language learning outcomes for students globally by providing schools with an innovative platform that integrates science-based reading instruction, real-time analytics, and personalized support. AIR Language helps educators meet students’ needs through structured literacy programs, ensuring that every student has the tools to succeed.
If this sounds like something that would be helpful to use in your secondary ML classroom, sign up by clicking the button below.
Note: Our Decodable books currently have no quizzes attached. In the future that is something we do plan to offer, but for now, students cannot earn points by reading decodables.
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