Reading Road
Review by Sharon Scurr
Founder, DEB (Dyslexia Evidence Based Community)
I’ve been meaning to write this review for over two months now, but you know how it goes — life gets busy, and things keep getting in the way! Today I’m finally working through my list, and one of the things I really wanted to share was my review of the Sunshine Reading Road books. It’s a little long, but you know me; you need to know your WHY.
These books are part of an intervention series designed for older students, and they’re fully decodable, which is fantastic. They build on each level, and they do move faster than a basic sequence. There are 5 packs. I have a few books from each pack, thanks to Judy gifting them to me at the Learning Matters Symposium.
Looking at the first Reading Road pack, it is clear that students need to have mastered their short vowels, consonants, consonant digraphs, vowel digraphs, trigraphs, and the schwa sound to use these materials successfully.
It’s worth keeping in mind that many students working at the intervention level are still mastering some of these sounds, so the Reading Road books might be a bit tricky if those foundations aren’t quite solid yet. However, for students who have covered these areas, the books provide excellent practice and help reinforce what they’ve learned in a more age-appropriate way, which is often so hard to find for this age group!
What first caught my eye were the covers and the factual content. Older kids who struggle with reading don’t want childish stories. They want something interesting that teaches them something new or sparks curiosity. These books do exactly that, helping to build both reading skills and general knowledge.
There are also a few titles, such as those in Pack 3 – Out of Orbit, that have a fun, graphic novel-style feel, which I think is a clever idea. The visual style and storyline make them more engaging for reluctant readers who might not usually pick up a book on their own. It’s great to see something that feels modern and age-appropriate while still providing solid decodable practice.
That’s particularly important for dyslexic learners, as many experience the Matthew Effect, which can result in less knowledge and vocabulary due to having read fewer books. Factual and engaging reading like this is a great way to turn that around and start building both confidence and knowledge at the same time.
The other thing I really like about these books is their length. It’s crucial for older kids to start reading longer texts so they can transition from short sentences to whole paragraphs and gradually increase the amount of time they can spend reading. As many of you will know, students can become very comfortable reading short decodable texts and then get anxious when faced with pages that have “too many words.”
That’s why I feel the Reading Road books are such a great bridge. They offer that next gentle step between early decodable books and more authentic text, which is the ultimate goal: helping kids become confident, real-world readers. These books are perfect for giving students a gentle nudge out of their comfort zone while still supporting them to achieve success.
The Reading Road books are only available in print, not online, and that’s because when you buy the books, you also get access to their AI tutor programme. This online feature allows your child to read aloud to the programme, which then provides feedback on their fluency, pronunciation, and accuracy, along with a few other features. I haven’t used the AI tutor myself yet, so I’d recommend looking into it to see if it’s something that might suit your child or classroom.
The books come with a few free printable worksheets you can use for homework or extra practice in class. There is also a teaching tips fact sheet, which I think would be fantastic to send home with parents so they can support learning at home too.
Overall, I think the Sunshine Reading Road series is an excellent option for older struggling readers, especially those who are ready to move on from simple decodable books but still need support. They’re engaging, informative, and confidence-building, which is precisely what our kids need.
And I can honestly say that Ben [my son] gave the Packs 4 and 5 books his seal of approval. Trust me, with him being a teenager now, that’s not an easy thing to get!