Reading Levels

Story Gliders uses a 40-level phonics progression (slider values 1–40) 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 slider 14 (Level 5c) onward, contractions are introduced in stages: n't at 5c, 's/'m at 5d, and 'll/'ve/'re/'d at 6a. Possessives (cat's) unlock at 6a (slider 17).

Inflected forms handled separately

Suffixed words (-ing, -ed, -s) are handled by a separate inflection pipeline from slider 8+. The base word must pass the phonics filter and the suffix type must be unlocked at the current level.

Single syllable (levels 1–28) → Multisyllable (levels 29+)

Levels 1–28 cover single-syllable decoding. From level 29 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 1–27)

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 1–27, 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 is lifted at Level 9a, which formally teaches soft C/G.

All six syllable types from slider 34+

From slider 34 (Level 11a) onward, all six syllable types — closed, open, VCe, vowel team, r-controlled, and consonant-le — are permanently unlocked. Levels 35–40 never restrict syllable types; they only control how many syllables a word may have (≤2 at 34–35, ≤3 at 36, unlimited at 37+) and whether morphology (prefix/suffix peeling) is used (38–40).

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

Azure Speech Services 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 recommendations

The app analyses pattern mastery across multiple sessions and recommends when a child is ready to move up — or when stepping back would help solidify a skill. Parents always have the final say.

The six syllable types (used in levels 29+)

From level 29 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 1Slider 1
All Short Vowels
The starting level. Children read CVC (consonant–vowel–consonant), VC (vowel–consonant), and FLOSS words using all five short vowels (a, e, i, o, u).
Phonics rules
- CVC words with all five short vowels — e.g. cat, sit, hot, bed, cup
- VC (vowel–consonant) words — e.g. at, it, on, up, in
- FLOSS pattern (short vowel + doubled f, l, s, or z) — e.g. bass, fill, doll, bell, fuzz, buff
Sight words added at this level
Iatheandisitheshewemebewasoftonogosodomyyoutheyareorhavehasforhisheryour
Example decodable words
catsithotbedcupatonupfilldollbellfuzz
Excluded at this level
- Contractions and possessives (until Levels 5c–6a)
- Inflected forms (-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 9a)
Level 2aSlider 2
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 Level 1 words are still included (cumulative)
Sight words added at this level
saidarehavetheywerehisherbyor
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 9a)
Level 2bSlider 3
Digraphs + th, wh
Adds th and wh to the allowed digraph set. Children now handle four consonant digraphs.
Phonics rules
- All Level 2a 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 2c)
- Blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 2cSlider 4
Digraphs + ck, ng
Completes the consonant digraph set with ck and ng. Mixed review of all digraphs learned so far.
Phonics rules
- All Level 2a–2b 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 9a)
Level 3aSlider 5
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 remainder must be a simple VC or VCC-FLOSS pattern
- Digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng) are still allowed within the remainder
- All Level 1–2 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 3b)
- Three-letter blends (coming in Level 3c)
- Ending blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 3bSlider 6
S-blends
Adds initial s-blends and tw-blend to the mix. Children now handle all two-letter beginning blends.
Phonics rules
- All Level 3a 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
- The remainder after the blend must still be a simple VC/FLOSS pattern
Sight words added at this level
mademakemoremuchmustonlyotheroverownrightwaysaywillthink
Example decodable words
stopsnapswimskipspintwin
Excluded at this level
- Three-letter blends (coming in Level 3c)
- Ending blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 3cSlider 7
Three-letter Blends
Introduces three-letter beginning blends — the trickiest consonant clusters for early readers.
Phonics rules
- All Level 3a–3b rules, plus initial three-letter blends: scr, spl, spr, str, squ
- All beginning blends (two-letter and three-letter) are now available
- The remainder after the blend must still be a simple VC/FLOSS pattern
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 9a)
Level 4aSlider 8
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 onset can be a single consonant, digraph, or beginning blend + short vowel
- All Level 1–3 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 4b–4d)
- Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 4bSlider 9
Ending S-blends
Adding ending S-family blends to the mix.
Phonics rules
- All Level 4a 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 4c–4d)
- Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 4cSlider 10
Ending L-blends
Adding ending L-family blends.
Phonics rules
- All Level 4a–4b 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 4d)
- Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 4dSlider 11
Remaining Ending Blends
Completes the ending blends set. All single-syllable short-vowel words with consonant blends are now decodable.
Phonics rules
- All Level 4a–4c 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 Level 5)
- 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 9a)
Level 5aSlider 12
Silent E: Long A (a_e)
Introduces the magic-e (silent-e) pattern — a final e makes the preceding vowel say its name. Starting with long /ā/.
Phonics rules
- CVCE pattern where the vowel is a — e.g. cake, lake, game, wave
- The onset can be a single consonant, onset digraph (sh, ch, th, wh), or any previously learned blend
- The silent e at the end is not sounded out; it signals the vowel is long
- All Level 1–4 words are still included (cumulative)
- Inflection unlock: consonant-doubling forms (e.g. “hopping” from “hop”, “biggest” from “big”) become decodable at this level
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 5b–5d)
- R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a) — but CVCE exceptions like face, cage, nice pass as normal silent-e
Level 5bSlider 13
Silent E: Long I (i_e)
Adds the long /ī/ silent-e pattern. Children can now decode both a_e and i_e words.
Phonics rules
- All Level 5a rules, plus CVCE 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
- Inflection unlock: silent-e-drop forms (e.g. “biking” from “bike”, “hoped” from “hope”) become decodable at this level
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 5c–5d)
- R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a) — but CVCE exceptions like face, cage, nice pass as normal silent-e
Level 5cSlider 14
Silent E: Long O (o_e)
Adds the long /ō/ silent-e pattern. Three vowel patterns are now decodable.
Phonics rules
- All Level 5a–5b rules, plus CVCE where the vowel is o — e.g. home, bone, hope, joke
- Contrast pairs: hop/hope, not/note, rob/robe
- n’t contractions now decodable — e.g. can’t, don’t, isn’t, didn’t (base word must be a sight word or decodable)
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 5d)
- Other contractions (’s, ’m, ’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d — coming in Levels 5d–6a)
- Possessives (coming in Level 6a)
- R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a) — but CVCE exceptions like face, cage, nice pass as normal silent-e
Level 5dSlider 15
Silent E: Long U & E (u_e, e_e)
Completes the silent-e set. Adds both the long /ū/ pattern (cube, tune) and the rare long /ē/ pattern (theme). All five silent-e vowels are now decodable. Most long-e words come from vowel teams in a future level, so e_e words are intentionally few.
Phonics rules
- All Level 5a–5c rules, plus CVCE 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) are now decodable
- ’s and ’m contractions now decodable — e.g. it’s, that’s, he’s, I’m (base must be decodable or a sight word)
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 Level 6)
- Remaining contractions (’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d — coming in Level 6a)
- Possessives (coming in Level 6a)
- R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a) — but CVCE exceptions like face, cage, nice pass as normal silent-e
Level 6aSlider 17
Vowel Teams: AI, AY, EIGH & EY (long /ā/)
Introduces the first vowel teams — two or more vowels that work together to make one long vowel sound. Starting with AI, AY, EIGH, and EY for the long /ā/ sound.
Phonics rules
- Vowel teams ai and ay producing long /ā/ — e.g. rain, play, train
- Vowel team eigh producing long /ā/ — e.g. eight, weigh, sleigh
- Vowel team ey producing long /ā/ — e.g. they, grey, hey, prey
- Onset can be empty, a single consonant, digraph, or any previously learned blend
- Coda can be empty, a single consonant, consonant digraph (ch, ck, ng, sh, th), ending blend, or FLOSS double
- All Level 1–5 words are still included (cumulative)
- ’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d contractions now decodable
- Possessives now decodable — 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 6b–6d)
- R-controlled vowels (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 6bSlider 18
Vowel Teams: EE & EA (long /ē/)
Adds the EE and EA vowel teams for the long /ē/ sound. Children now handle two vowel-team pairs.
Phonics rules
- All Level 6a rules, plus vowel teams ee and ea producing long /ē/ — 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 6c–6d)
- R-controlled vowels (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 6cSlider 19
Vowel Teams: OA, OW & OO (long /ō/ + /uː/)
Adds the OA, OW, and OO vowel teams. OA and OW produce the long /ō/ sound; OO produces /uː/ as in moon or /ʊ/ as in book.
Phonics rules
- All Level 6a–6b rules, plus vowel teams oa and ow producing long /ō/ — e.g. boat, snow
- Vowel team oo producing /uː/ or /ʊ/ — e.g. moon, cool, 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 6d)
- R-controlled vowels (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 6dSlider 20
Vowel Teams: IGH, IE, EW, UE & UI (long /ī/ + /uː/)
Completes the vowel team set with IGH and IE for the long /ī/ sound, plus EW, UE, and UI for /uː/. All vowel teams are now decodable.
Phonics rules
- All Level 6a–6c rules, plus vowel teams igh and ie producing long /ī/ — e.g. night, pie
- Vowel teams ew, ue, and ui producing /uː/ — 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
nightlighthighflightsightpietielienewfewgrewblewbluetruegluefruitsuit
Excluded at this level
- R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (Level 7)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Level 8)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 7aSlider 21
R-Controlled: AR (/ɑːr/)
Introduces the first r-controlled vowel pattern. When A is followed by R, it makes a special sound.
Phonics rules
- Vowel + R = special sound — the “ar” pattern produces /ɑːr/ as in car
- Valid onsets: single consonant, onset digraph, beginning blend, or 3-letter blend
- Valid codas: empty, single consonant, consonant digraph, ending blend, or 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 7b–7d)
- R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 7e)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Level 8)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 7bSlider 22
R-Controlled: OR (/ɔːr/)
Adds the “or” r-controlled pattern.
Phonics rules
- All Level 7a rules, plus the “or” pattern producing /ɔːr/ 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 7c–7d)
- R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 7e)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Level 8)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 7cSlider 23
R-Controlled: ER (/ɜːr/)
Introduces the “er” pattern.
Phonics rules
- All Level 7a–7b rules, plus the “er” pattern producing /ɜːr/ 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 7d)
- R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 7e)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Level 8)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 7dSlider 24
R-Controlled: IR & UR (/ɜːr/)
Completes the /ɜːr/ group with “ir” and “ur”.
Phonics rules
- All Level 7a–7c rules, plus “ir” and “ur” patterns — both produce /ɜːr/
- All five basic r-controlled patterns now decodable: 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 7e)
- Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Level 8)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 7eSlider 25
R-Controlled: AIR & ARE (/ɛər/)
Completes r-controlled vowels with the “air” and “are” patterns.
Phonics rules
- All Level 7a–7d rules, plus “air” and “are” patterns producing /ɛər/
- 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 Level 8)
- Multisyllable decoding (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 8aSlider 26
Diphthongs: OI/OY & OU/OW
Introduces true diphthongs — vowel sounds that glide between two positions.
Phonics rules
- OI in the middle of a word, OY at the end — both produce /ɔɪ/ as in oil/boy
- OU in the middle of a word, OW at the end — both produce /aʊ/ as in out/cow
- OW words are disambiguated: only /aʊ/ words (cow, how, town) are new here
Sight words added at this level
hour
Example decodable words
oilboilcoinjoinpointboyjoytoyoutloudshoutcowhownowbrownclowntown
Excluded at this level
- AU/AW diphthongs (coming in Level 8b)
- Multisyllable decoding (future level)
- Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)
Level 8bSlider 27
Vowel Teams: AU & AW
Completes Level 8 with the AU/AW vowel teams.
Phonics rules
- All Level 8a rules, plus AU and AW patterns producing /ɔː/
- 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 9a)
- Multisyllable decoding (future level)
Level 9aSlider 28
Soft C/G, tch/dge & Silent Consonants
Introduces the soft sound of C and G when followed by E, I, or Y, -tch and -dge endings, and silent consonant patterns (kn, wr, gn, mb, gh).
Phonics rules
- All Level 8b rules, plus soft C and soft G patterns
- Soft C (/s/): C before E, I, or Y — cell, cent, city, ice, race
- Soft G (/j/): G before E, I, or Y — gem, gym, age, cage, page
- -tch after short vowel: match, catch, pitch, fetch
- -dge after short vowel: badge, bridge, edge, fudge, judge
- 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
iceracefacecellagecagegemmatchcatchbadgebridgekneeknowknockknifeknightwritewrongwrapgnawgnatlambclimbthumbcombghost
Excluded at this level
- Multisyllable decoding (Level 10a+)
Multisyllable Words (Levels 10a–10e)
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 10aSlider 29
2-Syllable Closed + Closed
The first multisyllable level. Children apply VCCV division to split two-syllable words.
Phonics rules
- All Level 9a single-syllable words, plus 2-syllable closed+closed words
- VCCV division: split between two middle consonants — rab-bit, nap-kin
- Both syllables must be closed (end in consonant, short vowel)
Sight words added at this level
everyafterneverunderotherwaternumberletterbetter
Example decodable words
rabbitnapkinbasketpuppetkittenmittenmuffinbuttonhelmetinsect
Excluded at this level
- Open syllables, VCe, vowel teams, r-controlled, consonant-le
- 3+ syllable words
Level 10bSlider 30
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 10a words, plus 2-syllable words with open syllables
- VCV division: try open split first (vowel is long) — ro-bot, mu-sic
- Open syllable = ends in a vowel, vowel is long
Sight words added at this level
openoverevenmusicpapertigerspider
Example decodable words
robotmusicbacontigerpilotspiderfrozenhumanmomentstudent
Excluded at this level
- VCe syllables, vowel teams, r-controlled, consonant-le
- 3+ syllable words
Level 10cSlider 31
2-Syllable with VCe
Adds VCe syllables within multisyllable words.
Phonics rules
- All Level 10b words, plus 2-syllable words with VCe syllables
- VCe syllable = vowel-consonant-e where e is silent, vowel is long
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 10dSlider 32
2-Syllable with Vowel Teams
Adds vowel team syllables in multisyllable words.
Phonics rules
- All Level 10c words, plus 2-syllable words with vowel team syllables
- All previously learned vowel teams from Levels 6–8 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 10eSlider 33
2-Syllable with R-Controlled
Adds r-controlled syllables in multisyllable words.
Phonics rules
- All Level 10d words, plus 2-syllable words with r-controlled syllables
- All previously learned r-controlled patterns from Levels 7a–7e 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 11a–11d)
From slider 34 onward, all six syllable types are always allowed. Later levels in this group only change how many syllables a word may have (2 → 3 → unlimited) and whether morphology (prefixes/suffixes) is used.
Level 11aSlider 34
2-Syllable with Consonant-le
Introduces consonant-le syllables. All six syllable types are now permanently unlocked.
Phonics rules
- All Level 10e words, plus 2-syllable words with consonant-le syllables
- C+le rule: count back 3 from the end to divide — 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 11bSlider 35
2-Syllable All Types Mixed
Consolidation level. All six syllable types with mixed 2-syllable combinations.
Phonics rules
- All Level 11a words — same six syllable types, consolidation practice
- Any combination of the six syllable types in 2-syllable words
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
entireoutsidefortunemarvelsamplejinglenightmareexploretremblefeather
Excluded at this level
- 3+ syllable words
Level 11cSlider 36
3-Syllable Words
Raises the syllable count limit from 2 to 3.
Phonics rules
- All Level 11b 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 11dSlider 37
Multisyllable Mastery
Removes the syllable count ceiling entirely. Full multisyllable mastery.
Phonics rules
- All Level 11c 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
- Words requiring prefix/suffix knowledge to decode (Level 12+)
Morphology Layer (Levels 12a–12c)
Prefix and suffix peeling before decoding. After removing affixes, the remaining root is checked: multisyllable roots use syllable division (all six types); single-syllable roots are decoded as if all single-syllable patterns (through Level 9a) are available. At Level 12c, words can be prefix+root+suffix.
Level 12aSlider 38
Prefixes: un-, re-, pre-, dis-, mis-
Introduces morphology — recognizing and peeling common prefixes before decoding the root.
Phonics rules
- All Level 11d words, plus words with un-, re-, pre-, dis-, mis- prefixes
- Peel the prefix first, then decode the root
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
unkindreplaypreviewdislikemisplaceunfairrewritepreschooldisagreemisspell
Excluded at this level
- Prefixes in-/im-, non-, over-, under- (Level 12b)
- Derivational suffixes (Level 12c)
Level 12bSlider 39
Prefixes: in-/im-, non-, over-, under-
Expands the prefix set with in-/im-, non-, over-, and under-.
Phonics rules
- All Level 12a words, plus words with in-/im-, non-, over-, under- prefixes
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
incompleteimpossiblenonfictionoverlookunderstandimpropernonsenseovercomeundergroundinvisible
Excluded at this level
- Derivational suffixes (Level 12c)
Level 12cSlider 40
Suffixes: -ful, -less, -ness, -ment, -ly
Introduces derivational suffixes that change word class.
Phonics rules
- All Level 12b words, plus words with -ful, -less, -ness, -ment, -ly suffixes
- Peel the suffix first, then decode the root
- Words can have BOTH a prefix AND a suffix
Sight words added at this level
No new sight words at this level.
Example decodable words
helpfulcarelesskindnesstreatmentquicklythankfulendlessdarknessmovementslowly
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

All three conditions must be met before a child advances from level N to level N+1:

Unique words correct. The child has correctly pronounced a minimum number of unique words that belong to their current level (not earlier levels). The same word read multiple times only counts once.
Session spread. Those correct words must come from at least 2 separate reading sessions. This prevents a single lucky session from triggering advancement.
Accuracy gate. The child must achieve at least 70% overall accuracy on words attempted at their current level. This ensures they are genuinely comfortable with the phonics patterns before moving on.

Unique-word thresholds per level group

Level group	Phonics focus	Unique words to advance
1	CVC / VC / FLOSS — short vowels	15
2a–2c	Consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng)	12
3a–3c	Initial blends (l/r, s, 3-letter)	12
4a–4d	Ending blends (N, S, L, remaining)	12
5a–5d	Silent-e / magic-e (long vowels)	10
6a–6d	Vowel teams (ai/ay, ee/ea, oa/ow, igh/ie)	10
7a–7e	R-controlled vowels (ar, or, er, ir/ur, air/are)	10
8a–8b	Diphthongs (oi/oy, ou/ow, au/aw)	10
9a	Soft C & Soft G + tch/dge	10
10a–10e	2-syllable words (closed, open, VCe, vowel team, r-controlled)	10
11a–11d	Consonant-le + mixed practice + 3-syllable + mastery	10
12a–12c	Morphology: prefixes and suffixes	10

What counts as a correctly read word?

Azure pronunciation assessment returns errorType: "correct" and accuracy ≥ 70
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 70% accuracy gate, this naturally prevents children from advancing before they are ready.
Parent override always wins. If a parent manually sets the level via the slider, that resets the auto-advancement counter. Parents are always in control.
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 (All Short Vowels). She needs 15 unique words correct, across 2+ sessions, with ≥70% accuracy.

Session 1: Emma reads a story and correctly says "cat", "dog", "run", "sit", "big", "hot" — 6 unique words banked.
Session 2: Emma reads another story and correctly says "cat", "map", "bed", "fun", "red", "top", "lip", "cup", "hat". "cat" is already counted, so 8 new unique words are banked. Running total: 14 across 2 sessions.
Session 3: Emma reads "bug" correctly — 15 unique words across 3 sessions, accuracy is above 70%. 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 8+. The base word must pass the phonics filter and the suffix type must be unlocked at the current level.

Single syllable (levels 1–28) → Multisyllable (levels 29+)

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 1–27)

All six syllable types from slider 34+

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

Azure Speech Services 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 recommendations

The app analyses pattern mastery across multiple sessions and recommends when a child is ready to move up — or when stepping back would help solidify a skill. Parents always have the final say.

The six syllable types (used in levels 29+)

From level 29 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 1Slider 1

All Short Vowels

The starting level. Children read CVC (consonant–vowel–consonant), VC (vowel–consonant), and FLOSS words using all five short vowels (a, e, i, o, u).

Phonics rules

CVC words with all five short vowels — e.g. cat, sit, hot, bed, cup
VC (vowel–consonant) words — e.g. at, it, on, up, in
FLOSS pattern (short vowel + doubled f, l, s, or z) — e.g. bass, fill, doll, bell, fuzz, buff

Sight words added at this level

Iatheandisitheshewemebewasoftonogosodomyyoutheyareorhavehasforhisheryour

Example decodable words

catsithotbedcupatonupfilldollbellfuzz

Excluded at this level

Contractions and possessives (until Levels 5c–6a)
Inflected forms (-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 9a)

Level 2aSlider 2

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 Level 1 words are still included (cumulative)

Sight words added at this level

saidarehavetheywerehisherbyor

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 9a)

Level 2bSlider 3

Digraphs + th, wh

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

Phonics rules

All Level 2a 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 2c)
Blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 2cSlider 4

Digraphs + ck, ng

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

Phonics rules

All Level 2a–2b 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 9a)

Level 3aSlider 5

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 remainder must be a simple VC or VCC-FLOSS pattern
Digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng) are still allowed within the remainder
All Level 1–2 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 3b)
Three-letter blends (coming in Level 3c)
Ending blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 3bSlider 6

S-blends

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

Phonics rules

All Level 3a 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
The remainder after the blend must still be a simple VC/FLOSS pattern

Sight words added at this level

mademakemoremuchmustonlyotheroverownrightwaysaywillthink

Example decodable words

stopsnapswimskipspintwin

Excluded at this level

Three-letter blends (coming in Level 3c)
Ending blends, silent-e, and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 3cSlider 7

Three-letter Blends

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

Phonics rules

All Level 3a–3b rules, plus initial three-letter blends: scr, spl, spr, str, squ
All beginning blends (two-letter and three-letter) are now available
The remainder after the blend must still be a simple VC/FLOSS pattern

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 9a)

Level 4aSlider 8

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 onset can be a single consonant, digraph, or beginning blend + short vowel
All Level 1–3 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 4b–4d)
Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 4bSlider 9

Ending S-blends

Adding ending S-family blends to the mix.

Phonics rules

All Level 4a 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 4c–4d)
Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 4cSlider 10

Ending L-blends

Adding ending L-family blends.

Phonics rules

All Level 4a–4b 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 4d)
Silent-e and r-controlled vowels
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 4dSlider 11

Remaining Ending Blends

Completes the ending blends set. All single-syllable short-vowel words with consonant blends are now decodable.

Phonics rules

All Level 4a–4c 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 Level 5)
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 9a)

Level 5aSlider 12

Silent E: Long A (a_e)

Introduces the magic-e (silent-e) pattern — a final e makes the preceding vowel say its name. Starting with long /ā/.

Phonics rules

CVCE pattern where the vowel is a — e.g. cake, lake, game, wave
The onset can be a single consonant, onset digraph (sh, ch, th, wh), or any previously learned blend
The silent e at the end is not sounded out; it signals the vowel is long
All Level 1–4 words are still included (cumulative)
Inflection unlock: consonant-doubling forms (e.g. “hopping” from “hop”, “biggest” from “big”) become decodable at this level

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 5b–5d)
R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a) — but CVCE exceptions like face, cage, nice pass as normal silent-e

Level 5bSlider 13

Silent E: Long I (i_e)

Adds the long /ī/ silent-e pattern. Children can now decode both a_e and i_e words.

Phonics rules

All Level 5a rules, plus CVCE 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
Inflection unlock: silent-e-drop forms (e.g. “biking” from “bike”, “hoped” from “hope”) become decodable at this level

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 5c–5d)
R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a) — but CVCE exceptions like face, cage, nice pass as normal silent-e

Level 5cSlider 14

Silent E: Long O (o_e)

Adds the long /ō/ silent-e pattern. Three vowel patterns are now decodable.

Phonics rules

All Level 5a–5b rules, plus CVCE where the vowel is o — e.g. home, bone, hope, joke
Contrast pairs: hop/hope, not/note, rob/robe
n’t contractions now decodable — e.g. can’t, don’t, isn’t, didn’t (base word must be a sight word or decodable)

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 5d)
Other contractions (’s, ’m, ’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d — coming in Levels 5d–6a)
Possessives (coming in Level 6a)
R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a) — but CVCE exceptions like face, cage, nice pass as normal silent-e

Level 5dSlider 15

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

Completes the silent-e set. Adds both the long /ū/ pattern (cube, tune) and the rare long /ē/ pattern (theme). All five silent-e vowels are now decodable. Most long-e words come from vowel teams in a future level, so e_e words are intentionally few.

Phonics rules

All Level 5a–5c rules, plus CVCE 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) are now decodable
’s and ’m contractions now decodable — e.g. it’s, that’s, he’s, I’m (base must be decodable or a sight word)

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 Level 6)
Remaining contractions (’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d — coming in Level 6a)
Possessives (coming in Level 6a)
R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a) — but CVCE exceptions like face, cage, nice pass as normal silent-e

Level 6aSlider 17

Vowel Teams: AI, AY, EIGH & EY (long /ā/)

Introduces the first vowel teams — two or more vowels that work together to make one long vowel sound. Starting with AI, AY, EIGH, and EY for the long /ā/ sound.

Phonics rules

Vowel teams ai and ay producing long /ā/ — e.g. rain, play, train
Vowel team eigh producing long /ā/ — e.g. eight, weigh, sleigh
Vowel team ey producing long /ā/ — e.g. they, grey, hey, prey
Onset can be empty, a single consonant, digraph, or any previously learned blend
Coda can be empty, a single consonant, consonant digraph (ch, ck, ng, sh, th), ending blend, or FLOSS double
All Level 1–5 words are still included (cumulative)
’ll, ’ve, ’re, ’d contractions now decodable
Possessives now decodable — 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 6b–6d)
R-controlled vowels (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 6bSlider 18

Vowel Teams: EE & EA (long /ē/)

Adds the EE and EA vowel teams for the long /ē/ sound. Children now handle two vowel-team pairs.

Phonics rules

All Level 6a rules, plus vowel teams ee and ea producing long /ē/ — 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 6c–6d)
R-controlled vowels (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 6cSlider 19

Vowel Teams: OA, OW & OO (long /ō/ + /uː/)

Adds the OA, OW, and OO vowel teams. OA and OW produce the long /ō/ sound; OO produces /uː/ as in moon or /ʊ/ as in book.

Phonics rules

All Level 6a–6b rules, plus vowel teams oa and ow producing long /ō/ — e.g. boat, snow
Vowel team oo producing /uː/ or /ʊ/ — e.g. moon, cool, 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 6d)
R-controlled vowels (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 6dSlider 20

Vowel Teams: IGH, IE, EW, UE & UI (long /ī/ + /uː/)

Completes the vowel team set with IGH and IE for the long /ī/ sound, plus EW, UE, and UI for /uː/. All vowel teams are now decodable.

Phonics rules

All Level 6a–6c rules, plus vowel teams igh and ie producing long /ī/ — e.g. night, pie
Vowel teams ew, ue, and ui producing /uː/ — 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

nightlighthighflightsightpietielienewfewgrewblewbluetruegluefruitsuit

Excluded at this level

R-controlled vowels like ar, er, ir, or, ur (Level 7)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Level 8)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 7aSlider 21

R-Controlled: AR (/ɑːr/)

Introduces the first r-controlled vowel pattern. When A is followed by R, it makes a special sound.

Phonics rules

Vowel + R = special sound — the “ar” pattern produces /ɑːr/ as in car
Valid onsets: single consonant, onset digraph, beginning blend, or 3-letter blend
Valid codas: empty, single consonant, consonant digraph, ending blend, or 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 7b–7d)
R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 7e)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Level 8)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 7bSlider 22

R-Controlled: OR (/ɔːr/)

Adds the “or” r-controlled pattern.

Phonics rules

All Level 7a rules, plus the “or” pattern producing /ɔːr/ 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 7c–7d)
R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 7e)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Level 8)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 7cSlider 23

R-Controlled: ER (/ɜːr/)

Introduces the “er” pattern.

Phonics rules

All Level 7a–7b rules, plus the “er” pattern producing /ɜːr/ 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 7d)
R-controlled air, are (coming in Level 7e)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Level 8)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 7dSlider 24

R-Controlled: IR & UR (/ɜːr/)

Completes the /ɜːr/ group with “ir” and “ur”.

Phonics rules

All Level 7a–7c rules, plus “ir” and “ur” patterns — both produce /ɜːr/
All five basic r-controlled patterns now decodable: 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 7e)
Diphthongs like oi, oy, ou, au, aw (Level 8)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 7eSlider 25

R-Controlled: AIR & ARE (/ɛər/)

Completes r-controlled vowels with the “air” and “are” patterns.

Phonics rules

All Level 7a–7d rules, plus “air” and “are” patterns producing /ɛər/
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 Level 8)
Multisyllable decoding (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 8aSlider 26

Diphthongs: OI/OY & OU/OW

Introduces true diphthongs — vowel sounds that glide between two positions.

Phonics rules

OI in the middle of a word, OY at the end — both produce /ɔɪ/ as in oil/boy
OU in the middle of a word, OW at the end — both produce /aʊ/ as in out/cow
OW words are disambiguated: only /aʊ/ words (cow, how, town) are new here

Sight words added at this level

hour

Example decodable words

oilboilcoinjoinpointboyjoytoyoutloudshoutcowhownowbrownclowntown

Excluded at this level

AU/AW diphthongs (coming in Level 8b)
Multisyllable decoding (future level)
Soft C/G words and -tch/-dge actively blocked (Level 9a)

Level 8bSlider 27

Vowel Teams: AU & AW

Completes Level 8 with the AU/AW vowel teams.

Phonics rules

All Level 8a rules, plus AU and AW patterns producing /ɔː/
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 9a)
Multisyllable decoding (future level)

Level 9aSlider 28

Soft C/G, tch/dge & Silent Consonants

Introduces the soft sound of C and G when followed by E, I, or Y, -tch and -dge endings, and silent consonant patterns (kn, wr, gn, mb, gh).

Phonics rules

All Level 8b rules, plus soft C and soft G patterns
Soft C (/s/): C before E, I, or Y — cell, cent, city, ice, race
Soft G (/j/): G before E, I, or Y — gem, gym, age, cage, page
-tch after short vowel: match, catch, pitch, fetch
-dge after short vowel: badge, bridge, edge, fudge, judge
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

iceracefacecellagecagegemmatchcatchbadgebridgekneeknowknockknifeknightwritewrongwrapgnawgnatlambclimbthumbcombghost

Excluded at this level

Multisyllable decoding (Level 10a+)

Multisyllable Words (Levels 10a–10e)

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 10aSlider 29

2-Syllable Closed + Closed

The first multisyllable level. Children apply VCCV division to split two-syllable words.

Phonics rules

All Level 9a single-syllable words, plus 2-syllable closed+closed words
VCCV division: split between two middle consonants — rab-bit, nap-kin
Both syllables must be closed (end in consonant, short vowel)

Sight words added at this level

everyafterneverunderotherwaternumberletterbetter

Example decodable words

rabbitnapkinbasketpuppetkittenmittenmuffinbuttonhelmetinsect

Excluded at this level

Open syllables, VCe, vowel teams, r-controlled, consonant-le
3+ syllable words

Level 10bSlider 30

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 10a words, plus 2-syllable words with open syllables
VCV division: try open split first (vowel is long) — ro-bot, mu-sic
Open syllable = ends in a vowel, vowel is long

Sight words added at this level

openoverevenmusicpapertigerspider

Example decodable words

robotmusicbacontigerpilotspiderfrozenhumanmomentstudent

Excluded at this level

VCe syllables, vowel teams, r-controlled, consonant-le
3+ syllable words

Level 10cSlider 31

2-Syllable with VCe

Adds VCe syllables within multisyllable words.

Phonics rules

All Level 10b words, plus 2-syllable words with VCe syllables
VCe syllable = vowel-consonant-e where e is silent, vowel is long

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 10dSlider 32

2-Syllable with Vowel Teams

Adds vowel team syllables in multisyllable words.

Phonics rules

All Level 10c words, plus 2-syllable words with vowel team syllables
All previously learned vowel teams from Levels 6–8 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 10eSlider 33

2-Syllable with R-Controlled

Adds r-controlled syllables in multisyllable words.

Phonics rules

All Level 10d words, plus 2-syllable words with r-controlled syllables
All previously learned r-controlled patterns from Levels 7a–7e 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 11a–11d)

From slider 34 onward, all six syllable types are always allowed. Later levels in this group only change how many syllables a word may have (2 → 3 → unlimited) and whether morphology (prefixes/suffixes) is used.

Level 11aSlider 34

2-Syllable with Consonant-le

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

Phonics rules

All Level 10e words, plus 2-syllable words with consonant-le syllables
C+le rule: count back 3 from the end to divide — 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 11bSlider 35

2-Syllable All Types Mixed

Consolidation level. All six syllable types with mixed 2-syllable combinations.

Phonics rules

All Level 11a words — same six syllable types, consolidation practice
Any combination of the six syllable types in 2-syllable words

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

entireoutsidefortunemarvelsamplejinglenightmareexploretremblefeather

Excluded at this level

3+ syllable words

Level 11cSlider 36

3-Syllable Words

Raises the syllable count limit from 2 to 3.

Phonics rules

All Level 11b 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 11dSlider 37

Multisyllable Mastery

Removes the syllable count ceiling entirely. Full multisyllable mastery.

Phonics rules

All Level 11c 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

Words requiring prefix/suffix knowledge to decode (Level 12+)

Morphology Layer (Levels 12a–12c)

Prefix and suffix peeling before decoding. After removing affixes, the remaining root is checked: multisyllable roots use syllable division (all six types); single-syllable roots are decoded as if all single-syllable patterns (through Level 9a) are available. At Level 12c, words can be prefix+root+suffix.

Level 12aSlider 38

Prefixes: un-, re-, pre-, dis-, mis-

Introduces morphology — recognizing and peeling common prefixes before decoding the root.

Phonics rules

All Level 11d words, plus words with un-, re-, pre-, dis-, mis- prefixes
Peel the prefix first, then decode the root

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

unkindreplaypreviewdislikemisplaceunfairrewritepreschooldisagreemisspell

Excluded at this level

Prefixes in-/im-, non-, over-, under- (Level 12b)
Derivational suffixes (Level 12c)

Level 12bSlider 39

Prefixes: in-/im-, non-, over-, under-

Expands the prefix set with in-/im-, non-, over-, and under-.

Phonics rules

All Level 12a words, plus words with in-/im-, non-, over-, under- prefixes

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

incompleteimpossiblenonfictionoverlookunderstandimpropernonsenseovercomeundergroundinvisible

Excluded at this level

Derivational suffixes (Level 12c)

Level 12cSlider 40

Suffixes: -ful, -less, -ness, -ment, -ly

Introduces derivational suffixes that change word class.

Phonics rules

All Level 12b words, plus words with -ful, -less, -ness, -ment, -ly suffixes
Peel the suffix first, then decode the root
Words can have BOTH a prefix AND a suffix

Sight words added at this level

No new sight words at this level.

Example decodable words

helpfulcarelesskindnesstreatmentquicklythankfulendlessdarknessmovementslowly

Excluded at this level

Auto-Level Advancement

Advancement criteria

All three conditions must be met before a child advances from level N to level N+1:

Unique words correct. The child has correctly pronounced a minimum number of unique words that belong to their current level (not earlier levels). The same word read multiple times only counts once.
Session spread. Those correct words must come from at least 2 separate reading sessions. This prevents a single lucky session from triggering advancement.
Accuracy gate. The child must achieve at least 70% overall accuracy on words attempted at their current level. This ensures they are genuinely comfortable with the phonics patterns before moving on.

Unique-word thresholds per level group

Level group	Phonics focus	Unique words to advance
1	CVC / VC / FLOSS — short vowels	15
2a–2c	Consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng)	12
3a–3c	Initial blends (l/r, s, 3-letter)	12
4a–4d	Ending blends (N, S, L, remaining)	12
5a–5d	Silent-e / magic-e (long vowels)	10
6a–6d	Vowel teams (ai/ay, ee/ea, oa/ow, igh/ie)	10
7a–7e	R-controlled vowels (ar, or, er, ir/ur, air/are)	10
8a–8b	Diphthongs (oi/oy, ou/ow, au/aw)	10
9a	Soft C & Soft G + tch/dge	10
10a–10e	2-syllable words (closed, open, VCe, vowel team, r-controlled)	10
11a–11d	Consonant-le + mixed practice + 3-syllable + mastery	10
12a–12c	Morphology: prefixes and suffixes	10

What counts as a correctly read word?

Azure pronunciation assessment returns errorType: "correct" and accuracy ≥ 70
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 70% accuracy gate, this naturally prevents children from advancing before they are ready.
Parent override always wins. If a parent manually sets the level via the slider, that resets the auto-advancement counter. Parents are always in control.
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 (All Short Vowels). She needs 15 unique words correct, across 2+ sessions, with ≥70% accuracy.

Session 1: Emma reads a story and correctly says "cat", "dog", "run", "sit", "big", "hot" — 6 unique words banked.
Session 2: Emma reads another story and correctly says "cat", "map", "bed", "fun", "red", "top", "lip", "cup", "hat". "cat" is already counted, so 8 new unique words are banked. Running total: 14 across 2 sessions.
Session 3: Emma reads "bug" correctly — 15 unique words across 3 sessions, accuracy is above 70%. Level up!