Photographs are a simple yet effective tool to use with newcomer English Language Learners. They illustrate a vocabulary word in a way that a drawing can come close to but not quite achieve. Have you heard about the Science of Reading? Research shows that it is helpful to give beginning readers decodable passages so that they can systematically practice new phonics skills. For newcomers, including pictures to help with vocabulary development is also essential. I created a set of decodable reading passages and practice activities that use photographs. Since I know that it can be challenging to print large amounts in color, I also created a digital version of these materials as well. Let’s look closer at the materials found in the newcomer decodables with photographs.

Newcomer Decodables Reading Passages

Each reading passage uses only the most common letter sound for the letters in the page’s top right-hand corner. The passage also has common high-frequency sight words that do not use those letter sounds. Those words are listed in the top left-hand corner of the page. The number of the phonics lesson that the text goes along with is included in the top right-hand corner.

There are small photographs for vocabulary used in the newcomer decodables, along with one or two larger photographs that illustrate the overall text.

Ways to Save Ink with the Newcomer Decodables

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase. This does not cost you any extra money.

• Use the digital version.
• Print a group set of materials and either laminate them or put them into sheet protectors.
• Create a center by placing the writing page into a dry-erase pocket for better durability. Thin, dry-erase markers work best when filling out the worksheet.
• Print at a reduced size. For older students, the text is still easy to read for most students when you print two sheets per page. The smaller size also makes it possible to glue the materials into a phonics notebook.

Build Background Knowledge

Each reading passage comes with a background knowledge text. For most newcomer students use this as a read-aloud. The text uses simple language, so it can also be used as reading practice for beginning ELLs who can already decode. The background knowledge text gives more details about the same topic used in the decodable text. It uses vocabulary words that are not easily decodable.

Sentence Strips

The passage text is divided into sentence strips with a photograph for each sentence. You can cut the sentences and pictures apart and then have students put them in sequential order. You can also separate the sentence from the image and have students read one sentence at a time and find the matching picture. Matching the sentence with a picture allows students to practice their decoding skills and then vocabulary and reading comprehension by finding the matching picture.
In the digital version, students drag the sentences with pictures in sequential order. They also read a sentence and find the matching picture out of four choices.

In the digital version, students drag the sentences with pictures in sequential order. They also read a sentence and find the matching picture out of four choices.

Vocabulary Practice

Match the decodable vocabulary words with the text. In the print version, students draw a line to connect the words; in the digital version, they drag the image next to the word.

Fill in the missing word in the cloze passage. In the print version, students write the missing word; in the digital version, students type the missing word. In both cases the same words that students matched to pictures are the words missing from the cloze passage.

Learn More about Teaching Newcomers Phonics

Read additional information about strategies for teaching phonics to newcomer English Language Learners.

Get the Newcomer Phonics Bundle

Along with this set of newcomer decodables that use photographs, get additional materials designed to teach phonics to newcomer students. Most of the other materials use drawings, and there are color or black-and-white versions available for easy printing options.