Decoding
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Decoding is using knowledge of letter-sound patterns to read a printed word by turning letters into sounds and blending them.
Topic: Reading and writing instruction
In plain terms
A beginning reader decodes "frog" by saying /f/ /r/ /o/ /g/ and blending. With practice, decoding becomes fast and automatic, and words are recognized instantly. Older students decode longer words by breaking them into syllables and morphemes. Weak decoding limits comprehension, because effort goes into figuring out words instead of meaning.
How it shows up in an IEP
Decoding goals are measured with word lists, nonsense words or passages at a target pattern level. Nonsense words show whether the student is applying the rule rather than recalling memorized words.
Example
A fifth grader reads one-syllable words well but guesses at longer words. A goal targets reading two- and three-syllable words by syllable division with 85% accuracy.
Related terms
- PhonicsPhonics is instruction that teaches how letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language, so students can decode and spell words.
- Orthographic mappingOrthographic mapping is the mental process of connecting a word's sounds to its letters so the word is stored in memory and read instantly.
- Syllable typesSyllable types are the six common patterns of English syllables, each signaling how the vowel is likely to sound.
- Oral reading fluencyOral reading fluency is reading text aloud accurately, at a good rate, and with appropriate expression.
- DyslexiaDyslexia is a specific learning disability that mainly affects accurate, fluent word reading and spelling, often rooted in processing speech sounds.
On IEP Atlas
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