Frequently Asked Questions

General:

How can I contact you?

You can contact us via email at info@phonicbooks.com.

Do you take orders during the holidays?

You can place orders during the holidays but we don’t deliver unless there is a full-time member of staff on reception to receive the order. Therefore please place your order once school is open again after the holidays.

FAQs for ordering books

Can we place an order using a purchase order/pay by invoice?

Yes, you can find instructions on how to do this here.

How can I get a quote for an order?

Please email your wish list to schools@phonicbooks.com.

Where is my order?

You would have received an email with your tracking details following the placement of your order, if not please get in touch with info@phonicbooks.com with your order number and we will get back to you.

Can we have some sample books?

Yes, please email info@phonicbooks.com for sample materials.

I have only received part of my order, when will I get the rest?

Please email info@phonicbooks.com with your order number and we will get back to you.

How do I make a return?

Please email info@phonicbooks.com with your order number and we will get back to you.

Do you process exchanges?

No we don’t exchange goods but you can return your order if it’s in resaleable/brand new condition.

How do I cancel my order?

You can cancel your order prior to despatch, please email info@phonicbooks.com with your order number.

I’ve put the incorrect delivery address in the order – can this be changed?

Yes, we can change the address as long as your order hasn’t been despatched. Please email info@phonicbooks.com with your order number and we will get back to you.

Can I have a VAT receipt for my order?

Yes, please email info@phonicbooks.com with your order number and we will email the VAT receipt to you.

Can I get a discount/coupon code?

If your order is over £1000 we can offer a discount. Please email info@phonicbooks.com with your order details and we will get back to you.

Do you sell single book replacements?

No, we are not able to sell single book replacements.

Do you sell ebooks?

A selection of Phonic Books series will be ebooks will be available wherever you buy your ebooks from January 2024.

Can we photocopy your books?

You can’t photocopy our reading books as this would contravene copyright.

However our workbooks are photocopiable.

FAQs on phonics

Why teach children to read using phonics?

Written languages are codes of symbols which represent spoken language. In the English Phonic Code, the symbols (letters) represent units of single sounds.

Teaching reading with phonics unlocks the code to beginner readers. Teaching reading without phonics is like teaching children a secret code without the key to decode it. Some children are natural code-breakers but many are not.

What is different about Synthetic Phonics?

Synthetic phonics differs from traditional phonics. In the past children were taught to break up words like ‘cat’ into ‘c’ and ‘at’. The word would be taught as part of the ‘at’ word list.

Synthetic phonics teaches children to identify each sound in the word separately and then blend or ‘synthesize’ the sounds together into a word.

Children are taught to blend and segment each sound in the word.

What is blending and segmenting?

Blending is pushing the sounds together into a word. E.g.: ‘c’ ‘a’ ‘t’ ‘cat’. This is an underlying skill for reading.

Segmenting is isolating the sounds in a word. E.g.: ‘c’ ‘a’ ‘t’ are the sounds in the word ‘cat’. This is an underlying skill for reading and spelling.

What are decodable books?

Decodable books have texts which the pupil can read using the phonics they have already been taught. The text is controlled to enable the reader to read independently at every stage. All Phonic Books titles are decodable.

What is the purpose of a decodable book?

Decodable book help children to:

  • Practice and apply letter-sound relationship knowledge taught to date through a meaningful, continuous text
  • Build fluency and reading stamina
  • Build comprehension
  • Build confidence and enjoyment in reading

Decoable books develop reliable and successful strategies for tackling new words, blending sounds into words rather than trying to guess the words and builds the reader’s confidence.

What are the Initial and Extended Phonic Codes?

The English Phonic Code is complex. Beginner readers start with the simple part: the Initial Phonic Code. This includes the sounds of the alphabet within CVC (consonant/vowel/consonant), adjacent consonants in 4 and 5 sound words (e.g. ‘land’, ‘from’, ‘blend’) and the consonant digraphs (ch, sh, th, ck, ng and qu). The Initial Phonic Code is taught in Units 1-15 in the Dandelion Launchers Series and in Units 1-20 in the Dandelion Readers Series.

The Extended Phonic Code includes the vowel and consonant sounds which are represented by alternative spellings. E.g.: ai, ay, a, ea, a-e etc. all spell the sound ‘ae’. In our books, the Extended Phonic Code is taught in Levels 1, 2, 3 & 4 and the Split Vowel Spelling Books in the Dandelion Readers Series and for older readers in the Alba, Totem, Rescue, Titan, Talisman 1 & Talisman 2 Series.

Which phonic programme do your books align with?

In general, our books can be used with any phonics programme a school is using. Every programme introduces the sounds in a slightly different order, our books follow the Sounds-Write Reading and Spelling programme. Each of our books lists what the pupil needs to know before reading.

If the order of the introduction of sounds is different, delay the reading by a few weeks until the pupil has covered the sounds. To check the phonic progression, see the back of the books or see our ‘Phonic Progression Chart‘.

For what age group are the books suitable?

Dandelion Launchers are suitable for foundation stage. They will be used in some nursery schools and in Reception classes.

Dandelion Readers are suitable for Reception classes, years 1, 2 and 3, depending on the progress of the pupil.

All of our Catch-Up Series are suitable for older, reluctant readers aged 8-14 +.

FAQs for teachers

How do I choose decodable books for my class?

The target phoneme and the decodable book must match up, so that children are never caught out and can always sound out and blend the words in the book.

Which books should my student start with?

Teachers can use the free diagnostic cards to establish where best to start with your class.

What should I use to assess children in order to monitor decoding skills and evaluate progress over time?

You can download our reading assessments that can be used alongside the books in our Dandelion Launchers and Dandelion Readers series. We also have a progress monitoring chart available.

Do your books need to be read in a particular order?

Dandelion Launchers and Readers:

Our books are designed to be read in a certain order: each unit introduces a new sound starting with unit 1 which includes the letters s, a, t, i, m. Books in unit 2 introduce more letters (n, o, p) and also reinforce the sounds learned in unit 1. This gradual introduction of sounds continues throughout the books and by the time children have reached unit 7, they should be able to read CVC words using any combination of these letters. However, you can mix and match units so children can be given any unit 1 books in the Dandelion Launchers and any unit 1 book in the Dandelion Readers. Phonic Books can also be used with popular phonics curricula like Wilson, UFLI, Heggerty, and CKLA as outlined here.

Catch-up readers and Dragon Books:

These book series need to be read in the correct order, they are designed as story books with each book within a set forming a chapter in the overall story.

Which order should the books be read in?

You can refer to this chart to establish the progression of our books.

For what age group are the books suitable?

Dandelion Launchers are suitable for foundation stage. They can be used in some nursery schools and in reception classes.

Dandelion Readers are suitable for reception classes and years 1, 2 and 3, depending on the progress of the pupil.

All of our catch-up series are suitable for older, reluctant readers aged 8-14+.

Can you use Phonic Books for my SEND children or in special schools?

Yes, all our books are suitable for children of all ages who are struggling with their reading.

My child/student has finished the Phonic Books book but is still struggling, what should I do?

We recommend buying the activity books which offer a mixture of blending, segmenting, reading, spelling, comprehension tasks and much more. These activity books are linked to the reading books and help reinforce learning.

Do you sell non-fiction books?

Yes, see Dandelion World

Are Phonic Books suitable for whole class teaching?

Yes, the carefully planned phonic structure of the books fully supports a phonics first approach to reading. The books can be used for individual or group reading.

How many books should I buy for my class?

This depends on how your school is going to use the books. In order to work out the optimum number you will need to decide the following:

  1. Are the books for whole class use or group use?
  2. If they are for group use, how many children are in a group?
  3. Are the books to be used in a remedial setting? How many sets are required?
  4. Will the children have a copy each or will they share?
  5. Will the school send the books home with students? If so you will need a copy for each child.
  6. Are different classes sharing books?

*Note that only one activity book per instructor is necessary as these are photocopiable.

How do Dandelion Launchers fit with Dandelion Readers?

Dandelion Launchers are for beginner readers or young readers who need lots of practice at the early stages of reading. For this reason there is just one line of text on each page and there are four books are each level.

Dandelion Readers can be used as additional reading material for young readers or for younger catch-up readers. There are three parallel sets available. Our Dandelion Readers range progresses at a faster pace than our Dandelion Launcher range. From Unit 3 there is more text on each page – two or more lines. As the phonic progression and level (unit) structure is the same, you can use both series together by splitting them up according to units.

Who are the workbooks for?

Workbooks complement our books. They are photocopiable programmes of work for pupils who need further practice in blending, segmenting, spelling and reading comprehension. They can be used in mainstream class settings, for group work or individual tuition.

How do I use the workbooks?

The workbooks are linked to the stories in the books making the activities relevant and contextual. Some activities should be introduced before reading the books and others, such as comprehension, should be introduced after reading the books.

A short explanation on each page explains when and how to introduce the activity.

How can I monitor my child’s/student’s decoding skills and evaluate progress over time to identify areas where further help may be needed?

You can download our reading assessments that can be used alongside the books in our Dandelion Launchers and Dandelion Readers series. We also have a progress monitoring chart available.

UK schools & organisations wishing to order by invoice, please read the information regarding our new process. Dismiss