Decoding Strategies (Beyond “Sound It Out”)

Beginning Sound
“Look at the first letter. Do you know a word that starts with that letter? What is that letter’s sound?”

Ending Sound
“Be sure the ending looks and sounds right.”

Chunk It
“Cover the last part of the word with your finger and say the first part first. Now cover that part and say the last part. Can you put the two part together?”

Find a Small Word
“Can you find a word you know in that word?”

Stretch It Out
“Read with your finger and say it slowly.”

Use Picture Clues
“Use the picture clues to figure out what that word might be.”

Skip It, Go Back
“Why don’t you keep reading until the end of the sentence, the period, and then go back to the word and try again.”

Ask for Help
“Do you need help? Have you tried all your strategies?” *It’s fine to tell kids words – don’t make the suffering go on and on and on! Just remember to keep a balance of both helping and having the child figure it out.

Does It Make Sense?
“Hmm, that word you read doesn’t really make sense to me – does it to you?”