At Truckee Elementary, we are committed to ensuring all students become confident, fluent readers. However, many of our Resource students struggle with reading significantly below grade level. A primary obstacle is the lack of age-appropriate, decodable text. Most traditional phonics books are designed for very young children, which can be stigmatizing and disengaging for older students.
This grant requests a curated selection of Phonic Books Catch-Up series and Dandelion Launchers. The Catch-Up series (Pet Sitters, Dragon Eggs, Island Adventure, and Rescue) are uniquely designed as high-interest chapter books. They provide the sophisticated look and feel of upper-elementary literature while utilizing highly controlled, decodable text. Additionally, the Dandelion Launchers World Stages provide the foundational initial code support necessary for our students who are still mastering basic blending and phonemic awareness.