Reading Levels

Story Gliders uses a 44-level phonics progression (slider values 1–44) that gradually introduces new letter patterns. Each level defines which words the child reads aloud — everything else is handled by text-to-speech.

Rules that apply to every level

Cumulative

Every level includes all words from every previous level. A child on slider 10 can read any word from sliders 1–10.

Contractions & possessives phased in

Contractions and possessives are excluded at early levels. From level 16 onward, contractions are introduced in stages: n't at 16, 's/'m at 17, and 'll/'ve/'re/'d at 18. Possessives (cat's) unlock at level 19.

Inflected forms handled separately

Suffixed words (-ing, -ed, -s) are handled by a separate inflection pipeline from slider 10+. The base word must pass the phonics filter and the suffix type must be unlocked at the current level.

Single syllable (levels 1–32) → Multisyllable (levels 35+)

Levels 1–32 cover single-syllable decoding. From level 35 onward, children begin reading multisyllable words using syllable division rules. At story generation time, the AI classifies each word’s syllables and types; these AI labels are preferred over the local rule-based syllable engine, which serves as a fallback when AI data is unavailable.

Sight words fill the gaps

High-frequency words that don't follow phonics rules (e.g. the, said, they) are introduced gradually as sight words at each level so stories sound natural.

TTS reads the rest

Any word that falls outside the child's current level is read by text-to-speech. The child only reads words they're ready to decode.

Soft C/G guard (levels 1–31)

Words where C or G makes a soft sound before E, I, or Y (e.g. cell, cent, gem) and -tch/-dge spellings (e.g. match, badge) are actively blocked from levels 1–31, even if they look like simple CVC or blend patterns. Known hard-G exceptions like "get" and "give" are allowed through. Silent-e words where the soft sound is natural (face, cage, nice) pass as normal CVCE patterns. The guard lifts in stages as each pattern is formally taught: soft C/G at level 32, -tch/-dge at level 33, and silent consonants at level 34.

All six syllable types from slider 41+

From level 41 onward, all six syllable types — closed, open, VCe, vowel team, r-controlled, and consonant-le — are permanently unlocked. Levels 41–44 never restrict syllable types; they only control how many syllables a word may have (≤2 at 41, ≤3 at 43, unlimited at 44+).

How we track progress

Levels are just the starting point. Story Gliders tracks your child’s accuracy at the pattern level — so you always know exactly which skills are strong and which need more practice.

Pattern-level accuracy

Every word your child reads aloud is tagged to its phonics pattern — digraphs, blends, vowel teams, and more. Accuracy is tracked per pattern so you can see exactly where they shine and where they need support.

Pronunciation assessment

Our speech engine scores each word your child reads aloud, capturing phoneme-level detail. The app identifies common substitution errors and tracks improvement over time.

Targeted practice drills

Tutors can assign pattern-specific drills — word reading and dictation exercises generated for the exact patterns a child needs to practice. Kids can also start self-service drills from their own portal.

Smart level advancement

The app tracks mastery across multiple sessions and automatically moves a child up when they are ready — and flags on the dashboard when stepping back might help. Parents can set the level themselves at any time.

The six syllable types (used in levels 35+)

From level 35 onward, each syllable in a multisyllable word is classified as one of six types. Levels unlock these types one at a time.

Closed

Ends in a consonant, vowel is short.

rab, bit, nap, kin, den

Open

Ends in a vowel, vowel is long.

ro, mu, ti, ba, pi

VCe (Vowel-Consonant-e)

Silent e makes the vowel long.

pete, vite, cake, plete

Vowel Team

Two+ vowel letters working together.

rain, teach, boat, igh

R-Controlled

Vowel + r makes a special sound.

gar, tur, cor, per, bir

Consonant-le

Consonant + le at the end forms its own syllable.

tle, ple, ble, dle, gle

Level-by-level breakdown

Level 1
Short a, i
The starting level. Children read simple CVC (consonant–vowel–consonant) and VC (vowel–consonant) words using just the two most distinct short vowels, a and i.
Phonics rules
- CVC words with short a and short i — e.g. cat, man, pig, sit
- VC (vowel–consonant) words — e.g. at, it
Sight words added at this level
Iatheandisitsaid
Example decodable words
catmansitpighatbin
Excluded at this level
- Short o, u, e (later steps, Levels 2–3)
- Double-letter endings — ff, ll, ss, zz (Level 3)
- Contractions and possessives (until Levels 16–19)
- Word endings like -ing, -ed, -s
- Multisyllable words
- Digraphs, blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Level 2
Short o, u
Adds short o and short u, building on a and i — still simple CVC and VC words.
Phonics rules
- CVC words with short o and short u — e.g. hot, dog, cup, run
- VC words — e.g. on, up, us
Sight words added at this level
heshewemebewasoftonogosodo
Example decodable words
hotdogcuprunfoxbus
Excluded at this level
- Short e and double-letter endings — ff, ll, ss, zz (Level 3)
- Contractions and possessives (until Levels 16–19)
- Word endings like -ing, -ed, -s
- Multisyllable words
- Digraphs, blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Level 3
Short e + FLOSS
Completes the five short vowels by adding the trickiest one, e, plus FLOSS words (a short vowel followed by a doubled f, l, s, or z).
Phonics rules
- CVC words with short e — e.g. bed, hen, let
- All five short vowels now in play — e.g. cat, sit, hot, bed, cup
- FLOSS pattern (short vowel + doubled f, l, s, or z) — e.g. fill, doll, bell, fuzz, buff
Sight words added at this level
myyoutheyareorhavehasforhisheryour
Example decodable words
bedhenletfilldollbellfuzz
Excluded at this level
- Contractions and possessives (until Levels 16–19)
- Word endings like -ing, -ed, -s
- Multisyllable words
- Digraphs, blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words actively blocked — e.g. cell, cent, gem, gym are rejected even though they look like CVC (Level 32)
Level 4
Digraphs sh, ch
Introduces the first consonant digraphs — two letters that make one sound. The digraph can appear at the beginning or end of the word.
Phonics rules
- CVC/VC/FLOSS patterns where sh or ch counts as a single consonant unit
- Digraph can be at the start or end — e.g. shop, chop, fish, much
- The rest of the word must still follow CVC, VC, or FLOSS structure
- All Levels 1–3 words are still included (cumulative)
Sight words added at this level
arehavetheywerehisherbyor
Example decodable words
shopchopfishmuchshipchin
Excluded at this level
- Other digraphs (th, wh, ck, ng — coming in later levels)
- Blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
- Any forbidden digraph appearing anywhere in the word
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 5
Digraphs + th, wh
Adds th and wh to the allowed digraph set. Children now handle four consonant digraphs.
Phonics rules
- All Level 4 rules, plus th and wh are now allowed digraphs
- Allowed digraphs: sh, ch, th, wh
- Each digraph counts as a single consonant in the CVC/VC/FLOSS pattern
Sight words added at this level
onetwoallwhatthatthisthemthenthantherehere
Example decodable words
thinthatwhipwhenwithmath
Excluded at this level
- Digraphs ck and ng (coming in Level 6)
- Blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 6
Digraphs + ck, ng
Completes the consonant digraph set with ck and ng. Mixed review of all digraphs learned so far.
Phonics rules
- All Levels 4–5 rules, plus ck and ng are now allowed digraphs
- Full digraph set: sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng
- Mixed review — words may use any combination of allowed digraphs
Sight words added at this level
comesomedonegonegivelivedoeswherewhichwiththesethosewhowhyhownownew
Example decodable words
duckkicklockringsongbang
Excluded at this level
- Beginning or ending consonant blends
- Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 7
L-blends & R-blends
The first blends arrive — two consonants at the start of a word where both sounds are heard. This level covers l-blends and r-blends.
Phonics rules
- Initial l-blends: bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl
- Initial r-blends: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr
- After the blend, the rest of the word is a short vowel plus a simple ending — e.g. -ap in clap, -ill in drill
- Digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng) are still allowed in the rest of the word
- All Levels 1–6 words are still included (cumulative)
Sight words added at this level
fromlikelookwantyourveryjustintogoodouroutputtoo
Example decodable words
flagclapdripgrabtripplus
Excluded at this level
- S-blends (coming in Level 8)
- Three-letter blends (coming in Level 9)
- Ending blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 8
S-blends
Adds initial s-blends and tw-blend to the mix. Children now handle all two-letter beginning blends.
Phonics rules
- All Level 7 rules, plus initial s-blends: sc, sk, sm, sn, sp, st, sw, tw
- Combined with l-blends and r-blends, all two-letter beginning blends are now available
- After the blend, the rest of the word is still a short vowel plus a simple ending
Sight words added at this level
mademakemoremuchmustonlyotheroverownrightwaysaywillthink
Example decodable words
stopsnapswimskipspintwin
Excluded at this level
- Three-letter blends (coming in Level 9)
- Ending blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 9
Three-letter Blends
Introduces three-letter beginning blends — the trickiest consonant clusters for early readers.
Phonics rules
- All Levels 7–8 rules, plus initial three-letter blends: scr, spl, spr, str, squ
- All beginning blends (two-letter and three-letter) are now available
- After the blend, the rest of the word is still a short vowel plus a simple ending
Sight words added at this level
couldwouldshouldbecausebeforegreatlittleknowaboutafteragainmany
Example decodable words
strapsplitscrubspraysquidstrip
Excluded at this level
- Ending blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 10
Ending N-blends
Introduces ending consonant blends, starting with the most common N-family. Words can now combine beginning blends or digraphs with ending blends.
Phonics rules
- Ending blends: -nd, -nk, -nt
- The word can start with a single consonant, a digraph, or a beginning blend, then a short vowel
- All Levels 1–9 words are still included (cumulative)
Sight words added at this level
onceuponfirst
Example decodable words
bandthinktentstanddrinkgrunt
Excluded at this level
- Other ending blends (coming in Levels 11–13)
- Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 11
Ending S-blends
Adding ending S-family blends to the mix.
Phonics rules
- All Level 10 rules, plus ending blends: -sk, -sp, -st
- Combined with N-blends, six ending blends are now available
Sight words added at this level
theirawaynever
Example decodable words
maskbestcrispfrostdesktrust
Excluded at this level
- L-blends and remaining ending blends (coming in Levels 12–13)
- Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 12
Ending L-blends
Adding ending L-family blends.
Phonics rules
- All Levels 10–11 rules, plus ending blends: -ld, -lf, -lk, -lp, -lt
Sight words added at this level
alwaysalsoaround
Example decodable words
heldshelfmilkhelpbeltmelt
Excluded at this level
- Remaining ending blends (coming in Level 13)
- Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 13
Remaining Ending Blends
Completes the ending blends set. Every one-syllable short-vowel word with consonant blends can now be sounded out.
Phonics rules
- All Levels 10–12 rules, plus ending blends: -mp, -ft, -pt, -ct, -xt, -lm
- All ending blends are now available
Sight words added at this level
everyevenunder
Example decodable words
campgiftkeptfactnextfilm
Excluded at this level
- Silent-e / magic-e patterns (coming in Levels 14–17)
- R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (future level)
- Vowel teams / long vowel pairs (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 14
Silent E: Long A (a_e)
Introduces the magic-e (silent-e) pattern — a final e makes the vowel before it say its name. Starting with the long “a” sound, as in cake.
Phonics rules
- Magic-e (silent-e) words where the vowel is a — e.g. cake, lake, game, wave
- The word can start with a single consonant, a digraph (sh, ch, th, wh), or any blend learned earlier
- The silent e at the end is not sounded out; it signals the vowel is long
- All Levels 1–13 words are still included (cumulative)
- Word endings now work too — doubled-consonant forms like “hopping” (from “hop”) and “biggest” (from “big”) can be read here
Sight words added at this level
love
Example decodable words
cakelakegamewavenameplaceshade
Excluded at this level
- Silent-e with long i, o, u, or e (coming in Levels 15–17)
- R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
- Soft C and soft G words, plus -tch/-dge endings, are saved for Level 32 — though magic-e words like face, cage, nice are fine here
Level 15
Silent E: Long I (i_e)
Adds the long “i” silent-e pattern, as in bike. Children can now read both a_e words (cake) and i_e words (bike).
Phonics rules
- All Level 14 rules, plus magic-e words where the vowel is i — e.g. bike, time, line, five
- Contrast pairs help reinforce the short–long switch: bit/bite, dim/dime, rid/ride
- Word endings now work too — drop-the-e forms like “biking” (from “bike”) and “hoped” (from “hope”) can be read here
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
biketimelinefivewidesmiledrive
Excluded at this level
- Silent-e with long o, u, or e (coming in Levels 16–17)
- R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
- Soft C and soft G words, plus -tch/-dge endings, are saved for Level 32 — though magic-e words like face, cage, nice are fine here
Level 16
Silent E: Long O (o_e)
Adds the long “o” silent-e pattern, as in home. Three vowel patterns can now be sounded out.
Phonics rules
- All Levels 14–15 rules, plus magic-e words where the vowel is o — e.g. home, bone, hope, joke
- Contrast pairs: hop/hope, not/note, rob/robe
- n’t contractions can now be read — e.g. can’t, don’t, isn’t, didn’t (the base word must be a sight word or one your child can sound out)
Sight words added at this level
move
Example decodable words
homebonehopejokestovethosebroke
Excluded at this level
- Silent-e with long u or e (coming in Level 17)
- Other contractions (’s, ’m, ’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d — coming in Levels 17–19)
- Possessives (coming in Level 19)
- R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
- Soft C and soft G words, plus -tch/-dge endings, are saved for Level 32 — though magic-e words like face, cage, nice are fine here
Level 17
Silent E: Long U & E (u_e, e_e)
Completes the silent-e set. Adds both the long “u” pattern (cube, tune) and the rarer long “e” pattern (theme). All five silent-e vowels can now be sounded out. Most long-e words come from vowel teams in a later level, so e_e words are intentionally few.
Phonics rules
- All Levels 14–16 rules, plus magic-e words where the vowel is u or e — e.g. cube, tube, tune, cute, theme
- Contrast pairs: cub/cube, tub/tube, cut/cute
- All five silent-e vowels (a, i, o, u, e) can now be sounded out
- ’s and ’m contractions can now be read — e.g. it’s, that’s, he’s, I’m (the base must be a sight word or one your child can sound out)
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
cubetubetunecutehugefluteprunetheme
Excluded at this level
- Vowel teams / long vowel pairs (coming in Levels 19–22)
- Remaining contractions (’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d — coming in Level 19)
- Possessives (coming in Level 19)
- R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (future level)
- Soft C and soft G words, plus -tch/-dge endings, are saved for Level 32 — though magic-e words like face, cage, nice are fine here
Level 18
The PH Digraph (ph says /f/)
Introduces the ph digraph — two letters that make the /f/ sound, as in phone. It sits here (after silent-e) so its key words are readable the day it unlocks: phone needs o_e, phase needs a_e.
Phonics rules
- ph makes the /f/ sound wherever an f could go — e.g. phone, phase, graph
- The rest of the word must follow patterns already learned — e.g. phone is ph + o_e, graph is gr + short a + ph
- All Levels 1–17 words are still included (cumulative)
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
phonephasephrasegraph
Excluded at this level
- Multisyllable ph words like photo, dolphin, elephant (they arrive with 2-syllable work, Levels 35+)
- Vowel teams / long vowel pairs (coming in Levels 19–22)
- R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 19
Vowel Teams: AI, AY, EIGH & EY (long “a” sound)
Introduces the first vowel teams — two or more vowels that work together to make one vowel sound. Starting with AI, AY, EIGH, and EY for the long “a” sound, as in rain.
Phonics rules
- Vowel teams ai and ay make the long “a” sound — e.g. rain, play, train
- Vowel team eigh makes the long “a” sound — e.g. eight, weigh, sleigh
- Vowel team ey makes the long “a” sound — e.g. they, grey, hey, prey
- The word can begin with nothing, a single consonant, a digraph, or any blend learned earlier
- The word can end with nothing, a single consonant, a digraph (ch, ck, ng, sh, th), an ending blend, or a FLOSS double
- All Levels 1–18 words are still included (cumulative)
- ’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d contractions can now be read
- Possessives can now be read — e.g. cat’s, Sam’s
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
raintrainchainsnailplayspraytrayclayeightweighsleightheygreyhey
Excluded at this level
- Other vowel teams (ee, ea, oa, ow, oo, igh, ie, ew, ue, ui — coming in Levels 20–22)
- R-controlled vowels (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 20
Vowel Teams: EE & EA (long “e” sound)
Adds the EE and EA vowel teams for the long “e” sound, as in tree. Children now handle two vowel-team pairs.
Phonics rules
- All Level 19 rules, plus vowel teams ee and ea make the long “e” sound — e.g. tree, beach
- Allowed vowel teams: ai, ay, eigh, ey, ee, ea
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
treesheepcreeksleepbeachdreamstreamclean
Excluded at this level
- Vowel teams oa, ow, oo, igh, ie, ew, ue, ui (coming in Levels 21–22)
- R-controlled vowels (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 21
Vowel Teams: OA, OW & OO (long “o” + “oo” sounds)
Adds the OA, OW, and OO vowel teams. OA and OW make the long “o” sound (as in boat); OO makes the long “oo” sound as in moon, or the short “oo” sound as in book.
Phonics rules
- All Levels 19–20 rules, plus vowel teams oa and ow make the long “o” sound — e.g. boat, snow
- Vowel team oo makes the long “oo” sound (moon, cool) or the short “oo” sound (book, good)
- Allowed vowel teams: ai, ay, eigh, ey, ee, ea, oa, ow, oo
Sight words added at this level
windowyellowrainbowpillow
Example decodable words
boatroadgoatcoachblowsnowgrowflowmoonspoonroomcoolbookgoodfood
Excluded at this level
- Vowel teams igh, ie, ew, ue, ui (coming in Level 22)
- R-controlled vowels (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 22
Vowel Teams: IGH, IE, EW, UE & UI (long “i” + “oo” sounds)
Completes the vowel team set with IGH and IE for the long “i” sound (as in night), plus EW, UE, and UI for the “oo” sound (as in new). All vowel teams can now be sounded out.
Phonics rules
- All Levels 19–21 rules, plus vowel teams igh and ie make the long “i” sound — e.g. night, pie
- Vowel teams ew, ue, and ui make the “oo” sound — e.g. new, blue, fruit
- Full vowel team set: ai, ay, eigh, ey, ee, ea, oa, ow, oo, igh, ie, ew, ue, ui
- Mixed review — words may use any combination of allowed vowel teams
Sight words added at this level
crieddriedfriedtried
Example decodable words
nightlighthighflightsightpietielienewchewgrewblewbluetruegluefruitsuit
Excluded at this level
- R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (Levels 24–29)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Levels 30–31)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 23
Y as a Vowel: long “i” (fly, sky, try)
Y steps in as a vowel. At the end of a short word with no other vowel, y says the long “i” sound — fly, sky, try, why.
Phonics rules
- Final y says the long “i” sound when it is the only vowel in the word — e.g. fly, sky, try, shy, why
- The start of the word can be a single consonant, a digraph, or any blend learned earlier
- Not the same as ay/ey endings (day, they) — those are vowel teams from Levels 19–22
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
flyskytryshycrydryfryslyspywhy
Excluded at this level
- Y as long “e” at the end of longer words (happy, baby — Level 37, with 2-syllable work)
- R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (Levels 24–29)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 24
R-Controlled: AR (the “ar” sound)
Introduces the first r-controlled vowel — often called “bossy R,” because the R changes the sound of the vowel in front of it. When A is followed by R, the two make the “ar” sound, as in car.
Phonics rules
- Vowel + R makes a special sound — the “ar” pattern says the “ar” sound, as in car
- The word can start with a single consonant, a digraph, a beginning blend, or a 3-letter blend
- The word can end with nothing, a single consonant, a digraph, an ending blend, or a FLOSS double
Sight words added at this level
warwarm
Example decodable words
carfarjarstarparkdarksharkchartfarmbarn
Excluded at this level
- R-controlled or, er, ir, ur (coming in Levels 25–27)
- R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 28)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Levels 30–31)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 25
R-Controlled: OR (the “or” sound)
Adds the “or” pattern — another bossy-R sound, as in for.
Phonics rules
- All Level 24 rules, plus the “or” pattern — the “or” sound, as in for
- Words ending in -ore (store, core) are treated as r-controlled, not magic-e
- Mixed review — words may use ar or or
Sight words added at this level
wordworkworldworm
Example decodable words
forborncornhornforkporkshortsportstoreshore
Excluded at this level
- R-controlled er, ir, ur (coming in Levels 26–27)
- R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 28)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Levels 30–31)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 26
R-Controlled: ER (the “er” sound)
Introduces the “er” pattern — the “er” sound, as in her.
Phonics rules
- All Levels 24–25 rules, plus the “er” pattern — the “er” sound, as in her
- Mixed review — words may use ar, or, or er
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
herferntermverbherdjerkperkclerk
Excluded at this level
- R-controlled ir, ur (coming in Level 27)
- R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 28)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Levels 30–31)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 27
R-Controlled: IR & UR (the “er” sound)
Completes the “er”-sound group with “ir” and “ur.” Three different spellings — er, ir, and ur — all make the very same “er” sound (her, bird, fur).
Phonics rules
- All Levels 24–26 rules, plus “ir” and “ur” — both make the same “er” sound (bird, fur)
- All five basic r-controlled patterns can now be sounded out: ar, or, er, ir, ur
- Mixed review — words may use any of the five patterns
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
sirbirddirtgirlshirtfirstthirdchirpfurburnturnhurtcurlsurfchurch
Excluded at this level
- R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 28)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Levels 30–31)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 28
R-Controlled: AIR & ARE (the “air” sound)
Completes the r-controlled vowels with the “air” and “are” patterns — both make the “air” sound, as in chair and care.
Phonics rules
- All Levels 24–27 rules, plus “air” and “are” — both make the “air” sound (chair, care)
- Words with -are (care, share) are r-controlled, not magic-e
- Words with -air (fair, chair) use “air” as a single unit
- Full r-controlled set: ar, or, er, ir, ur, air, are
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
airfairhairpairchairstaircaresharestaredarerarespare
Excluded at this level
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (coming in Levels 30–31)
- Longer multi-syllable words (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 29
R-Controlled: EAR & URE (ear, hear, sure)
Completes the bossy-R family. EAR and EER make the “ear” sound, as in hear and deer; URE makes the “ure” sound, as in pure.
Phonics rules
- ear and eer make the “ear” sound — e.g. ear, hear, near, year, deer, cheer
- ure makes the “ure” sound — e.g. sure, pure, cure
- Watch-outs like bear, learn, and heart say ear differently — they are NOT included here
- Full r-controlled set: ar, or, er, ir, ur, air, are, ear, eer, ure
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
earhearnearyeardearfearcleardeercheersurepurecure
Excluded at this level
- ear words with other sounds — bear, pear, learn, earth, heard, heart (not taught yet)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (coming in Levels 30–31)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 30
Diphthongs: OI/OY & OU/OW
Introduces diphthongs — gliding vowel sounds where the mouth slides from one sound into another, like the “oy” in boy or the “ow” in cow.
Phonics rules
- OI in the middle of a word, OY at the end — both make the “oy” sound, as in oil and boy
- OU in the middle of a word, OW at the end — both make the “ow” sound, as in out and cow
- Only the “ow”-sound OW words are new here (cow, how, town) — not the long-o OW words like snow
Sight words added at this level
hour
Example decodable words
oilboilcoinjoinpointboyjoytoyoutloudshoutcowhownowbrownclowntown
Excluded at this level
- AU/AW diphthongs (coming in Level 31)
- Longer multi-syllable words (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Level 31
Vowel Teams: AU & AW
Completes the gliding-vowel set (Levels 30–31) with the AU and AW teams — the “aw” sound, as in saw.
Phonics rules
- All Level 30 rules, plus AU and AW — the “aw” sound, as in haul and saw
- AU appears in the middle of words (haul, fault, cause)
- AW appears at the end of words or before N/L (saw, paw, claw, draw, dawn, lawn)
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
haulfaultcausesaucesawpawclawdrawdawnlawnjawraw
Excluded at this level
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
- Longer multi-syllable words (future level)
Level 32
Soft C & Soft G
Introduces the soft sound of C and G — when C or G is followed by E, I, or Y, it makes a softer sound.
Phonics rules
- All Level 31 rules, plus soft C and soft G patterns
- Soft C: C sounds like S before E, I, or Y — cell, cent, city, ice, race
- Soft G: G sounds like J before E, I, or Y — gem, gym, age, cage, page
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
iceracefacecellcentagecagegemgymsincefenceprince
Excluded at this level
- -tch and -dge endings (Level 33)
- Silent consonants like kn, wr, gn, mb, gh (Level 34)
- Longer multi-syllable words (Levels 35+)
Level 33
Trigraphs: tch & dge
Introduces two three-letter spellings that come right after a short vowel: -tch (says “ch”) and -dge (says “j”).
Phonics rules
- All Level 32 rules, plus -tch and -dge endings
- -tch after a short vowel says “ch” — match, catch, pitch, fetch, notch
- -dge after a short vowel says “j” — badge, bridge, edge, fudge, judge
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
matchcatchpitchfetchnotchbadgebridgeedgefudgehedgejudge
Excluded at this level
- Silent consonants like kn, wr, gn, mb, gh (Level 34)
- Longer multi-syllable words (Levels 35+)
Level 34
Silent Consonants (kn, wr, gn, mb, gh)
Introduces words with a silent consonant — a letter you can see but don’t say, like the k in knee or the b in lamb.
Phonics rules
- All Level 33 rules, plus words with a silent consonant
- Silent k in kn- — knee, know, knock, knot, knife, knight
- Silent w in wr- — write, wrong, wrap, wrist, wreck
- Silent g in gn- — gnaw, gnat, gnome
- Silent b in -mb — lamb, climb, thumb, comb, bomb
- Silent h in gh- — ghost, ghastly
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
kneeknowknockknifeknightwritewrongwrapgnawgnatlambclimbthumbcombghost
Excluded at this level
- Longer multi-syllable words (Levels 35+)
Multisyllable Words (Levels 35–40)
Two-syllable words with syllable division. Each level unlocks a new syllable type. AI classifies syllable types at story generation time for accurate word filtering.
Level 35
2-Syllable Closed + Closed
The first multi-syllable level. Children learn to split a two-syllable word into two parts and read each part in turn.
Phonics rules
- All Level 34 single-syllable words, plus 2-syllable closed+closed words
- Split between the two middle consonants — rab-bit, nap-kin
- Both parts are “closed” syllables — each ends in a consonant and keeps its short vowel sound
Sight words added at this level
everyafterneverunderotherwaternumberletterbetter
Example decodable words
rabbitnapkinbasketpuppetkittenmittenmuffinbuttonhelmetinsect
Excluded at this level
- Open syllables, magic-e parts, vowel teams, r-controlled, consonant-le
- 3+ syllable words
Level 36
2-Syllable with Open Syllables
Introduces open syllables where the syllable ends in a vowel and the vowel says its long sound.
Phonics rules
- All Level 35 words, plus 2-syllable words with open syllables
- When one consonant sits between two vowels, try splitting before it so the first vowel stays long — ro-bot, mu-sic
- Open syllable = a part that ends in a vowel, so the vowel says its long name (go, he)
Sight words added at this level
openoverevenmusicpapertigerspider
Example decodable words
robotmusicbacontigerpilotspiderfrozenhumanmomentstudent
Excluded at this level
- Magic-e parts, vowel teams, r-controlled, consonant-le
- 3+ syllable words
Level 37
2-Syllable ending in Y (happy, baby)
Y as a vowel returns: at the end of a longer word, y says the long “e” sound — happy, baby, funny. The final y works like an open syllable spelled with y.
Phonics rules
- Final y after a consonant says the long “e” sound in 2-syllable words — e.g. hap-py, ba-by, fun-ny
- The first syllable must be a type already learned (closed or open) — e.g. pup-py, ti-ny, po-ny
- As later syllable types unlock (Levels 38–40), y-words using them arrive too — shiny, rainy, dirty
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
happybabyfunnycandycitypuppysillysunnytinyponyladymuddy
Excluded at this level
- Magic-e parts, vowel teams, r-controlled, consonant-le in the first syllable (Levels 38–40)
- 3+ syllable words
Level 38
2-Syllable with Magic-e
Adds magic-e (silent-e) parts inside longer words.
Phonics rules
- All Level 37 words, plus 2-syllable words that contain a magic-e part
- A magic-e (silent-e) part can sit inside a longer word — the e is silent and the vowel is long, as in -vite in in-vite
Sight words added at this level
completeinsideoutsideinvitecostume
Example decodable words
competeinvitecompletestampedecostumedisputereptilecombineignitemistake
Excluded at this level
- Vowel team syllables, r-controlled, consonant-le
- 3+ syllable words
Level 39
2-Syllable with Vowel Teams
Adds vowel team syllables in multisyllable words.
Phonics rules
- All Level 38 words, plus 2-syllable words with vowel team syllables
- All previously learned vowel teams from Levels 19–31 apply
Sight words added at this level
explainbetweenrainbowcontainreason
Example decodable words
rainbowexplainreasonseasonrepeatfifteenpoisonrooftopdaydreamcontain
Excluded at this level
- R-controlled syllables, consonant-le
- 3+ syllable words
Level 40
2-Syllable with R-Controlled
Adds r-controlled syllables in multisyllable words.
Phonics rules
- All Level 39 words, plus 2-syllable words with r-controlled syllables
- All previously learned r-controlled patterns from Levels 24–29 apply
Sight words added at this level
gardencornerperfectturtlesurprise
Example decodable words
gardenturtlecornerperfectharvestpurposemarketmonsterlobsterthirteen
Excluded at this level
- Consonant-le syllables
- 3+ syllable words
Consonant-le & Multisyllable Mastery (Levels 41–44)
From slider 41 onward, all six syllable types are always allowed. Later levels in this group only change how many syllablesa word may have (2 → 3 → unlimited).
Level 41
2-Syllable with Consonant-le
Introduces consonant-le syllables. All six syllable types are now permanently unlocked.
Phonics rules
- All Level 40 words, plus 2-syllable words with consonant-le syllables
- When a word ends in a consonant + le, those last three letters form their own syllable — lit-tle, sim-ple, ta-ble
- All six syllable types now permanently available
Sight words added at this level
littlepeoplesimpletableablepossible
Example decodable words
littlesimpletablecandleapplebottlepuzzlebubblemiddlepuddle
Excluded at this level
- 3+ syllable words
Level 42
Final Syllables: -tion, -sion & -ture
Introduces the most common “final stable syllables” — chunks like -tion, -sion, and -ture that always spell the same ending sound. Read the chunk as one unit: sta-tion, pic-ture.
Phonics rules
- -tion and -sion say “shun” — e.g. station, action, mission
- -ture says “cher” — e.g. picture, nature, capture
- Read the first part with the syllable types you know, then add the chunk — e.g. sta + tion, na + ture
- Still 2-syllable words only; longer ones like vacation arrive at Level 43
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
stationactionnationmotionquestionmissionpicturenaturecapturemixturecreature
Excluded at this level
- 3+ syllable words (vacation, adventure — Level 43)
Level 43
3-Syllable Words
Raises the syllable count limit from 2 to 3.
Phonics rules
- All Level 42 words, plus 3-syllable words
- Multiple division points within a single word
- Max syllable count raised from 2 → 3
Sight words added at this level
animalfamilytogetherrememberbeautifulimportantdifferentwonderful
Example decodable words
animalhospitalumbrellaadventurerememberimportantbeautifuldinosaurinstrumentunderstand
Excluded at this level
- 4+ syllable words
- Words requiring prefix/suffix knowledge
Level 44
Multisyllable Mastery
Removes the syllable count ceiling entirely. Full multisyllable mastery.
Phonics rules
- All Level 43 words, plus words of any syllable count
- Syllable count limit removed — unlimited
Sight words added at this level
absolutelyeverythingcelebrationimagination
Example decodable words
caterpillarcelebrationelectricityhippopotamusrefrigeratorimaginationmultiplicationencyclopedia
Excluded at this level

Auto-Level Advancement

Story Gliders automatically advances children to the next phonics level when they demonstrate mastery of the words at their current level. Advancement is based on pronunciation assessment data collected during guided reading sessions.

Advancement criteria

Every check that applies must be met before a child advances from level N to level N+1:

Unique words mastered. The child has correctly read a minimum number of unique words that belong to their current level (not earlier levels) — and each word must be read correctly on two separate occasions before it counts, so one lucky read never banks a word.
Session spread. Those words must come from at least 3 separate reading sessions. This prevents a single strong day from triggering advancement.
Accuracy gate. The child must reach at least 90% accuracy on clearly-scored wordsat their current level. Words the speech recognizer can’t score confidently are treated as no evidence at all — they neither help nor hurt — so the bar reflects real reads, in line with the 90–95% mastery standard used in structured-literacy practice.
First-try words. At least 3 banked words were read correctly on the child’s firstattempt at this level — evidence they are decoding new words, not recognising remembered ones.
Reading pace. When a child’s reads are timed, their reading speed must reach an age-appropriate pace. If there is not yet enough timing data, this check is skipped.

Unique-word thresholds per level group

Level group	Phonics focus	Unique words to advance
1–3	CVC / VC / FLOSS — short vowels	15
4–6	Consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng)	12
7	Initial blends (l/r, s, 3-letter)	12
8–9	Initial blends — review pace	8
10	Ending blends (N, S, L, remaining)	12
11–13	Ending blends — review pace	8
14–17	Silent-e / magic-e (long vowels)	10
18	The ph digraph (phone, graph)	10
19–22	Vowel teams (ai/ay, ee/ea, oa/ow, igh/ie)	10
23	Y as a vowel — long i (fly, sky)	10
24–28	R-controlled vowels (ar, or, er, ir/ur, air/are)	10
29	R-controlled ear/eer + ure (hear, deer, sure)	10
30–31	Diphthongs (oi/oy, ou/ow, au/aw)	10
32–34	Soft C/G, tch/dge, silent letters	10
35–36, 38–40	2-syllable words (closed, open, magic-e, vowel team, r-controlled)	10
37	2-syllable words ending in y (happy, baby)	10
41, 43–44	Consonant-le + 3-syllable + mastery	10
42	Final syllables -tion/-sion/-ture (station, picture)	10

What counts as a correctly read word?

Our pronunciation assessment returns errorType: "correct" and accuracy ≥ 60
OR the word is already marked as mastered in the practice words tracker

Safety rails

No automatic regression. Levels only go up, never down. If a child struggles at a new level, they simply stay there longer — the system will keep generating stories with words at that level, giving them more practice. Incorrect words are handled by the existing practice overlay, not by taking away progress.
Incorrect words act as a brake. Words read incorrectly do not count toward advancement. Combined with the 90% accuracy gate, this naturally prevents children from advancing before they are ready.
Parent override. If a parent manually sets the level via the slider, that becomes the new starting point and the mastery counter is re-measured from there. Parents can change the level at any time.
Celebration on level-up. When a child advances, they see a brief congratulatory animation. Parents see a notification on the dashboard with the new level and date.

Step-by-step example

Emma is on Level 1 (Short a, i). She needs 15 unique words — each read correctly twice — across 3+ sessions, with ≥90% accuracy on clearly-scored words and at least 3 first-try words.

Session 1:Emma reads a story and correctly says "cat", "dog", "run", "sit", "big", "hot" on her first try — 6 words with one correct read each (and 6 first-try words already noted).
Sessions 2–3:Emma meets those words again and reads them correctly a second time — now they bank. New words like "map", "bed", "fun", "top" start their own two-read count. Running total: 12 banked words across 3 sessions.
Session 4:the last three words get their second correct read — 15 banked words across 4 sessions, accuracy on scored words is 93%. Level up!

Rules that apply to every level

Cumulative

Every level includes all words from every previous level. A child on slider 10 can read any word from sliders 1–10.

Contractions & possessives phased in

Inflected forms handled separately

Suffixed words (-ing, -ed, -s) are handled by a separate inflection pipeline from slider 10+. The base word must pass the phonics filter and the suffix type must be unlocked at the current level.

Single syllable (levels 1–32) → Multisyllable (levels 35+)

Sight words fill the gaps

High-frequency words that don't follow phonics rules (e.g. the, said, they) are introduced gradually as sight words at each level so stories sound natural.

TTS reads the rest

Any word that falls outside the child's current level is read by text-to-speech. The child only reads words they're ready to decode.

Soft C/G guard (levels 1–31)

All six syllable types from slider 41+

How we track progress

Levels are just the starting point. Story Gliders tracks your child’s accuracy at the pattern level — so you always know exactly which skills are strong and which need more practice.

Pattern-level accuracy

Pronunciation assessment

Our speech engine scores each word your child reads aloud, capturing phoneme-level detail. The app identifies common substitution errors and tracks improvement over time.

Targeted practice drills

Smart level advancement

The six syllable types (used in levels 35+)

From level 35 onward, each syllable in a multisyllable word is classified as one of six types. Levels unlock these types one at a time.

Closed

Ends in a consonant, vowel is short.

rab, bit, nap, kin, den

Open

Ends in a vowel, vowel is long.

ro, mu, ti, ba, pi

VCe (Vowel-Consonant-e)

Silent e makes the vowel long.

pete, vite, cake, plete

Vowel Team

Two+ vowel letters working together.

rain, teach, boat, igh

R-Controlled

Vowel + r makes a special sound.

gar, tur, cor, per, bir

Consonant-le

Consonant + le at the end forms its own syllable.

tle, ple, ble, dle, gle

Level-by-level breakdown

Level 1

Short a, i

The starting level. Children read simple CVC (consonant–vowel–consonant) and VC (vowel–consonant) words using just the two most distinct short vowels, a and i.

Phonics rules

CVC words with short a and short i — e.g. cat, man, pig, sit
VC (vowel–consonant) words — e.g. at, it

Sight words added at this level

Iatheandisitsaid

Example decodable words

catmansitpighatbin

Excluded at this level

Short o, u, e (later steps, Levels 2–3)
Double-letter endings — ff, ll, ss, zz (Level 3)
Contractions and possessives (until Levels 16–19)
Word endings like -ing, -ed, -s
Multisyllable words
Digraphs, blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels

Level 2

Short o, u

Adds short o and short u, building on a and i — still simple CVC and VC words.

Phonics rules

CVC words with short o and short u — e.g. hot, dog, cup, run
VC words — e.g. on, up, us

Sight words added at this level

heshewemebewasoftonogosodo

Example decodable words

hotdogcuprunfoxbus

Excluded at this level

Short e and double-letter endings — ff, ll, ss, zz (Level 3)
Contractions and possessives (until Levels 16–19)
Word endings like -ing, -ed, -s
Multisyllable words
Digraphs, blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels

Level 3

Short e + FLOSS

Completes the five short vowels by adding the trickiest one, e, plus FLOSS words (a short vowel followed by a doubled f, l, s, or z).

Phonics rules

CVC words with short e — e.g. bed, hen, let
All five short vowels now in play — e.g. cat, sit, hot, bed, cup
FLOSS pattern (short vowel + doubled f, l, s, or z) — e.g. fill, doll, bell, fuzz, buff

Sight words added at this level

myyoutheyareorhavehasforhisheryour

Example decodable words

bedhenletfilldollbellfuzz

Excluded at this level

Contractions and possessives (until Levels 16–19)
Word endings like -ing, -ed, -s
Multisyllable words
Digraphs, blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words actively blocked — e.g. cell, cent, gem, gym are rejected even though they look like CVC (Level 32)

Level 4

Digraphs sh, ch

Introduces the first consonant digraphs — two letters that make one sound. The digraph can appear at the beginning or end of the word.

Phonics rules

CVC/VC/FLOSS patterns where sh or ch counts as a single consonant unit
Digraph can be at the start or end — e.g. shop, chop, fish, much
The rest of the word must still follow CVC, VC, or FLOSS structure
All Levels 1–3 words are still included (cumulative)

Sight words added at this level

arehavetheywerehisherbyor

Example decodable words

shopchopfishmuchshipchin

Excluded at this level

Other digraphs (th, wh, ck, ng — coming in later levels)
Blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Any forbidden digraph appearing anywhere in the word
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 5

Digraphs + th, wh

Adds th and wh to the allowed digraph set. Children now handle four consonant digraphs.

Phonics rules

All Level 4 rules, plus th and wh are now allowed digraphs
Allowed digraphs: sh, ch, th, wh
Each digraph counts as a single consonant in the CVC/VC/FLOSS pattern

Sight words added at this level

onetwoallwhatthatthisthemthenthantherehere

Example decodable words

thinthatwhipwhenwithmath

Excluded at this level

Digraphs ck and ng (coming in Level 6)
Blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 6

Digraphs + ck, ng

Completes the consonant digraph set with ck and ng. Mixed review of all digraphs learned so far.

Phonics rules

All Levels 4–5 rules, plus ck and ng are now allowed digraphs
Full digraph set: sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng
Mixed review — words may use any combination of allowed digraphs

Sight words added at this level

comesomedonegonegivelivedoeswherewhichwiththesethosewhowhyhownownew

Example decodable words

duckkicklockringsongbang

Excluded at this level

Beginning or ending consonant blends
Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 7

L-blends & R-blends

The first blends arrive — two consonants at the start of a word where both sounds are heard. This level covers l-blends and r-blends.

Phonics rules

Initial l-blends: bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl
Initial r-blends: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr
After the blend, the rest of the word is a short vowel plus a simple ending — e.g. -ap in clap, -ill in drill
Digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng) are still allowed in the rest of the word
All Levels 1–6 words are still included (cumulative)

Sight words added at this level

fromlikelookwantyourveryjustintogoodouroutputtoo

Example decodable words

flagclapdripgrabtripplus

Excluded at this level

S-blends (coming in Level 8)
Three-letter blends (coming in Level 9)
Ending blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 8

S-blends

Adds initial s-blends and tw-blend to the mix. Children now handle all two-letter beginning blends.

Phonics rules

All Level 7 rules, plus initial s-blends: sc, sk, sm, sn, sp, st, sw, tw
Combined with l-blends and r-blends, all two-letter beginning blends are now available
After the blend, the rest of the word is still a short vowel plus a simple ending

Sight words added at this level

mademakemoremuchmustonlyotheroverownrightwaysaywillthink

Example decodable words

stopsnapswimskipspintwin

Excluded at this level

Three-letter blends (coming in Level 9)
Ending blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 9

Three-letter Blends

Introduces three-letter beginning blends — the trickiest consonant clusters for early readers.

Phonics rules

All Levels 7–8 rules, plus initial three-letter blends: scr, spl, spr, str, squ
All beginning blends (two-letter and three-letter) are now available
After the blend, the rest of the word is still a short vowel plus a simple ending

Sight words added at this level

couldwouldshouldbecausebeforegreatlittleknowaboutafteragainmany

Example decodable words

strapsplitscrubspraysquidstrip

Excluded at this level

Ending blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 10

Ending N-blends

Introduces ending consonant blends, starting with the most common N-family. Words can now combine beginning blends or digraphs with ending blends.

Phonics rules

Ending blends: -nd, -nk, -nt
The word can start with a single consonant, a digraph, or a beginning blend, then a short vowel
All Levels 1–9 words are still included (cumulative)

Sight words added at this level

onceuponfirst

Example decodable words

bandthinktentstanddrinkgrunt

Excluded at this level

Other ending blends (coming in Levels 11–13)
Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 11

Ending S-blends

Adding ending S-family blends to the mix.

Phonics rules

All Level 10 rules, plus ending blends: -sk, -sp, -st
Combined with N-blends, six ending blends are now available

Sight words added at this level

theirawaynever

Example decodable words

maskbestcrispfrostdesktrust

Excluded at this level

L-blends and remaining ending blends (coming in Levels 12–13)
Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 12

Ending L-blends

Adding ending L-family blends.

Phonics rules

All Levels 10–11 rules, plus ending blends: -ld, -lf, -lk, -lp, -lt

Sight words added at this level

alwaysalsoaround

Example decodable words

heldshelfmilkhelpbeltmelt

Excluded at this level

Remaining ending blends (coming in Level 13)
Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 13

Remaining Ending Blends

Completes the ending blends set. Every one-syllable short-vowel word with consonant blends can now be sounded out.

Phonics rules

All Levels 10–12 rules, plus ending blends: -mp, -ft, -pt, -ct, -xt, -lm
All ending blends are now available

Sight words added at this level

everyevenunder

Example decodable words

campgiftkeptfactnextfilm

Excluded at this level

Silent-e / magic-e patterns (coming in Levels 14–17)
R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (future level)
Vowel teams / long vowel pairs (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 14

Silent E: Long A (a_e)

Introduces the magic-e (silent-e) pattern — a final e makes the vowel before it say its name. Starting with the long “a” sound, as in cake.

Phonics rules

Magic-e (silent-e) words where the vowel is a — e.g. cake, lake, game, wave
The word can start with a single consonant, a digraph (sh, ch, th, wh), or any blend learned earlier
The silent e at the end is not sounded out; it signals the vowel is long
All Levels 1–13 words are still included (cumulative)
Word endings now work too — doubled-consonant forms like “hopping” (from “hop”) and “biggest” (from “big”) can be read here

Sight words added at this level

love

Example decodable words

cakelakegamewavenameplaceshade

Excluded at this level

Silent-e with long i, o, u, or e (coming in Levels 15–17)
R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
Soft C and soft G words, plus -tch/-dge endings, are saved for Level 32 — though magic-e words like face, cage, nice are fine here

Level 15

Silent E: Long I (i_e)

Adds the long “i” silent-e pattern, as in bike. Children can now read both a_e words (cake) and i_e words (bike).

Phonics rules

All Level 14 rules, plus magic-e words where the vowel is i — e.g. bike, time, line, five
Contrast pairs help reinforce the short–long switch: bit/bite, dim/dime, rid/ride
Word endings now work too — drop-the-e forms like “biking” (from “bike”) and “hoped” (from “hope”) can be read here

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

biketimelinefivewidesmiledrive

Excluded at this level

Silent-e with long o, u, or e (coming in Levels 16–17)
R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
Soft C and soft G words, plus -tch/-dge endings, are saved for Level 32 — though magic-e words like face, cage, nice are fine here

Level 16

Silent E: Long O (o_e)

Adds the long “o” silent-e pattern, as in home. Three vowel patterns can now be sounded out.

Phonics rules

All Levels 14–15 rules, plus magic-e words where the vowel is o — e.g. home, bone, hope, joke
Contrast pairs: hop/hope, not/note, rob/robe
n’t contractions can now be read — e.g. can’t, don’t, isn’t, didn’t (the base word must be a sight word or one your child can sound out)

Sight words added at this level

move

Example decodable words

homebonehopejokestovethosebroke

Excluded at this level

Silent-e with long u or e (coming in Level 17)
Other contractions (’s, ’m, ’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d — coming in Levels 17–19)
Possessives (coming in Level 19)
R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
Soft C and soft G words, plus -tch/-dge endings, are saved for Level 32 — though magic-e words like face, cage, nice are fine here

Level 17

Silent E: Long U & E (u_e, e_e)

Completes the silent-e set. Adds both the long “u” pattern (cube, tune) and the rarer long “e” pattern (theme). All five silent-e vowels can now be sounded out. Most long-e words come from vowel teams in a later level, so e_e words are intentionally few.

Phonics rules

All Levels 14–16 rules, plus magic-e words where the vowel is u or e — e.g. cube, tube, tune, cute, theme
Contrast pairs: cub/cube, tub/tube, cut/cute
All five silent-e vowels (a, i, o, u, e) can now be sounded out
’s and ’m contractions can now be read — e.g. it’s, that’s, he’s, I’m (the base must be a sight word or one your child can sound out)

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

cubetubetunecutehugefluteprunetheme

Excluded at this level

Vowel teams / long vowel pairs (coming in Levels 19–22)
Remaining contractions (’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d — coming in Level 19)
Possessives (coming in Level 19)
R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (future level)
Soft C and soft G words, plus -tch/-dge endings, are saved for Level 32 — though magic-e words like face, cage, nice are fine here

Level 18

The PH Digraph (ph says /f/)

Introduces the ph digraph — two letters that make the /f/ sound, as in phone. It sits here (after silent-e) so its key words are readable the day it unlocks: phone needs o_e, phase needs a_e.

Phonics rules

ph makes the /f/ sound wherever an f could go — e.g. phone, phase, graph
The rest of the word must follow patterns already learned — e.g. phone is ph + o_e, graph is gr + short a + ph
All Levels 1–17 words are still included (cumulative)

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

phonephasephrasegraph

Excluded at this level

Multisyllable ph words like photo, dolphin, elephant (they arrive with 2-syllable work, Levels 35+)
Vowel teams / long vowel pairs (coming in Levels 19–22)
R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 19

Vowel Teams: AI, AY, EIGH & EY (long “a” sound)

Introduces the first vowel teams — two or more vowels that work together to make one vowel sound. Starting with AI, AY, EIGH, and EY for the long “a” sound, as in rain.

Phonics rules

Vowel teams ai and ay make the long “a” sound — e.g. rain, play, train
Vowel team eigh makes the long “a” sound — e.g. eight, weigh, sleigh
Vowel team ey makes the long “a” sound — e.g. they, grey, hey, prey
The word can begin with nothing, a single consonant, a digraph, or any blend learned earlier
The word can end with nothing, a single consonant, a digraph (ch, ck, ng, sh, th), an ending blend, or a FLOSS double
All Levels 1–18 words are still included (cumulative)
’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d contractions can now be read
Possessives can now be read — e.g. cat’s, Sam’s

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

raintrainchainsnailplayspraytrayclayeightweighsleightheygreyhey

Excluded at this level

Other vowel teams (ee, ea, oa, ow, oo, igh, ie, ew, ue, ui — coming in Levels 20–22)
R-controlled vowels (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 20

Vowel Teams: EE & EA (long “e” sound)

Adds the EE and EA vowel teams for the long “e” sound, as in tree. Children now handle two vowel-team pairs.

Phonics rules

All Level 19 rules, plus vowel teams ee and ea make the long “e” sound — e.g. tree, beach
Allowed vowel teams: ai, ay, eigh, ey, ee, ea

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

treesheepcreeksleepbeachdreamstreamclean

Excluded at this level

Vowel teams oa, ow, oo, igh, ie, ew, ue, ui (coming in Levels 21–22)
R-controlled vowels (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 21

Vowel Teams: OA, OW & OO (long “o” + “oo” sounds)

Adds the OA, OW, and OO vowel teams. OA and OW make the long “o” sound (as in boat); OO makes the long “oo” sound as in moon, or the short “oo” sound as in book.

Phonics rules

All Levels 19–20 rules, plus vowel teams oa and ow make the long “o” sound — e.g. boat, snow
Vowel team oo makes the long “oo” sound (moon, cool) or the short “oo” sound (book, good)
Allowed vowel teams: ai, ay, eigh, ey, ee, ea, oa, ow, oo

Sight words added at this level

windowyellowrainbowpillow

Example decodable words

boatroadgoatcoachblowsnowgrowflowmoonspoonroomcoolbookgoodfood

Excluded at this level

Vowel teams igh, ie, ew, ue, ui (coming in Level 22)
R-controlled vowels (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 22

Vowel Teams: IGH, IE, EW, UE & UI (long “i” + “oo” sounds)

Completes the vowel team set with IGH and IE for the long “i” sound (as in night), plus EW, UE, and UI for the “oo” sound (as in new). All vowel teams can now be sounded out.

Phonics rules

All Levels 19–21 rules, plus vowel teams igh and ie make the long “i” sound — e.g. night, pie
Vowel teams ew, ue, and ui make the “oo” sound — e.g. new, blue, fruit
Full vowel team set: ai, ay, eigh, ey, ee, ea, oa, ow, oo, igh, ie, ew, ue, ui
Mixed review — words may use any combination of allowed vowel teams

Sight words added at this level

crieddriedfriedtried

Example decodable words

nightlighthighflightsightpietielienewchewgrewblewbluetruegluefruitsuit

Excluded at this level

R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (Levels 24–29)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Levels 30–31)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 23

Y as a Vowel: long “i” (fly, sky, try)

Y steps in as a vowel. At the end of a short word with no other vowel, y says the long “i” sound — fly, sky, try, why.

Phonics rules

Final y says the long “i” sound when it is the only vowel in the word — e.g. fly, sky, try, shy, why
The start of the word can be a single consonant, a digraph, or any blend learned earlier
Not the same as ay/ey endings (day, they) — those are vowel teams from Levels 19–22

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

flyskytryshycrydryfryslyspywhy

Excluded at this level

Y as long “e” at the end of longer words (happy, baby — Level 37, with 2-syllable work)
R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (Levels 24–29)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 24

R-Controlled: AR (the “ar” sound)

Introduces the first r-controlled vowel — often called “bossy R,” because the R changes the sound of the vowel in front of it. When A is followed by R, the two make the “ar” sound, as in car.

Phonics rules

Vowel + R makes a special sound — the “ar” pattern says the “ar” sound, as in car
The word can start with a single consonant, a digraph, a beginning blend, or a 3-letter blend
The word can end with nothing, a single consonant, a digraph, an ending blend, or a FLOSS double

Sight words added at this level

warwarm

Example decodable words

carfarjarstarparkdarksharkchartfarmbarn

Excluded at this level

R-controlled or, er, ir, ur (coming in Levels 25–27)
R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 28)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Levels 30–31)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 25

R-Controlled: OR (the “or” sound)

Adds the “or” pattern — another bossy-R sound, as in for.

Phonics rules

All Level 24 rules, plus the “or” pattern — the “or” sound, as in for
Words ending in -ore (store, core) are treated as r-controlled, not magic-e
Mixed review — words may use ar or or

Sight words added at this level

wordworkworldworm

Example decodable words

forborncornhornforkporkshortsportstoreshore

Excluded at this level

R-controlled er, ir, ur (coming in Levels 26–27)
R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 28)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Levels 30–31)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 26

R-Controlled: ER (the “er” sound)

Introduces the “er” pattern — the “er” sound, as in her.

Phonics rules

All Levels 24–25 rules, plus the “er” pattern — the “er” sound, as in her
Mixed review — words may use ar, or, or er

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

herferntermverbherdjerkperkclerk

Excluded at this level

R-controlled ir, ur (coming in Level 27)
R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 28)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Levels 30–31)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 27

R-Controlled: IR & UR (the “er” sound)

Completes the “er”-sound group with “ir” and “ur.” Three different spellings — er, ir, and ur — all make the very same “er” sound (her, bird, fur).

Phonics rules

All Levels 24–26 rules, plus “ir” and “ur” — both make the same “er” sound (bird, fur)
All five basic r-controlled patterns can now be sounded out: ar, or, er, ir, ur
Mixed review — words may use any of the five patterns

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

sirbirddirtgirlshirtfirstthirdchirpfurburnturnhurtcurlsurfchurch

Excluded at this level

R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 28)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Levels 30–31)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 28

R-Controlled: AIR & ARE (the “air” sound)

Completes the r-controlled vowels with the “air” and “are” patterns — both make the “air” sound, as in chair and care.

Phonics rules

All Levels 24–27 rules, plus “air” and “are” — both make the “air” sound (chair, care)
Words with -are (care, share) are r-controlled, not magic-e
Words with -air (fair, chair) use “air” as a single unit
Full r-controlled set: ar, or, er, ir, ur, air, are

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

airfairhairpairchairstaircaresharestaredarerarespare

Excluded at this level

Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (coming in Levels 30–31)
Longer multi-syllable words (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 29

R-Controlled: EAR & URE (ear, hear, sure)

Completes the bossy-R family. EAR and EER make the “ear” sound, as in hear and deer; URE makes the “ure” sound, as in pure.

Phonics rules

ear and eer make the “ear” sound — e.g. ear, hear, near, year, deer, cheer
ure makes the “ure” sound — e.g. sure, pure, cure
Watch-outs like bear, learn, and heart say ear differently — they are NOT included here
Full r-controlled set: ar, or, er, ir, ur, air, are, ear, eer, ure

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

earhearnearyeardearfearcleardeercheersurepurecure

Excluded at this level

ear words with other sounds — bear, pear, learn, earth, heard, heart (not taught yet)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (coming in Levels 30–31)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 30

Diphthongs: OI/OY & OU/OW

Introduces diphthongs — gliding vowel sounds where the mouth slides from one sound into another, like the “oy” in boy or the “ow” in cow.

Phonics rules

OI in the middle of a word, OY at the end — both make the “oy” sound, as in oil and boy
OU in the middle of a word, OW at the end — both make the “ow” sound, as in out and cow
Only the “ow”-sound OW words are new here (cow, how, town) — not the long-o OW words like snow

Sight words added at this level

hour

Example decodable words

oilboilcoinjoinpointboyjoytoyoutloudshoutcowhownowbrownclowntown

Excluded at this level

AU/AW diphthongs (coming in Level 31)
Longer multi-syllable words (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)

Level 31

Vowel Teams: AU & AW

Completes the gliding-vowel set (Levels 30–31) with the AU and AW teams — the “aw” sound, as in saw.

Phonics rules

All Level 30 rules, plus AU and AW — the “aw” sound, as in haul and saw
AU appears in the middle of words (haul, fault, cause)
AW appears at the end of words or before N/L (saw, paw, claw, draw, dawn, lawn)

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

haulfaultcausesaucesawpawclawdrawdawnlawnjawraw

Excluded at this level

Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 32)
Longer multi-syllable words (future level)

Level 32

Soft C & Soft G

Introduces the soft sound of C and G — when C or G is followed by E, I, or Y, it makes a softer sound.

Phonics rules

All Level 31 rules, plus soft C and soft G patterns
Soft C: C sounds like S before E, I, or Y — cell, cent, city, ice, race
Soft G: G sounds like J before E, I, or Y — gem, gym, age, cage, page

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

iceracefacecellcentagecagegemgymsincefenceprince

Excluded at this level

-tch and -dge endings (Level 33)
Silent consonants like kn, wr, gn, mb, gh (Level 34)
Longer multi-syllable words (Levels 35+)

Level 33

Trigraphs: tch & dge

Introduces two three-letter spellings that come right after a short vowel: -tch (says “ch”) and -dge (says “j”).

Phonics rules

All Level 32 rules, plus -tch and -dge endings
-tch after a short vowel says “ch” — match, catch, pitch, fetch, notch
-dge after a short vowel says “j” — badge, bridge, edge, fudge, judge

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

matchcatchpitchfetchnotchbadgebridgeedgefudgehedgejudge

Excluded at this level

Silent consonants like kn, wr, gn, mb, gh (Level 34)
Longer multi-syllable words (Levels 35+)

Level 34

Silent Consonants (kn, wr, gn, mb, gh)

Introduces words with a silent consonant — a letter you can see but don’t say, like the k in knee or the b in lamb.

Phonics rules

All Level 33 rules, plus words with a silent consonant
Silent k in kn- — knee, know, knock, knot, knife, knight
Silent w in wr- — write, wrong, wrap, wrist, wreck
Silent g in gn- — gnaw, gnat, gnome
Silent b in -mb — lamb, climb, thumb, comb, bomb
Silent h in gh- — ghost, ghastly

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

kneeknowknockknifeknightwritewrongwrapgnawgnatlambclimbthumbcombghost

Excluded at this level

Longer multi-syllable words (Levels 35+)

Multisyllable Words (Levels 35–40)

Two-syllable words with syllable division. Each level unlocks a new syllable type. AI classifies syllable types at story generation time for accurate word filtering.

Level 35

2-Syllable Closed + Closed

The first multi-syllable level. Children learn to split a two-syllable word into two parts and read each part in turn.

Phonics rules

All Level 34 single-syllable words, plus 2-syllable closed+closed words
Split between the two middle consonants — rab-bit, nap-kin
Both parts are “closed” syllables — each ends in a consonant and keeps its short vowel sound

Sight words added at this level

everyafterneverunderotherwaternumberletterbetter

Example decodable words

rabbitnapkinbasketpuppetkittenmittenmuffinbuttonhelmetinsect

Excluded at this level

Open syllables, magic-e parts, vowel teams, r-controlled, consonant-le
3+ syllable words

Level 36

2-Syllable with Open Syllables

Introduces open syllables where the syllable ends in a vowel and the vowel says its long sound.

Phonics rules

All Level 35 words, plus 2-syllable words with open syllables
When one consonant sits between two vowels, try splitting before it so the first vowel stays long — ro-bot, mu-sic
Open syllable = a part that ends in a vowel, so the vowel says its long name (go, he)

Sight words added at this level

openoverevenmusicpapertigerspider

Example decodable words

robotmusicbacontigerpilotspiderfrozenhumanmomentstudent

Excluded at this level

Magic-e parts, vowel teams, r-controlled, consonant-le
3+ syllable words

Level 37

2-Syllable ending in Y (happy, baby)

Y as a vowel returns: at the end of a longer word, y says the long “e” sound — happy, baby, funny. The final y works like an open syllable spelled with y.

Phonics rules

Final y after a consonant says the long “e” sound in 2-syllable words — e.g. hap-py, ba-by, fun-ny
The first syllable must be a type already learned (closed or open) — e.g. pup-py, ti-ny, po-ny
As later syllable types unlock (Levels 38–40), y-words using them arrive too — shiny, rainy, dirty

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

happybabyfunnycandycitypuppysillysunnytinyponyladymuddy

Excluded at this level

Magic-e parts, vowel teams, r-controlled, consonant-le in the first syllable (Levels 38–40)
3+ syllable words

Level 38

2-Syllable with Magic-e

Adds magic-e (silent-e) parts inside longer words.

Phonics rules

All Level 37 words, plus 2-syllable words that contain a magic-e part
A magic-e (silent-e) part can sit inside a longer word — the e is silent and the vowel is long, as in -vite in in-vite

Sight words added at this level

completeinsideoutsideinvitecostume

Example decodable words

competeinvitecompletestampedecostumedisputereptilecombineignitemistake

Excluded at this level

Vowel team syllables, r-controlled, consonant-le
3+ syllable words

Level 39

2-Syllable with Vowel Teams

Adds vowel team syllables in multisyllable words.

Phonics rules

All Level 38 words, plus 2-syllable words with vowel team syllables
All previously learned vowel teams from Levels 19–31 apply

Sight words added at this level

explainbetweenrainbowcontainreason

Example decodable words

rainbowexplainreasonseasonrepeatfifteenpoisonrooftopdaydreamcontain

Excluded at this level

R-controlled syllables, consonant-le
3+ syllable words

Level 40

2-Syllable with R-Controlled

Adds r-controlled syllables in multisyllable words.

Phonics rules

All Level 39 words, plus 2-syllable words with r-controlled syllables
All previously learned r-controlled patterns from Levels 24–29 apply

Sight words added at this level

gardencornerperfectturtlesurprise

Example decodable words

gardenturtlecornerperfectharvestpurposemarketmonsterlobsterthirteen

Excluded at this level

Consonant-le syllables
3+ syllable words

Consonant-le & Multisyllable Mastery (Levels 41–44)

From slider 41 onward, all six syllable types are always allowed. Later levels in this group only change how many syllablesa word may have (2 → 3 → unlimited).

Level 41

2-Syllable with Consonant-le

Introduces consonant-le syllables. All six syllable types are now permanently unlocked.

Phonics rules

All Level 40 words, plus 2-syllable words with consonant-le syllables
When a word ends in a consonant + le, those last three letters form their own syllable — lit-tle, sim-ple, ta-ble
All six syllable types now permanently available

Sight words added at this level

littlepeoplesimpletableablepossible

Example decodable words

littlesimpletablecandleapplebottlepuzzlebubblemiddlepuddle

Excluded at this level

3+ syllable words

Level 42

Final Syllables: -tion, -sion & -ture

Introduces the most common “final stable syllables” — chunks like -tion, -sion, and -ture that always spell the same ending sound. Read the chunk as one unit: sta-tion, pic-ture.

Phonics rules

-tion and -sion say “shun” — e.g. station, action, mission
-ture says “cher” — e.g. picture, nature, capture
Read the first part with the syllable types you know, then add the chunk — e.g. sta + tion, na + ture
Still 2-syllable words only; longer ones like vacation arrive at Level 43

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

stationactionnationmotionquestionmissionpicturenaturecapturemixturecreature

Excluded at this level

3+ syllable words (vacation, adventure — Level 43)

Level 43

3-Syllable Words

Raises the syllable count limit from 2 to 3.

Phonics rules

All Level 42 words, plus 3-syllable words
Multiple division points within a single word
Max syllable count raised from 2 → 3

Sight words added at this level

animalfamilytogetherrememberbeautifulimportantdifferentwonderful

Example decodable words

animalhospitalumbrellaadventurerememberimportantbeautifuldinosaurinstrumentunderstand

Excluded at this level

4+ syllable words
Words requiring prefix/suffix knowledge

Level 44

Multisyllable Mastery

Removes the syllable count ceiling entirely. Full multisyllable mastery.

Phonics rules

All Level 43 words, plus words of any syllable count
Syllable count limit removed — unlimited

Sight words added at this level

absolutelyeverythingcelebrationimagination

Example decodable words

caterpillarcelebrationelectricityhippopotamusrefrigeratorimaginationmultiplicationencyclopedia

Excluded at this level

Auto-Level Advancement

Advancement criteria

Every check that applies must be met before a child advances from level N to level N+1:

Unique words mastered. The child has correctly read a minimum number of unique words that belong to their current level (not earlier levels) — and each word must be read correctly on two separate occasions before it counts, so one lucky read never banks a word.
Session spread. Those words must come from at least 3 separate reading sessions. This prevents a single strong day from triggering advancement.
Accuracy gate. The child must reach at least 90% accuracy on clearly-scored wordsat their current level. Words the speech recognizer can’t score confidently are treated as no evidence at all — they neither help nor hurt — so the bar reflects real reads, in line with the 90–95% mastery standard used in structured-literacy practice.
First-try words. At least 3 banked words were read correctly on the child’s firstattempt at this level — evidence they are decoding new words, not recognising remembered ones.
Reading pace. When a child’s reads are timed, their reading speed must reach an age-appropriate pace. If there is not yet enough timing data, this check is skipped.

Unique-word thresholds per level group

Level group	Phonics focus	Unique words to advance
1–3	CVC / VC / FLOSS — short vowels	15
4–6	Consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng)	12
7	Initial blends (l/r, s, 3-letter)	12
8–9	Initial blends — review pace	8
10	Ending blends (N, S, L, remaining)	12
11–13	Ending blends — review pace	8
14–17	Silent-e / magic-e (long vowels)	10
18	The ph digraph (phone, graph)	10
19–22	Vowel teams (ai/ay, ee/ea, oa/ow, igh/ie)	10
23	Y as a vowel — long i (fly, sky)	10
24–28	R-controlled vowels (ar, or, er, ir/ur, air/are)	10
29	R-controlled ear/eer + ure (hear, deer, sure)	10
30–31	Diphthongs (oi/oy, ou/ow, au/aw)	10
32–34	Soft C/G, tch/dge, silent letters	10
35–36, 38–40	2-syllable words (closed, open, magic-e, vowel team, r-controlled)	10
37	2-syllable words ending in y (happy, baby)	10
41, 43–44	Consonant-le + 3-syllable + mastery	10
42	Final syllables -tion/-sion/-ture (station, picture)	10

What counts as a correctly read word?

Our pronunciation assessment returns errorType: "correct" and accuracy ≥ 60
OR the word is already marked as mastered in the practice words tracker

Safety rails

No automatic regression. Levels only go up, never down. If a child struggles at a new level, they simply stay there longer — the system will keep generating stories with words at that level, giving them more practice. Incorrect words are handled by the existing practice overlay, not by taking away progress.
Incorrect words act as a brake. Words read incorrectly do not count toward advancement. Combined with the 90% accuracy gate, this naturally prevents children from advancing before they are ready.
Parent override. If a parent manually sets the level via the slider, that becomes the new starting point and the mastery counter is re-measured from there. Parents can change the level at any time.
Celebration on level-up. When a child advances, they see a brief congratulatory animation. Parents see a notification on the dashboard with the new level and date.

Step-by-step example

Emma is on Level 1 (Short a, i). She needs 15 unique words — each read correctly twice — across 3+ sessions, with ≥90% accuracy on clearly-scored words and at least 3 first-try words.

Session 1:Emma reads a story and correctly says "cat", "dog", "run", "sit", "big", "hot" on her first try — 6 words with one correct read each (and 6 first-try words already noted).
Sessions 2–3:Emma meets those words again and reads them correctly a second time — now they bank. New words like "map", "bed", "fun", "top" start their own two-read count. Running total: 12 banked words across 3 sessions.
Session 4:the last three words get their second correct read — 15 banked words across 4 sessions, accuracy on scored words is 93%. Level up!