Sam and Friends Phonics Books
Program Description
Some older students and adults struggle with reading because they have not yet mastered phonics and spelling. If you teach special education, ESL/English-language learners, a reading intervention class, or if you are homeschooling your own child, you know how hard it is to find engaging decodable text for older students.
The 54 eight-page Sam and Friends Phonics Books feature teenage characters, high-interest plots, and non-juvenile cartoons. Each digital download (eBook) has embedded reading comprehension questions and word fluency. You get three separate formats of these decodable books: 1. Print booklets 2. Phone 3. Tablet or Chromebook. Teachers have a lifetime license to print and share the booklets and digital files with their students and parents. Quite a reasonable price, too, at two bucks a book!
All program components are digital downloads (no print books).
Click HERE to preview all 54 Sam and Friends Phonics Books (in the phone format).
Click HERE to preview all 54 Sam and Friends Phonics Books (as a flipbook).
The instructional sequence aligns with most explicit, systematic phonics and spelling instruction. Plus, differentiate/individualize instruction according to data from the program's whole-class diagnostic phonics assessment if you wish.
Your students will love these entertaining stories!
Your older students will enjoy reading about the comical adventures of Sam and his friends: Tom, Kit, and Deb. Oh, and also Sam’s dog, Pug. Each book is cleverly illustrated by master cartoonist, David Rickert. These books are fun to read and fun to teach!
Each book has focus sound-spellings and two Heart Words, which are practiced throughout the story. The 5 higher level SCRIP Comprehension Cues (Summary, Connect, Re-think, Interpret, Predict) per story are ideal for teaching students to dialog(ue) with the text and improve comprehension.
Additionally, all 54 books provide a 30-second word fluency practice on the focus sound-spellings and high-frequency Heart Words with a systematic review of previously introduced sound-spellings and Heart Words. Your students will improve reading fluency as they develop automaticity with the common sound-spellings and high-frequency Heart Words.
Instructional Sequence
- Books 1-8: Short Vowels and Consonants
- Books 9-16: Consonant Blends and Digraphs (Part 1)
- Books 17-24: Consonant Blends and Digraphs (Part 2)
- Books 25-34: Long Vowels and Consonant-Final e
- Books 35-44: r-controlled Vowels and Diphthongs
- Books 45-54: Syllable Juncture and Derivational Influence
Click HERE to preview all 54 Sam and Friends Phonics Books (in the phone format).
What teachers say
All reviews“The Sam and Friends Phonics Books are amazing. I have been using them for two years now, my middle school kids love them, they can relate to the stories, and I have seen improved reading in all of them. They would often want to read additional books and be upset that we had to wait till the next day. My kids often said these are great to read and not about baby stuff. Several were like he should make it a novel because it kind of is!”
“Just what my struggling middle school and high school readers need!”
“I use these books with my third and fourth grade intervention students. They love the books and ask if we are reading Sam and Friends today. They apply the comprehension strategies in these books to other stories. So glad to have these resources!”
“I teach ESL and my kids haven’t been taught phonics properly. Fortunately, Sam and Friends does just that and speeds up quickly. I also like that I can send the books home and not charge the parents–we all love that. Also, the stories aren’t about something stupid, like cats and dogs.”
FAQ
Questions teachers ask
Who are these decodable books written for?
They are written for older students and adults who have not yet mastered phonics and spelling, including special education, ESL and English-language learners, reading intervention classes, and homeschool. The 54 books feature teenage characters, high-interest plots, and non-juvenile cartoons.
How many books are there and how long is each one?
There are 54 books, and each one is eight pages.
What order are the sound-spellings taught in?
Books 1-8 cover short vowels and consonants, 9-16 and 17-24 cover consonant blends and digraphs, 25-34 cover long vowels and consonant-final e, 35-44 cover r-controlled vowels and diphthongs, and 45-54 cover syllable juncture and derivational influence. The sequence aligns with most explicit, systematic phonics and spelling instruction.
What formats do the books come in?
You get three separate formats: print booklets, phone, and tablet or Chromebook.
Is there comprehension and fluency work built in?
Yes. Each book has focus sound-spellings and two Heart Words practiced throughout the story, five SCRIP comprehension cues (Summary, Connect, Re-think, Interpret, Predict), and a 30-second word fluency practice that systematically reviews previously introduced sound-spellings and Heart Words.
Can I print and share the books with my students?
Yes. Teachers have a lifetime license to print and share the booklets and digital files with their students and parents. The license covers one teacher and that teacher's classes.
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