TESTIMONIALS!
Stephanie Mrack-Literacy Teacher on Sunshine Coast and parent of two.
December 2024
I recently had the pleasure of reading "Cats: A Short a Book" with my child and it was an absolute hit! This decodable book is fantastic for early readers, offering simple text that builds confidence while reinforcing essential phonics skills. The story is engaging and easy to follow, with fun illustrations on separate pages that captures attention without overwhelming the reader. It's the perfect blend of fun and learning, making it an excellent choice for young readers just starting to build their skills. Highly recommend for anyone looking to foster a love of reading!
Kirsten Deasey
District Principal of Learning Innovation and Childcare
SD#46 Sunshine Coast
November 2024
Teachers on the Sunshine Coast are eagerly anticipating the release of this series! The books are thoughtfully written, featuring engaging story lines and delightful surprises at the turn of the page. The authors are experienced master teachers who specialize in early literacy. Children adore the characters, and the captivating illustrations add to the charm. As a result, early reading experiences are filled with humour and shared joy. Each book includes tips for teachers and parents, offering ideas for follow-up conversations and vocabulary building. These books are truly a game changer for the decodable industry.
Laura G-K/1 Teacher
Chief Tomat Elemenatary
SD#23 Central Okanagan
February 2025
I have been loving the pink and purple series. I want my students (Kindergarten and Grade 1) to be competent readers that can decode words rather than rely on pictures. This has been hard to do until I got to try this series where pictures are on the following page. The kiddos are excited to see the picture and they get an opportunity to self-correct. The books align with the Science of Reading and I would definitely recommend them to anyone learning to read. My class calls them "the books with fun pictures".
Adrienne Gear
Author, Teacher, Presenter
June 2025
“I have seen a LOT of decodable books in the past few years and these, by far, are the most engaging! I also love that they are Canadian written by actual TEACHERS! I have met and worked with all three of them and they are amazing!"
Amanda Miller
Parent of a 6 year old and 4 year old in Abbotsford, B.C.
January 2025
My 6 year old really enjoys his Level 1 purple books! At bedtime, he happily picks a couple books and is excited to read them. He said his favourite thing about them is how silly the characters are! It's also fun that the characters show up throughout the stories. It can be tricky to keep kids' interest while practicing reading but the story length and words in these books are just right to provide a challenge without getting discouraged. We are looking forward to moving to the next level when he is ready.
Brandee Kennedy
Grade 1 Teacher at Gibsons Elementary
January 2025
As a Grade 1 teacher, I am absolutely thrilled to have these sets of books in my classroom! The structured Scope and Sequence, grounded in Science of Reading research, ensures that my students are building strong foundational skills in literacy. One of the features I appreciate the most is how the text pages are separate from the pictures. This design truly encourages students to use their decoding skills and helps them to focus on reading without relying on visual cues. The illustrations are hilarious and highly engaging, capturing the attention of the entire class and the parents at home! The humour and creativity of the characters make reading a joy for everyone involved. I'm excited that my students can continue to engage with these characters across different levels of books, which keep them excited to read and fosters a love for learning. These books have quickly become a staple in my classroom and I am confident they are helping my students develop strong reading skills in a fun, interactive way!
Serafina Guerro
Parent of young reader
Halfmoon Bay, BC
March 2025
The books are great! My daughter is just learning to read and she is really enjoying them. She loves animals and the surprises, so they keep her attention and we love the realistic pictures! Thank you for creating books that are really engaging!
Ashly Fraser
Kindergarten Teacher at West Sechelt Elementary and mom of a young reader.
February 2025
I recently had the honour of sampling the purple and pink sets in my kindergarten classroom and it was an absolute success! The books transformed our reading time, bringing high engagement, laughter, and a newfound confidence in my young readers. From the moment I introduced them, students were drawn in by the delightful stories and colourful, engaging illustrations. One student excitedly shared, "They are funny cuz the animals are doing funny things!"-a testament to the joy these books bring. The humour and exciting pictures kept my class eager to read more. Beyond engagement, these books significantly increased the duration of our reading time. The simple yet effective text structure empowered students to read independently, leading to proud moments like, "I finished the whole book!" and "Can I read another one?" The confidence boost was palpable and it was incredible to see their determination to tackle each page on their own.
These decodable books enriched our literacy routine and fostered a genuine love for reading. Watching my students engage with texts in a way that is both accessible and exciting was truly rewarding. I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to try out these books and can't wait to purchase a set to aid my class's reading skills.
Heading 1
Dee-Ann Andronyk
Kindergarten teacher, Kinnikinnick Elementary SD#46
January 2025
I can't say enough about having Surprise Decodables as part of our regular literacy instruction routine to reinforce decoding skills and comprehension. My students simply cannot get enough of them! They squeal with laughter at the engaging illustrations, and all have a favourite character that they are drawn to. The levels are thoughtfully designed with an appropriate scope and sequence that promote reading confidence and fluency . Thank you, Michelle, Colleen and Sylvia for fostering a true joy of reading!