D is for Decoding

Learning to Read ABC's (A Guide for Parents)

When it comes to learning to read, decoding is one of the most important skills a child can develop.

It’s the ability to look at a word and “crack the code”—to recognize letters and sounds, and piece them together like a puzzle.

Why is decoding important?

Decoding teaches little learners how to:

break down words….

letter by letter….

sound by sound….

until they become fluent readers

How does decoding progress?

Step 1: At first, decoding might look like sounding out each letter slowly and methodically. For example, "c-a-t" becomes “cat.”

Next Step: As children get better, they start to recognize these letter-sound patterns more automatically, blending sounds quickly.

Eventually: They’ll be able to recognize whole words without sounding them out. This is when reading starts to feel more like second nature.

What can you do at home?

Practice makes perfect when it comes to decoding!

Encourage your child to tackle unfamiliar words instead of skipping them.

Play word games where you find a word (maybe on a book in the living room) give them the word, and then they have to find it.

Example: “Find the word domino. Listen to the sounds dom-in-o.” If this is a struggle, provide support - it will begin with the letter d (and in this case, lowercase) and end with the letter o”

You can also use decodable readers, which are specifically designed to help kids build decoding skills with controlled text.

Remember, decoding is like training wheels for reading—once they master it, they’ll be ready to pedal through books independently.