At Sounds-Write, we’re passionate about creating high-quality, age-appropriate resources that support structured literacy and empower every learner. In this Q&A, we speak with Moira Ruff,  author of The Outdoor Adventures, part 1 & part 2, our newest series of decodable e-books for older readers.

1. What sparked the initial idea for this series of decodable readers?

Having worked across multiple fields—including education in both primary and secondary settings—I noticed that many students in Years 3 to 6 were eager to read ‘chapter books’. Unfortunately, they often lacked the code knowledge, blending skills, and vocabulary needed to access those texts independently. I saw a distinct gap in engaging, age-respectful materials that these learners could actually decode. That’s what inspired me to create decodable texts for this age group, built around themes of outdoor adventure, friendship, and caring for our environment.

2. How did you approach the balance between phonics progression and storytelling?

It was definitely a fun challenge writing these texts. Ensuring the stories aligned with the Sounds-Write scope and sequence and had an interesting story that kids would resonate with was tricky. However, I was driven by the results that I have seen using structured synthetic phonics when teaching reading. I can really see the benefit in incrementally teaching students a sound and its spellings and then building in the next book, and the next book etc. 

I was inspired to write decodables particularly for this age group based on outdoor adventures, friendship and taking care of our environment. 

3. How do you hope these books will empower struggling readers?

It is my wish that students will connect to these books and that the books will provide a pathway from simple to more complex code, including exposure to polysyllabic words at the text level. Teaching strategies for reading polysyllabic words is integral for children’s reading progression and knowing how to approach them may make these word types less daunting in non-fiction classroom texts that students must be able to navigate. Hopefully my stories will be a fun and engaging little getaway too! 

4. Is there anything in the creation of Outdoor Adventures that you’re especially proud of?

I am very proud that I am contributing to providing texts that support structured literacy with the goal of reading acquisition, because being literate changes people’s lives, opens up the world and is a matter of social equity.

I am also really proud that my sons, Link and Owen, connected to ‘themselves’ in the texts and we could share this journey together. 

5. Why is it important for children to see themselves reflected in decodable texts?

If children can feel connected to the books they read, they are more likely to enjoy them and have a go at reading. Reading is extremely challenging for some students, and the students who struggle with reading are very aware of this fact. Providing age-appropriate story lines and images will allow them to feel less conspicuous and will also allow them to have lots of successes. 

Decodable e-books for older readers

Explore the Outdoor Adventures series—a compelling collection of printable decodable e-books and activities for older readers. Designed to engage, support, and empower students who need structured literacy without sacrificing age-appropriate content.

Aligned with the progression of the Sounds-Write phonics programme, these texts offer targeted practice that reinforces key concepts and builds reading fluency.