Decoding Teaching Resources
Build students' decoding skills with reading activities, printable worksheets and more teacher resources, all created by teachers for classrooms like yours.
This comprehensive collection is filled with resources aligned with both the TEKS and Common Core English curriculums, and each resource has undergone the Teach Starter teacher team's thorough review process. Download resources you know you'll be able to add to your lesson plans immediately!
New to teaching students decoding strategies? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a look at how this skill plays into early literacy development and tips to help your students build their decoding savvy!
What Is Decoding in Reading?
It's something you likely know, but we like to start from the top, so let's dig into the meaning of decoding in a reading context. (Just want some ideas? Feel free to scroll down to our collection!)
Simply put, decoding is translating written words into spoken language.
Need a little more?
In early literacy education, decoding refers to the process of breaking words down into their individual sounds and then blending those sounds together to form recognizable words. As students build their skills, they are eventually able to decode — or read — increasingly more complicated written texts.
The process of encoding builds off of phonics instruction, understanding of sight words, pattern recognition and the use of context clues, helping students become fluent readers with strong comprehension skills.
Decoding vs. Encoding — What's the Difference?
When discussing decoding in early education, we typically talk about reading instruction. As noted above, we teach our students to decode — or translate — the written word into the spoken form.
Of course, we don't do this in isolation. Kids need to learn to encode too, and linking instruction of both has been shown to help students learn to be stronger readers and spellers.
So, what is encoding, and how does it differ from decoding?
In an educational context, encoding is the polar opposite, and we tend to use the term in regard to teaching kids to write. In its most basic forms, encoding involves learning to spell different words by representing the sounds with corresponding written letters.
In essence, instead of translating written words into speech, encoding means teaching our students to translate spoken words into written words.
- Plus Plan
Building Sundaes Game - Vowel Teams (AI, AY, EE, and EA)
Decode words with ay, ai, ea, and ee long vowel teams by crafting cute desserts!
- Plus Plan
R Blends Dominoes
Practice decoding and spelling words that feature R consonant blends with this set of 28 dominoes.
- Plus Plan
Phoneme Spotter Story – Long 'i' Sound
A decodable text featuring various graphemes that make the long 'i' sound.
- Plus Plan
SMASH IT! S Blends Game
Practice segmenting and spelling S consonant blend words with this game board and blend card set for 10 players.
- Plus Plan
Common Blends and Digraphs Bookmarks
These bookmarks are designed to help students remember some of the most common blends and digraphs while reading.
- Plus Plan
Vowel and Consonant Digraph Spin Game
Practice consonant and vowel digraphs in the classroom with a fun phonics game for students!
- Plus Plan
Vowel Digraphs Poster Pack
A poster showing words and pictures for various vowel blends.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph Bingo
30 different bingo cards using consonant digraph graphemes.
- Plus Plan
L-Blends Blending Flashcards
Practice blending l-blends with this set of blending l word cards.
- Plus Plan
S-Blends Blending Flashcards
Practice different s blends with this set of flashcards.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph WR Interactive
Engage students in practicing their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘wr’ with this fun building site-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Finding Phonemes - A, AW, AU, OR, ORE Digital Learning Activity
Read and spell words using the au, aw, a , or, and ore phonemes with an interactive digital learning activity.
- Plus Plan
Finding Phonemes - Spelling Words with DGE, GE, J, and G
Read and spell words using the j, g, ge, and dge phonemes with an interactive digital learning activity for 2nd Grade.
- Plus Plan
Long Vowel Digraph Writing Worksheet
Learn to encode long vowel digraphs with this set of writing worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Roll and Read Vowel Teams Diphthong Activity
Explore different diphthongs with this fun gamified diphthong activity.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph Phonics Journal
Help students remember and record words and examples of different consonant digraphs during your phonics lessons.
- Plus Plan
Digraph Search and Find Worksheet Pack
Search for images that contain particular consonant digraphs with this worksheet pack.
- Plus Plan
Long A Vowel Team Interactive Activity
Practice identifying the different vowel team graphemes that spell the long /a/ sound with this fun space-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Long Vowel O Teams Interactive Activity
Practice identifying the different graphemes that spell the long /o/ sound with this fun boat-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Vowel Teams Poster Set
Display this poster set in your classroom when teaching children about different vowel teams.
- Plus Plan
Long I Vowel Teams Interactive Activity
Practice identifying the different vowel teams that spell the long /i/ sound with this fun iceberg-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph KN Interactive Activity
Engage students in practicing their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘kn’ with this fun knight-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph SH Interactive Activity
Engage students in practicing their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘sh’ with this fun beach-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph TH Interactive Activity
Engage students in practicing their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘th’ with this fun sloth-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph WH Interactive Activity
Engage students in practicing their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘wh’ with this ocean-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph NG Interactive Activity
Engage students in practicing their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘ng’ with this fun playground-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph CK Interactive Activity
Engage students in practicing their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘ck’ with this fun rock climbing-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Santa's Syllable Sort - Christmas Reading Center
Help students practice breaking words into syllables with a Christmas literacy center.
- Plus Plan
IE and I_E Vowel Team Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to IE and I_E vowel digraphs with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
- Plus Plan
AI, AY and A_E Vowel Team Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to AI, AY, and A_E vowel digraphs with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
- Plus Plan
Diphthong Vowel Team Fluency Charts
Practice reading out these word lists that contain different diphthong vowel teams with these fluency charts.
- Plus Plan
Th Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the th digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.