Sound It Out
The ability to hear and play with individual sounds in spoken words.
Phonemic Awareness
Knowing the names and shapes of letters.
Letter Knowledge
Reading smoothly, accurately, and with expression.
Fluency
Communication skills children develop through speaking and listening.
Oral Language
The smallest meaningful parts of a word, such as 'un-' or '-ful'.
Morphemes
The smallest individual sound in a spoken word.
Phoneme
Understanding that letters represent the sounds in spoken words.
Alphabetic Principle
Understanding the meaning of spoken words and sentences.
Language Comprehension
Different starting places or ways students can access and understand a lesson.
Learning Acess Points
What is the difference between decoding and encoding?
Decoding is reading words; encoding is spelling.
Understanding that spoken words are made up of sound parts, such as syllables and rhymes.
Phonological Awareness
Using sounds and letter patterns to read unfamiliar words.
Decoding
A text that uses spelling patterns students have already learned.
Decodable Text
Extra instruction for students who need more help learning a skill.
Intervention
Which skill focuses on hearing and identifying individual sounds without looking at letters?
Phonemic Awareness
Teaching students the relationship between letters and sounds.
Phonics
Putting sounds together to spell words.
Encoding
The basic skills children need to become successful readers and writers.
Foundational Literacy Skills
Well-designed classroom materials that support effective student learning.
High-Quality Instructional Materials
Why do teachers use decodable texts?
They let students practice phonics patterns they have already learned.
A written letter or group of letters that represents a sound.
Grapheme
Connecting a word's spelling, pronunciation, and meaning in memory.
Orthographic Mapping
Activities and strategies that help students understand what they read.
Comprehension Building
Teaching practices supported by trustworthy studies showing they are effective.
Evidence-based Research
How do phonemic awareness and phonics work together?
Phonemic awareness helps students hear sounds; phonics connects those sounds to letters.