Levels Indicated Discreetly

The TAP Library app is built on sequenced and fully decodable texts. The phonics level of a given text is indicated in the app information screen accessible from the “cover” of each story. The level of each book can also optionally be displayed when browsing the entire library. As mentioned in the list of features on our home page, this is so the older learners for whom these books are written are not constantly reminded of (and possibly shamed by) their level.

Support Materials For Every Novel

Every level builds on the phonics content of the previous levels. Each text also includes a very small number of “weird words” (non or not yet decodable words). Support materials accessible from the opening screen or “cover page” of each story highlight any “weird words” or challenging words. Teachers and tutors can decide when it is appropriate or helpful to look at this material with learners.

Overview of TAP Phonics Levels

Level 1

  • CVC (i.e. Consonant + single vowel + consonant)
  • CCVC

Level 2

  • CCVCC, CV (open syllable)
  • Consonant digraphs:  sh, th, ch, wh, qu
  • Ending sounds: ck, ng, nk

Level 3

  • ph (sounding /f/ )
  • a-e, o-e, u-e, i-e, e-e (split digraph, “silent e“)
  • kn (sounding /n/ )
  • wr (sounding /r/ )
  • gh (sounding /g/)
  • gn (sounding /n/)
  • s sounding /z/ (wise, rose, phase, ruse, muse)

Level 4

  • Wild words (old words with long vowel sounds where one would expect short ones)
  • ar, or, er, ir, ur
  • ore, oor ( more; door, floor)
  • wa, war, wor
  • -all, -oll, -ull
  • -ing
  • -ed
  • simple multisyllabic words
  • could, would, should

Level 5

  • ai, ay
  • ee, ea, ey (as in key)
  • oa, ow
  • igh, ie (as in pie)
  • ue, ew (blue, few)

Level 6

  • y (sounding like long i at the end of single syllable words)
  • y (sounding like long e at the end of multisyllabic words)
  • y (sounding like short i in closed syllables)
  • ou
  • ow (as in cow)
  • oo (as in zoo), oo (as in book)
  • oi, oy
  • o (“scribal o” as in come, some, mother )
  • our ( as in our, sour; as in your, four)
  • au (as in sauce)
  • aw
  • -le
  • -ve (“no English words end in v” have, give)
  • long vowel sounds in open syllables (eg. table, tiny)

Level 7

  • soft c
  • -se ( please; house )
  • soft g
  • air, are (as in care)
  • ear (as in learn)
  • oar
  • ea (as in bread)
  • tch
  • dge
  • gu (as in guide)
  • ch ( sounding /k/ as in Christmas, chasm)
  • ch ( sounding /sh/ as in machine)
  • ey ( as in they)

Morph Levels, Suffixes, Prefixes, Root Words

Additional levels will focus on morphology. These will utilise base words, prefixes and suffixes.