Strategies to Support Word Decoding (page 2)

Decoding Strategies For Young Readers

  • Focus on word families and letter clusters rather than on specific letter-sound relationships.
  • Provide the client with reading materials that emphasize rhyme and rhythm as a basis for exploring sound-symbol relationships.
  • Provide the client with predictable books and patterned books with opportunities for repeated readings.
  • Encourage pre-reading activities that review the vocabulary that will be used.
  • Instruct the client to consult the pictures in the book for clues.
  • Provide the client with a picture-word dictionary and list of common words to use for referents in writing activities; includes synonyms where applicable.  
  • Even youth with problems in this area need to be taught these skills specifically and sequentially because they do not easily recognize and remember letter sound patterns.
  • Since many words in the English language do not follow phonetic rules and patterns, clients will need to build a sight vocabulary for common words and non-phonetic words. This could be done using flashcards, which would help the students to rely on underlying visual skills.
  • Teach your clients word families to help them simplify the task of reading new words (tan, ban, can, fan, etc.; lid, hid, rid, Sid, etc.) Use two colours of ink so that they can see the differences visually.
  • Implement the Glass Analysis technique with the client. In this technique, individual words are presented to the student on flashcards. 
    • The student is asked to look at the whole word.  Parts of the words are never covered up, nor are structural unites presented alone.
    • The teacher trains only letter clusters that can be generalized.
    • Words for practice may be selected from the student’s daily reading material. The method may be used for one or two 15-minute sessions daily.

Glass Analysis Technique

■ Identify the whole word.
■ Pronounce a sound in the word and ask the student to name the letter that makes that sound.
■ Ask for the sound that certain letters or letter combinations make.
■ Take away letters (auditorily, not visually) and ask for the remaining sound.

  • To help your client remember sound-symbol relationships:
    • Play with words using magnetic letters, letter cards, etc.
    • Talk about the sounds in their name, moving to family and friends’ names.
    • Ask them to say the sound as they write.
    • Include all senses in learning the sounds.
  • To encourage the client to apply decoding and word attack skills:
    • Give the client time to analyze the word.
    • Model and use prompts that lead to developing strategies:
      • What letter sounds do you know in the word? Are there any parts (chunks) that you recognize in the word? What else can you do?
    • Provide the client with opportunities to read and reread easy books in order to build sight word mastery and facilitate fluency.
    • Praise efforts by saying,” I like the way you tried to work that out.”
    • Spelling games such as Scrabble and Hangman to provide motivational practice.

Additional Reading and Handouts

  • See this handout for information on the Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies for Kindergarten (PALS) program: PALS