When it comes to helping students learn to read, consistency and clarity in phonics instruction matter. The closer your decodable texts align with your phonics scope and sequence, the more effectively students can apply what they’re learning and the faster they build confidence and fluency.
That’s why we’ve created this detailed comparison between Jump Rope Readers and Moonlit Mountain Readers, two decodable text collections designed to support systematic phonics instruction while engaging beginning readers with meaningful stories. Both series share a strong foundation in phonics principles, but each brings something unique to your literacy block.
Jump Rope Readers includes a robust collection of nonfiction titles, giving students who love informational text a chance to explore high-interest science and social studies topics while practicing decoding. This dual focus supports phonics mastery and builds background knowledge and vocabulary.
Moonlit Mountain Readers invites students into imaginative worlds filled with fantasy and science fiction themes. These character-driven stories strengthen comprehension and reading stamina while keeping phonics instruction deeply embedded in engaging, story-based contexts.
Understanding where these two series align and where they differ helps you make confident instructional choices, so every student gets the practice they need in texts they love.
Phonics Concept Breakdown
Both Jump Rope Readers and Moonlit Mountain Readers follow a systematic, cumulative progression of phonics skills. This ensures that students encounter new sound-spelling patterns only after they’ve had sufficient practice and mastery with earlier ones.
Below is a closer look at how the two series overlap and where they differ, so you can see exactly how each might support your phonics instruction.
Shared Across Both Series
Across both collections, students experience a consistent sequence of phonics concepts, providing teachers with a reliable framework for building decoding skills step by step.
Foundational Skills
- Alphabet knowledge: Systematic introduction of letter–sound correspondences.
- Short vowels & CVC words: Practice with consonant-vowel-consonant patterns to strengthen early decoding.
Expanding Patterns
- Blends: Initial and final blends, with opportunities for review and reinforcement.
- Digraphs: ch, sh, th (voiced/unvoiced), wh, ng.
Long Vowels & Vowel Teams
- Long vowels and vowel teams: a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e, e_e; vowel teams such as ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow, igh, ew, oo, ue.
Advanced Patterns and Endings
- R-controlled vowels: ar, or, er, ir, ur.
- Suffixes & endings: -es, -ing, -ed.
- Contractions & possessives: Supporting automaticity with common endings and grammar conventions.
Syllable Work & Mastery
- Closed-syllable exceptions and consonant-le patterns.
- Multisyllabic words: Including silent e, open/closed syllables, and schwa.
- Cumulative review: Built-in checkpoints for practice and mastery.
Unique to Jump Rope Readers
Jump Rope Readers moves at a brisk, confident pace, ideal for students who are ready to advance quickly through phonics concepts. The series also makes it easy for teachers to track progress and plan differentiated practice.
- Faster progression to CV words: Moves quickly from CVC to CV patterns, encouraging fluency and flexibility.
- Distinct color-coded series:
- Blue Series focuses on CV words.
- Purple Series emphasizes digraphs.
This visual structure helps educators easily select texts that target specific phonics goals.
- Earlier introduction of certain patterns: CV words appear before some digraphs, giving students early exposure to varied word types.
Unique to Moonlit Mountain Readers
Moonlit Mountain Readers takes a more gradual, immersive approach, offering extended practice where students need it most. The stories’ rich language and imaginative settings make decoding practice feel purposeful and joyful.
- Extended short-vowel practice: Provides more time on CVC words before moving to blends, ensuring deep mastery.
- Earlier digraphs: Introduced before some CV patterns, aligning with the pacing of Reading Units of Study (RUOS).
- Additional review series: Set B adds cumulative review opportunities for ongoing reinforcement.
- Earlier multisyllabic word work: Introduces mixed closed/open syllables and schwa earlier, supporting smooth transitions to complex word reading.
Why Decodables Matter
A strong core ELA program lays the foundation for literacy, but every classroom includes students who benefit from targeted, systematic phonics practice to achieve true reading independence. Decodable texts that align with your phonics instruction make that possible.
When paired with your core instruction, Jump Rope Readers and Moonlit Mountain Readers can help you:
- Reinforce phonics skills taught in your lessons through authentic, engaging texts aligned to specific patterns.
- Differentiate support for students who need extra practice or intervention, without sacrificing meaningful reading experiences.
- Bridge pacing gaps in your core program; for instance, providing extra short-vowel practice if your curriculum moves quickly.
- Build confidence and fluency by matching each student’s phonics knowledge to the texts they read, reducing frustration and increasing success.
- Offer genre variety:
- Jump Rope Readers provide nonfiction opportunities that build content knowledge and vocabulary.
- Moonlit Mountain Readers engage imaginations and strengthen comprehension through story-driven adventures.
Together, these two series complement your instruction and ensure that every student gets the right amount of practice at the right time, supporting both grade-level expectations and individual learning needs.
Download the Full Alignment PDF
See the complete scope-and-sequence comparison for every phonics concept across Jump Rope Readers and Moonlit Mountain Readers.
See the complete scope-and-sequence comparison for every phonics concept
