Coming Soon! Decodables for older readers (Partnered with StoryShares)
Newsela is partnering with StoryShares to bring decodables for upper elementary through high school-age students, who need foundational skills support, into the Newsela ELA content library.
What are decodables for older readers?
Decodables for older readers support the Science of Reading by reinforcing explicit, systematic phonics and morphology instruction while providing age-appropriate, engaging content. Many struggling readers in upper grades have gaps in foundational skills, and decodables offer structured opportunities to practice both phonics patterns and morphemes (prefixes, suffixes, and root words) in context. This repeated exposure strengthens phonemic awareness, orthographic mapping, and morphological understanding, leading to improved word recognition, fluency, and reading confidence.
By ensuring that texts are both accessible and engaging, decodables help older readers focus on comprehension rather than decoding individual words. High-quality decodables use compelling narratives and relevant nonfiction topics to maintain motivation while reinforcing essential literacy skills. By incorporating morphology, students not only improve their ability to decode but also expand their vocabulary and understanding of word structure, helping them transition to more complex texts and bridge the gap between foundational skills and grade-level reading expectations.
How does Newsela partner with StoryShare?
Storyshares is a literacy organization and niche publisher dedicated to bringing the transformational power of books to striving readers all across the globe. Storyshares meets underserved readers wherever they are, providing culturally inclusive texts that are filled with diverse, relatable, and compelling characters, brought to life with accessible language and formatting. "Easy to read but hard to put down," the Storyshares library is home to choices that readers of all ages can and want to read as they work to strengthen key literacy skills.
StoryShare's books are designed to be engaging and age-appropriate while maintaining accessible readability, helping struggling readers build confidence and fluency.
Features from Storyshares
Science of Reading-aligned controlled chapter books for older learners
Designed to engage older readers, with diverse, compelling, and relatable characters
Topics and themes that reflect the interests of teens and young adults
Interdisciplinary connections, integrating broader concepts and knowledge
Newsela’s partnership includes the publication of a StoryShares series, which follows the same characters throughout 8 books. Newsela provides targeted lessons for each chapter of these books alongside a text set pairing Newsela ELA articles that align to the topics, themes or concepts covered in the decodable readers, to provide students with additional opportunities to be exposed to similar vocabulary.
Is there a difference in the assignment builder for Decodables compared to other Newsela ELA content?
When using decodables, the assignment builder looks and feels the same as our regular ELA content; however, consider the following when implementing.
Assigning a decodable reader differs from assigning a standard Newsela text in both selection and instructional approach:
Selection: Decodable readers are assigned based on a student’s phonics and morphology skill level, ensuring alignment with specific literacy needs. In contrast, standard Newsela texts are assigned based on reading comprehension level, background knowledge, or subject-area relevance.
Instructional Approach: Decodable readers are used in structured literacy lessons, small-group phonics and morphology instruction, or interventions, with a focus on decoding, morpheme recognition, and fluency. Students engage in activities such as reading aloud, word work, and phonics/morphology application exercises. Newsela texts, on the other hand, emphasize comprehension, discussion, and analysis, with students engaging in annotation, writing prompts, and higher-order thinking.
Student Experience: When assigned a decodable reader, students apply specific phonics and morphological skills and focus on word structure and meaning. With a Newsela text, students engage in leveled reading to build comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
How can I pair these decodables with other Newsela ELA resources?
Phonics & Morphology to Comprehension Progression – Assign a decodable reader to reinforce specific phonics and morphology skills, then follow up with a leveled Newsela text on a related topic. This allows students to apply decoding and word analysis strategies in a more natural reading experience.
Thematic Connections – Choose a Newsela article that connects thematically with the decodable text. For example, if a decodable reader focuses on animals, pair it with a high-interest Newsela article about wildlife. This builds background knowledge while reinforcing decoding skills.
Thematic Connections text sets with lessons are available throughout the Decodable Readers for Older Readers Collection
Vocabulary & Word Study – Use a Newsela article to introduce key vocabulary and morphological structures (e.g., prefixes, suffixes, roots) before students read the decodable text. This primes students for success by giving them exposure to words they will decode and analyze. Afterward, revisit the article for word study, discussion, and comprehension activities.
Fluency & Discussion – Have students read the decodable reader aloud to build fluency, then use a related Newsela text for group discussion or writing prompts that push their comprehension and critical thinking.
How to access decodables for older readers
To find the decodables for older readers in the Newsela ELA content library:
Click on Content Library at the top of the page
Select 'ELA Decodables for Older Readers' from the dropdown menu
Scroll or use the left side navigation bar to find both the decodable text sets and the thematic connections associated with each book
Lesson Sparks of instructional resources are provided for each decodables text set, as well as the thematic connection accompanying it:
Click into the decodables text set or the thematic connection of your choice
Locate the desired lesson spark on the right-side panel and click on it
Select 'Open full page view' at the top of the side panel to open the lesson spark in a separate tab
Are there Decodables for elementary students in Newsela ELA?
We have designed these decodable readers specifically to support upper elementary through high school students in developing essential decoding skills. While they are readable for a 4th-grade student, they are intentionally structured to help older students remediate and relearn key phonics patterns necessary for reading success. These texts provide targeted practice to help striving readers build fluency, confidence, and automaticity, ensuring they can transition into more complex texts with ease.
When should I use a Storyshares decodable versus a Newsela-created decodable?
Use a Storyshares decodable when focusing on fiction-based phonics practices. Storyshares books provide high-interest narratives designed to engage students in structured phonics instruction while maintaining an authentic young adult feel. These texts are ideal for students who need additional decoding practice within engaging fiction while reinforcing phonics skills in a controlled, structured way.
Use a Newsela-created decodable to integrate decoding practice with background knowledge acquisition in science and social studies. Newsela decodables align with the most commonly taught topics in these subjects and focus on morphology, helping students decode multisyllabic words while also learning key content-area vocabulary. These texts are ideal for building decoding skills while reinforcing academic concepts students will encounter in grade-level coursework.