Phonics for Reading

Phonics Instruction for Older Students

Equip your striving readers with the critical foundational skills and confidence they need to succeed.

Overview

It’s Never Too Late to Learn to Read

Help older striving readers build the decoding skills that are essential to success. Authored by literacy expert Dr. Anita Archer, this phonics and reading program honors students’ maturity as grade-level thinkers while accelerating them toward grade-level reading.

Designed for students with identified needs in foundational skills—including students with dyslexia and English Learners—the program uses research-backed instruction to deliver effective and efficient intervention. Engaging, age-appropriate lessons build student motivation and stamina to meet the demands of grade-level content.

  • Program Type:Instruction
  • Curriculum Type:Intervention
  • Subject:Literacy
  • Grade(s):3–12
  • Language:English
  • Format:Digital, Print
  • Copyright:2024–2025

Program Features

Honor Striving Readers

Collapse
Age-Appropriate Content
Build stamina for reading with decodable texts that increase in length and complexity, with support for comprehension. 
Appealing Visual Design
Texts resemble other materials students see at their grade level.
Fast-Paced, Intensive Lessons

Improve motivation with quick pacing that keeps students active and engaged.

Accelerate Growth in Reading

Expand
Explicit Instruction in Decoding
Deliver intervention for phonemic awareness, phonics, word recognition, high-frequency words, and encoding (i.e., spelling).
Predictable Structure and Routines
Students internalize the lesson routines to accelerate learning.
Skills Transfer to Grade-Level Reading
Extend practice of skills and close the gap to grade level with Challenge Text lessons.
The Right Skills in the Right Order
Address the specific needs of older learners with a scope and sequence designed for them.

Simplify Teaching and Planning

Expand
Access to Digital Tools
Enhance your intervention with extra practice and engaging multimedia content.
Flexible Instructional Models
Choose from a range of instructional models and session lengths.
Point-of-Use Support for English Learners
Lessons include notes on students’ current knowledge and where to scaffold.
Supportive Teacher Script
Clearly scripted lessons minimize teacher preparation while maximizing student outcomes.

Drive Interventions with Insight

Expand
Embedded Placement Test
Start each student where they can succeed, using this brief assessment.
Pairs Seamlessly with i-Ready
Use i-Ready, or another assessment screener, to identify the students who need phonics intervention.
Progress Monitoring Tools
Understand which students are ready to move ahead and who needs additional practice.

Testimonials

The academic growth that my students have shown since using Phonics for Reading . . . is just exponential. They are more confident. They’re excited to come in. I can tell that they see their growth.

— D. Burgess, Resource Teacher

What's Included

Student Book

  • Three levels of explicit, systematic instruction
  • Some students may only need Level C. Others will need to start at Level A or Level B, depending on their proficiency. 
  • Engaging decodable texts 
  • Purposeful practice 

Teacher's Guide

  • Clearly scripted lessons 
  • Repeated routines 
  • Support for English Learners 
  • Embedded assessments 

Digital Resources

  • Extra practice 
  • Multimedia lesson content 
  • IEP goal-setting templates
  • Family Letters
  • Professional learning tools 
Our Professional Learning suite offers collaborative live sessions and curated, on-demand digital resources to help educators drive meaningful student outcomes with their Curriculum Associates programs.
Deepen Your Impact

Related Resources

Placement Test

Administer this brief assessment to determine the levels of Phonics for Reading your students need. 

Research Base

Read about the foundational research and pedagogical approach in Phonics for Reading. 

Growth for Phonics for Reading Users

Learn how students showed positive growth, regardless of Multilingual Learner or disability status. 

Meet the Experts behind the Program

I’m certain you believe, as I believe, that reading is a civil right. We’ve got to use our very best knowledge and energy to ensure students are readers.

Dr. Anita Archer

Profile photo of Anita Archer, Ph.D.

Anita Archer, Ph.D.

Dr. Anita Archer serves as an educational consultant to state departments and school districts on explicit instruction and literacy. She has presented in all 50 states and many countries, and she is the recipient of 10 awards honoring her contributions to education. Dr. Archer has served on the faculties of three universities—University of Washington, University of Oregon, and San Diego State University—and has co-authored numerous curriculum materials.