Creating Readers with Savannah Campbell

#28 Decodables Done Right: Story, Scope, and What Actually Matters with Brooke Vitale

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In this episode, I’m joined by Brooke Vitale, founder of Charge Mommy Books and a former editor at major publishing houses like Penguin and Disney. Brooke has published over 100 books and brings a unique perspective to the world of decodables, blending strong storytelling with research-aligned phonics practices.

We dig into what decodables are actually for, how they should (and shouldn’t) be used, and what it really takes to create texts that both support decoding and feel like real stories.

🔑 Key Takeaways
  • 📖 Decodables are a tool, not the curriculum: Their job is to provide practice with taught phonics skills, not replace explicit instruction.
  • 🔤 Phonics control matters, but so does story: A decodable should still have have a story that makes sense. If it’s just words on a page, we’re missing the point.
  • 🧠 Comprehension still belongs in decodables: Even simple tasks, like matching a sentence to a picture, require meaning-making and should be part of the experience.
  • ⚠️ Biggest (non-mistake) mistake--not reading the book first: You can’t anticipate student breakdowns if you don’t know what’s coming.
  • ✍️ Writing decodables is harder than it looks Brooke shares her process, starting with word lists, building a story, then revising for phonics control.
    • 🔗 Connect with Brooke
    • Website: https://www.chargemommybooks.com 
    • Instagram & Facebook: @chargemommybooks
    • Available on Amazon*

      • *As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small commission on any purchase made through my link, at no additional cost to you.

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      Creating Readers with Savannah CampbellBy Savannah Campbell
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