Carefully implementing buildable phonics skills, the Stairway Decodables series gathers books into six "steps" with concepts of increasing complexity, from short vowels in Step One to diphthongs and vowel-r combinations in Step Six. Each preface includes word count, featured skills, "tricky words," and educator-guided activities emphasizing phonemic awareness and content comprehension, while back matter features reinforcement activities that encompass main-events recollection, story sequencing, and, in higher steps, writing prompts. Will and the Baby (Step 1), illuminates short vowels, spotlighting a young lizard adjusting to having a new baby sister. Sam Helps (Step 2) features a lively tractor and his vehicle friends, and the text (one short sentence per spread) emphasizes consonant blends. Pets Wash Up (Step 3) uses more words and characters while highlighting the digraph sh. Ezra Makes Magic (Step 4) is richer in story and uses more elaborate words, showcasing hard and soft consonant sounds. Consistent, engaging illustrations conveying joy and wit complement the progression of the series. The series, particularly the earlier Steps, is worth sampling in a school or public library, and some school libraries may find the full collection valuable for literacy instruction and reinforcement. A note: art has been repurposed from now-out-of-print Stone Arch Readers and Read It! Readers series, but the text has been completely rewritten to improve decodability.--Deidre Winterhalter "Booklist"

This set is intended to support early phonics development, but it feels more suited to teacher-led instruction than independent reading. The books lack a clear scope and sequence, which makes it difficult for educators to determine which phonemes are targeted in each title. While the ­illustrations, such as those in Gus the Bus, may appeal to younger children with themes like vehicles, the stories themselves often lack depth and originality, with clunky text that fails to engage readers. Additionally, some of the illustrations come across as too simplistic and may not resonate with the older end of the intended audience. VERDICT Without a more defined phonics focus or age-appropriate content, these books fall short in providing an effective tool for early literacy development.-- "School Library Journal"

Publisher: Picture Window Books

Pub date: 2024-08-01

Length: 32 pages