Decoding

Early attainment of decoding skill is important because this early skill accurately predicts later skill in reading comprehension. There is strong and persuasive evidence that children who get off to a slow start rarely become strong readers (Stanovich, 1986).

Decoding is one of the most important foundational reading strategies. It is the process of translating print into speech by rapidly matching a letter or letter combinations (graphemes) to their sounds (phonemes) and recognizing the patterns that make syllables and words.

If students are unable to decode words, they will not be able to successfully apply other reading strategies or comprehend what they read.

Teaching phonics/decoding in an explicit, systematic, multi-sensory way in a logical sequence where one concept builds upon the next, is essential. These teaching practices will reach ALL learning styles in a classroom as well as provide struggling readers with the visual and hands-on instruction they need.

Decoding

if the student has ongoing difficulty with...