On May 8, 2025, Commit celebrated the launch of Dallas's first Decodable Literacy Hub—a community-based initiative aimed at bringing the power of evidence-based reading instruction directly to families. This hub marked a key milestone for Dallas amidst a national effort to increase access to decodable texts and ensure families have the tools to help their children become confident readers.

Commit’s Early Learning team partnered with Teach My Kid to Read, the Dallas Public Library, Dallas ISD’s Brashear Elementary, Beacon Hill, and Just Right Reader to kick off this new chapter in community reading support. The literacy hub featured shelves of decodable books aligned with phonics instruction, staff trained in the science of reading, and take-home resources for families.

Launch Event Highlights

We were joined by our partners in the work—Beacon Hill, Readers 2 Leaders, Groundwork DFW and Just Right Reader. Families from across the community joined us for an afternoon of celebration with free decodable books, story time, arts and crafts and family-friendly fun.

And a special thanks to our sponsors!

Why decodable books?

Decodable books are designed to align with phonics instruction, allowing children to apply what they’ve learned instead of guessing from pictures or context.

These books:

• Follow a systematic sequence of phonics instruction

• Are essential for developing reading fluency and confidence

• Benefit all students, especially those with dyslexia or other learning differences

Why this matters

Research shows that decoding is essential to reading comprehension. If a child can’t read the words, they can’t understand the story. Decodable books offer an inclusive, effective way to build this critical skill, giving every child the opportunity to become a successful reader.

The Dallas launch proved that a Decodable Literacy Hub is both feasible and impactful. Libraries, schools and community groups can replicate the model by curating decodable books aligned to a phonics scope and sequence.

Partnerships make this work sustainable. Organizations like Teach My Kid to Read can help select materials and train staff, while libraries and school districts can host hubs and integrate programming. Libraries across the country are now pairing decodable books with story times and parent nights.

A key component is training. Professional development helps librarians understand the science of reading, recognize quality decodable texts and learn how to bring these tools into everyday programming and family interactions.

By adding decodable books to your school or community library, you can help children build the strong, lifelong reading skills they need to thrive.

Want to launch a hub in your community?

Contact Devron Armstrong or visit Teach My Kid to Read.