120 hr. TEFL Course Module 3-Reading (Pt.9 Teaching Decoding to Students)

Module 3: Reading

3.4.2 Common questions about decoding

How do I teach decoding to my students?

Here are some simple ways that you can help your students improve their decoding skills:

• When you are teaching a sound, use visuals to prompt the students to reinforce their knowledge of sounds, and ask the students to say the sound out loud as practice. This will help the students improve the speed at which they can decode and also stimulate more of their senses as they learn, making it more memorable and effective.

• Use phonics to drill the students and give them more and more practice with sounding out phonemes and building to sounding out words.

• Use relevant reading and writing assignments that relate to what you are teaching. If you are teaching the students a particular sound, find a written piece that really highlights that sound so that the students can practice it in a practical manner.

• Don’t be afraid to use methods that will ask students to use their hands. Using manipulatives is a great way to help students learn on a higher level and ensure that the information you are teaching makes its way to the students’ long-term memory.

• Try grouping your student homogeneously so that you can address specific problems or struggles in pockets of students and make your job a little easier. This leads to more individualized instruction and ensures that all of your students are growing and not that the children who understand the material are constantly waiting around for the others to catch up.