Which Phonics Books Are Actually Worth Buying? (I Tested 5 Popular Sets)

A quick heads up: some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a tiny commission, at no extra cost to you. I only ever point you towards books I'd happily put in front of my own class.

You're after a phonics book for your little one. You have a quick search, and up pop a hundred of them. Bright covers, happy little characters, the word PHONICS stamped right there on the front. So they must all be good, right?

Not quite.

Here's the bit nobody tells you. Putting "phonics" on a cover doesn't mean a book actually teaches your child to read. Some of them are wonderful but others will teach the wrong habits and leave your child even more confused. Phonics books should only be teaching the sounds your child knows. They are there to support your child, not to challenge them.

So I did the homework for you. I went on Amazon, bought five sets that all call themselves phonics books, and put them through their paces at my kitchen table. Fifteen years of teaching reading, and a lot of opinions. Here's exactly what I found….

I bought 5 sets of book… here’s what I think of them… and which ones I recommend!

First, what makes a good phonics book?

A proper phonics book is sometimes called a decodable book. It just means your child can read it using the sounds they already know, like cracking a code.

There are three things I look for every single time.

1. Are the sounds listed? A good book tells you which sounds are inside, usually right on the cover or the first page. That matters, because it lets you check they're sounds your child has already been taught. The last thing you want is a book sneaking in something brand new and watching their little face fall.

2. Is there a page for you? Somewhere inside there should be a short note for the grown up, flagging the tricky words coming up. Tricky words are the ones that don't quite play by the rules. Knowing them in advance means you can lean in and help, instead of both of you getting stuck.

3. Is it actually a lovely story? This one matters more than people think. The story and the pictures have to be good enough that your child wants to turn the page. A child who loves the book will read it again and again, and that's where the real magic happens.

Ok… so here are my thoughts…

The 5 phonics books, scored

(You’ll find all the links to download the best phonics books at the bottom of this post…)

1. Julia Donaldson's Songbirds

8.5 out of 10

The first one when you search ‘Phonics Books’ on Amazon. The sounds build up nice and slowly, so your child is never thrown in too deep. There's a little parent guide right on the cover telling you the sounds and the tricky words. And because these come from the brain behind The Gruffalo, the stories have a proper bit of charm to them. They can feel a touch simple at the very start, but they are a lovely, safe place to begin.

2. Usborne Phonics Readers

4 out of 10

I really wanted to love this one. The pictures are gorgeous and the rhymes are good fun. But open it up and it's already throwing hard words at a brand new reader, things like "hungry" and "tries" that are well past the early stages. There's no clear parent page either, just a list of sounds tucked away at the back that are much too tricky for a beginner. Beautiful to look at. But falls flat as a phonics reader for beginners.

3. Schofield and Sims,

My Letters and Sounds.

9.5 out of 10

My favourite choice for a phonics book. Only a couple of new sounds in each book, so your child never feels overwhelmed. A clear page for you at the front with all the tricky words listed. The stories are warm and natural, the illustrations are gorgeous, and there are even little questions at the end to check your child understood what they read. Simple books that tick every single box.

4. Scholastic Book Bag Readers.

9 out of 10

These are bright, modern and genuinely fun, with a hidden character to spot on every page that kids absolutely love hunting for.

The sounds come in a sensible order, there's a parent note in every book, and a lovely little retell the story task to chat about afterwards.

5. Phonics Step into Reading, Blaze and the Monster Machines.

2 out of 10

Your child might be interested in these because of the TV show, but they're just too hard for a beginner. Worse, they ask your child to memorise easy words like "him" and "time" as if they're tricky, when those words can be sounded out in a heartbeat. That's teaching the wrong habit right from the start. Save your money.

Summary of the findings… Reading Roots, 2026

So, which should you buy?

Here are my top 3 recommendations for phonics books:

(Reminder: these are affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you.))

1. Schofield and Sims, My Letters and Sounds (my winner).

2. Scholastic Book Bag Readers.

3. Julia Donaldson's Songbirds.
   
   

   And if you want to know how to help your child say the phonics sounds, you’ll find the correct pronunciation of all of the English sounds inside The Phonics App.
   
   Thanks for being here, as always. And, happy reading!