Rising Readers
Support Your K-5 Reader
Through its Rising Readers initiative, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh offers kids in grades K-5 and their caregivers resources, programs and services that support reading growth.
K-3 Read Aloud
Through this service, students in grades K-3 will explore and discuss a contemporary, age-appropriate picture book during a 25-30 minute program. Designed to strengthen school age literacy skills, including vocabulary, comprehension and verbal reasoning.
Decodables
Our decodables collection is intended to help your rising reader practice letter patterns, sounds, and phonics skills. Take a look at all of the decodables books we currently have available for checkout here. Decodables are available at all CLP locations.
What are decodables?
Decodables are a type of book for early readers working on the skill of breaking down words and sounding them out, called decoding. Aligned with the science of reading, decodables encourage repeated practice of the sounds that different letters make, also known as phonics. Here at CLP, our decodables are available for you to borrow with your library card, take home, and practice reading. Each book focuses on different letter and sound patterns so you can tailor what book you pick to what your learning reading is trying to work on. We offer a wide variety of decoables, so if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask one of our children’s department staff members about what’s best for your reader.
Use our online catalog to search selections of phonics and decodables titles across Allegheny County. Complete a keyword search by typing “CLP Decodables” in the search bar or search for different series of decodables. We recommend Express Readers, Half Pint Kids, Phonic Books, Tumbleweed, and Whole Phonics.
Science of Reading
The science of reading refers to all the research showing how the brain learns to read. After all, reading is a skill that must be taught, not something that unlocks naturally over time. While the science of reading is not a set curriculum, it highlights the importance of two key components: sounding out words and understanding what words mean. Through explicitly and systematically developing these skills, reading becomes automatic and comprehension matures. For a more detailed explanation of the science of reading, check out this great breakdown at Reading Rockets.
What does all this mean for caregivers? Check out our Support Your K-5 Reader brochure to learn how you can help!