A decodable book uses only the sounds a child has been taught, so every word can be sounded out. In Zupzi Read, a checker in the app's code reads every page and allows only words made of the sounds taught so far and heart words already taught, with a limit of new words and sentences on each page. Even the characters' names, like Sam, Pam and Pip, are made of taught sounds. Below are the books of Level 1, with every page.
The rules every page follows
- Every word is made of sounds already taught, or is a heart word already taught. Even the characters' names, like Sam, Pam and Pip, are made of taught sounds.
- In the Level 1 books, a page has at most two sentences and at most two or three new words, depending on the book. Later levels allow a little more.
- The check is code, not someone reading by eye: a book that doesn't pass doesn't go in.
How a book works in the app
- One page at a time. The picture stays hidden until your child reads the page.
- Tap any word to hear it. The teacher can also read the page, with each word lighting up as it is read.
- Taking turns. In the first books, the teacher reads one page and your child the next.
- Two questions at the end, by tapping: “Which picture comes first in the story?” and “Find this word.” A wrong tap lights up the right answer; there is no score.
- “The end! This book goes on your shelf.” Books your child has read wait in My books; the next ones say “This book opens in your lessons!”
If a grown-up has allowed listening, your child taps “Read it!” and reads aloud; without it, your child taps “I read it!”.
Decodable books and leveled books
Leveled books are sorted by overall difficulty. Decodable books are written to match the sounds a child has been taught, so the words can be read by sounding them out. Zupzi Read's books are decodable, and each one belongs to a lesson.
Real screens from the app, in the iPhone simulator, with a test reader.
Sam
Level 1: First Letters, lesson 5 (Read VC and CVC words) · 4 pages · new in this lesson: no new sound: it puts the first four together.
Every word in the book:
- a
- am
- at
- i
- mat
- sam
- sat
- tam
- the
I am Sam.
Sam sat.
Sam sat at the mat.
A tam! Sam sat.
Tap, Tap!
Level 1: First Letters, lesson 6 (/p/ as in pig) · 5 pages · new in this lesson: p as in pig.
Every word in the book:
- am
- at
- i
- map
- pam
- sam
- sat
- tap
- the
I am Pam.
Pam sat at the map.
Tap, tap, tap!
Sam sat at the map. Pam sat.
Tap the map, Sam!
A Fat Map
Level 1: First Letters, lesson 7 (/f/ as in fish) · 5 pages · new in this lesson: f as in fish.
Every word in the book:
- a
- fat
- map
- mat
- of
- pam
- sam
- sat
- tap
- the
Sam! A map!
A fat map.
Pam sat. Sam sat.
Tap the map. Tap, tap!
A map of the mat!
Pip
Level 1: First Letters, lesson 8 (/i/ as in itch) · 5 pages · new in this lesson: i as in itch.
Every word in the book:
- at
- is
- it
- map
- mat
- of
- pip
- sam
- sat
- sip
- the
- tip
It is Pip.
Pip sat at the mat.
Sip, Pip! Sip, sip.
Pip is at the tip of the map.
Is it Sam? It is!
Nap, Pip!
Level 1: First Letters, lesson 9 (/n/ as in net) · 5 pages · new in this lesson: n as in net.
Every word in the book:
- at
- in
- is
- it
- nap
- pip
- sam
- sat
- tap
- the
- tin
Pip is in the tin.
Nap, Pip, nap.
Tap, tap! It is Sam.
Sam is at the tin. Sam sat in it.
Nap, Sam! Nap, Pip!
Questions about the books
What is a decodable book?
A book written only with the letter sounds a child has already learned, plus a few heart words, so every word can be sounded out instead of guessed.
Why is the picture hidden until my child reads the page?
So the page is read first. Once your child reads it, the curtain opens and the picture appears.
Can my child hear a word they don't know?
Yes. Tapping any word in a book says it.
How are the books checked?
By code, not by eye: a checker reads every word of every page against the sounds taught so far and the heart words already taught. A book that doesn't pass doesn't go in.
See the sounds behind the books: letter sounds, CVC words and heart words.
