01
The Complete Flashcard Set
6" x 6" cards featuring every Secret Story mnemonic sound image. Use them for small-group rotations, literacy centers, one-on-one tutoring, or take-home practice.
★★★★★
Trusted by 100,000+ Educators & Districts Nationwide
🧠
Science-Backed
ESSA TIER I STRONG
✓
100K+ Educators
USING NOW
↑
1.5-2+ Grade Level
READING GAINS
What's Included
Both kits include
- Secret Stories® Phonics Flashcards Core
- Quick Reference Cards Included
Your FREE Value Pack Upgrade Adds
- Premium Support FREE
-
10+ Hours of Bonus Phonics Videos
FREE
$199 value - Secret Stories® App (21-day free trial) FREE then $19.99/4wks
Secret Stories® Cool Pastels Phonics Flashcards
★★★★★
Trusted by 100,000+ Educators & Districts Nationwide
Select Color:
Hands-on phonics flashcards for spaced review, small-group rotations, center activities, and portable practice.
- 6" x 6" cards with Secret Story mnemonic sound images for instant phonics recall
- Story-starter on the back of each card for quick reference during reading and writing
- Designed to pair with the Secret Stories® Class Kit - the perfect add-on for small-group and independent practice
$79.99
$65.95
You save $14.04
or 4× $16.49 with Shop Pay
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Ships tomorrow morning from our South Carolina warehouse
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📖 These flashcards work with the Secret Stories® book, which teaches every Secret. The book comes in every Class Kit.
Choose your setup
Flashcards only · $65.95
I already own the Secret Stories® book. Just the cards for me.
New to Secret Stories?
Complete Class Kit · $149.99 The flashcards are designed to pair WITH the Secret Stories® Class Kit. They reinforce the same phonics patterns taught through the book and posters. While they work as standalone review cards, you will get the best results using them alongside the kit.
K-2 primarily, but also great for 3rd-5th graders who need extra phonics reinforcement. Teachers, reading specialists, and parents all use them.
Yes - the phonics content is identical across all four colorways. Choose the color that matches your Class Kit posters for a cohesive classroom look.
Phyllis
★★★★★
· Kindergarten Teacher · NY
✓ Verified
"WOW! What a difference this made in only 2 short weeks! My students can't start their day without learning a new 'secret' and singing the letter run songs."
The Phonics Supplement
Secret Stories® isn't a curriculum, it's a phonics supplement
It layers on top of whatever phonics program your school or home is already using, Heggerty, UFLI, Orton-Gillingham, your district adoption, anything. Start with the Kit, then add Flashcards for hands-on practice.
Secret Stories® overview for teachers & educators
ESSA STRONG
EVIDENCE-BASED
EVIDENCE-BASED
1.5-2+
GRADE LEVEL READING
GAINS
GAINS
100K+
EDUCATORS & DISTRICTS
6x
CORE CURRICULUM IMPACT
What's Inside the Flashcard Set
Every tricky phonics pattern, on a card kids can hold, flip, and practice with.
02
Secret Story Sound Image
The front of each card features the embedded mnemonic sound image that makes the phonics pattern unforgettable. Kids see it and instantly recall the story.
03
Story-Starter Reference
The back of each card has an abridged story-starter version for quick reference during reading and writing practice.
Districts & States Trust Us
Adopted by school districts + recognized at the federal level
Approved for Title I, II, and IV federal funding. ESSA Strong evidence rating verified by independent peer review.
Palm Beach County · FL
NYC DOE · New York
Featured district adopter
100K+
Educators & Districts Nationwide
ESSA Strong · Tier 1 Evidence
Verified by LXD Research · the highest evidence rating defined by the Every Student Succeeds Act
Real teachers. Real classrooms. Real results.
Average results 1.5–2+ grade levels of reading growth using Secret Stories®
Names, grades, and tenure verified. Real teachers sharing measurable results from their own classrooms.
16of20
Came in well below grade level. By spring, all but 2 are readers.
"The 2 who aren't will qualify for services, but that's 2, not 16."
C
Courtney M.
Kindergarten · Pre-K/K classroom
11of20
Kindergarteners hit Florida FAST Level 4 or 5 by December.
"Every single student showed significant growth from August. I didn't believe it would work this fast."
I
Irene
Kindergarten · Florida FAST scores
30of32
Title I intervention students reading at or above grade level by spring.
"Last year it was 11. The only variable was Secret Stories®."
D
Mr. Donovan
Title I Intervention · Multiple grades
R
Mrs. Reyes
Kindergarten Teacher
"My kids don't just learn the stories, they USE them. A student hit a tricky word yesterday and said 'Oh! That's Mommy E!' without me prompting. That never happened with our old phonics program."
T
Tara K.
1st Grade · UFLI user
"It's not another program to learn. I teach my UFLI lesson, and Secret Stories® makes it stick. The stories do what decodables alone can't, kids actually remember why letters do what they do."
A
Andrea
1st - 2nd Grade
"I had every phonics rule taped to my wall. Kids walked right past them. With Secret Stories®, they point at the posters mid-sentence and correct themselves. The stories make the rules real."
M
Micki
1st Grade · 24 years teaching
"I've been teaching 24 years. The gap between kids who've been read to and kids who haven't is bigger than ever. Secret Stories® is the only thing that closes it for both groups at the same time."
H
Homeschool Mom
Parent · Pre-K homeschool
"My 6-year-old went from refusing to read to begging for 'one more secret' before bed. He corrects words on cereal boxes now. Worth every penny for our family."
J
Jenna L.
1st Grade · Bought out of pocket
"Bought it with my own money. Within two months my principal asked what I was doing differently. She ordered it for the whole grade level. That never happens."
A
Coach Adriana
Reading Specialist · 15 yrs
"I've used 11 phonics programs in 15 years. This is in the top 2, and it's the only one kids actually beg to do."
K
Kerri
Kindergarten
"I turn all the posters face-down on day one. When we find a Secret in our reading, the kids yell 'THERE'S A SECRET!' and we flip it over together. When someone's absent, the first thing they check is if we turned any new ones over."
Teachers, in their own words
- "3 of them moved up two reading levels in a month. I was skeptical. I am not anymore."
- "The only phonics tool my ELL students actually remember."
- "I've never had a parent email me about phonics before. Three did this year asking what we're doing differently."
- "Kids who can't sit still for 5 minutes will sit for 20 when there's a new Secret to learn."
Results You Can See, Not Just Hear About
Real classrooms, real growth, year after year. Watch teachers share their results.
★★★★★
"What a difference in only 2 short weeks."
✓Verified teacher review
★★★★★
"Closed the phonics gap for my Tier 3 group."
✓Verified teacher review
★★★★★
"The most useful and interactive posters I have."
✓Verified teacher review
★★★★★
"11 students at grade level last year. 34 this year."
✓Verified teacher review
The Phonics Supplement
Secret Stories® isn't a curriculum, it's a phonics supplement
It layers on top of whatever phonics program your school or home is already using, Heggerty, UFLI, Orton-Gillingham, your district adoption, anything. Start with the Kit, then build out from there.
Highly recommended, layer these on
Secret Stories® App
iOS & Android
Mobile companion for at-home practice and on-the-go review. Kids beg to use it, parents love that it's actually screen time worth having.
Student Workbook
Guided practice
250+ pages of structured phonics practice that reinforces the same patterns on the flashcards. The ideal complement for independent student work.
Great add-ons, when you are ready
Better Alphabet Cards™
1 deck per classroom
Whole-class alphabet deck for daily warm-ups and shared instruction. Works alongside the phonics flashcards.
Take-Home Literacy Packs
1 per student family
Sends Secret Stories® home with the family. Closes the home-school practice loop and keeps caregivers in sync with what's happening in class.
Tell us your situation
Recommended Start
Class Kit + Flashcards
Start with the Class Kit - the supplement layer that drops on top of whatever phonics program your school uses. The Flashcards pair with it perfectly for small-group rotations and independent practice.
Highly recommended next
- Student Workbook (1 per student)
- Secret Stories® App for at-home practice
The Research
The science behind why Secret Stories® works
Secret Stories® was built on 25+ years of cognitive science research into how the brain learns to read, bridging phonemic awareness, decoding, and meaning-making through narrative.
What does ESSA Strong mean?
The Every Student Succeeds Act's highest evidence rating
ESSA defines four tiers of evidence. "Strong" (Tier 1) is the top, it requires at least one well-designed, randomized controlled trial showing statistically significant positive effects. Districts can use Title I, II, and IV federal funding to purchase ESSA Strong programs without additional approval.
27
PEER-REVIEWED STUDIES
Across K-5 classrooms, ELL populations, and Tier 3 interventions.
1.5-2+
GRADE LEVEL GROWTH
Average reading fluency gain across classrooms using Secret Stories®.
92%
OF STRUGGLING READERS
Reached benchmark within 12 weeks in 2023 efficacy study.
6×
THE IMPACT OF CORE CURRICULUM
Effect size on phonics mastery vs. district-adopted basal alone.
EFFECT SIZE → HIGHER IS BETTER
SOURCE: EVIDENCEFORESSA.ORG
Avg. of 100 most-researched programs
McGraw-Hill · Wilson · Scholastic · F&P…
.24
+ Explicit phonics added
Core curriculum with phonics layered in
.41
+ Secret Stories®
1.62
★ 6x THE AVERAGE
ESSA TIER 1
.24 ES · industry average
.41 ES · + explicit phonics
1.62 ES · + Secret Stories®
Implementation
From box to breakthrough in under 8 weeks
Designed to slot into your existing literacy block, no curriculum overhaul required.
Day 1
01
Pull them out and put them to work
No training needed. Take the flashcards out of the box and you are ready for your next small-group rotation or center activity.
5 min setup
Week 1-2
02
Introduce the first Secrets
Use the flashcards alongside the Class Kit stories. Students hold the card, see the image, and connect the phonics pattern to the story they already know.
15 min/day
Week 3-6
03
Spaced review and rotation
Rotate cards through literacy centers, morning warm-ups, and independent practice. The mnemonic images make retrieval fast and reliable.
15 min/day
Week 7+
04
Full fluency, portable practice
Students use the cards independently. Send them home for take-home practice. Most teachers see measurable fluency gains by week 8.
Ongoing
Quick Reference Cards
Included with every flashcard set for fast in-lesson reference.
Free Resources
Downloadable resources, printables, and implementation guides to support your classroom.
Facebook community
175K+ teachers in our private group sharing lessons daily.
PD Videos
10+ hours of free bonus phonics videos. Additional PDs sold separately.
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Ships in 1 Day
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4 Payments via Shop Pay
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Purchase Orders Welcome
Schools & districts approved
⭐
100,000+ Educators & Districts
22,000+ verified 5-star reviews
How Secret Stories® Outperforms Traditional Phonics
Secret Stories®
Other Programs
Backed by 27 peer-reviewed studies
ESSA Strong evidence rating
Designed for both teachers AND parents
Works without scripted lessons or training
Engages students through storytelling
Teaches WHY letters make their sounds
Used in 100,000+ classrooms
Frequently Asked Questions
No, and that is the point. Secret Stories® is a phonics supplement, not a curriculum or program. It is designed to layer on top of whatever phonics program you are already using, Heggerty, UFLI, Orton-Gillingham, your district adoption, anything. Most teachers see lift in 2 to 3 weeks when they slot it into their existing literacy block.
Most teachers report visible shifts in confidence and decoding within 2-3 weeks. Measurable fluency gains typically appear by week 6-8.
Yes. It is specifically designed to layer on top of decodables, basal readers, and structured literacy programs without conflicting with their scope and sequence.
The flashcards are ideal for K-2 first-time learners and any 3rd-5th grader still struggling with tricky phonics patterns.
Absolutely, the storytelling approach gives ELLs a meaningful framework to remember sounds rather than memorizing rules in a second language.
The flashcards are designed to pair with the Secret Stories Class Kit. They reinforce the same phonics patterns taught through the book and posters. While they work as standalone review cards, you will get the best results using them alongside the kit.
Because each flashcard set is a printed product, all sales are final, but you can preview every card in our flip-through video and sample images above. We have also been around 25+ years and our 4.9 star rating from 9,000+ reviews speaks for itself.
For Schools & Districts
Buying with a purchase order?
Tap to view the Vendor Pack & PO terms
For Schools & Districts
Buying with a purchase order?
Download the Vendor Pack. It has everything your AP team needs to issue a PO today: ordering instructions, signed W-9, sole-source affidavit, product catalog, and editable order form.
- POs accepted from U.S. school districts and schools
- 11% S&H itemized on the PO · Payment by check (Marenem, Inc.)
- Email POs to support@thesecretstories.com
- Invoices mailed within 5 business days
✓ Sole-source verified
✓ ESSA Strong Tier 1
✓ Title I / II / IV funding eligible
✓ EIN 66-1097428
The phonics supplement 100,000+ teachers can't teach without.
Order in the next few hours for same-day dispatch from South Carolina. 25 years of teacher-tested results, ready to use.
TRUSTED BY
100K+
TEACHERS
1 of 3
Add the matching Class Kit?
The complete classroom system: wall posters in your colorway plus the Secret Stories® Educators Guide. Value Pack upgrades included free.
The #1 way teachers run Secret Stories in the classroom.
Add student workbooks?
Level 1 workbooks give every student daily guided practice with the Secrets. Bulk pricing built in.
Try the Secret Stories® App free?
$0.00 today
21-day free trial, then $19.99/mo. Cancel anytime.
- ✓ Every Secret, song, and video in your pocket
- ✓ Works alongside your new Class Kit from day one
- ✓ Nothing billed today. Reminder before the trial ends
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