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.
- Free Plan
Consonant Digraph Cut-and-Paste Worksheets
Reinforce your students' knowledge of consonant digraphs with this set of cut-and-paste worksheets.
- Free Plan
Digraph Coding Robot Mat
Practice identifying digraphs with the help of a coding robot and mat.
- Free Plan
Science of Reading Decoding Strategy Bookmarks and Poster
Help students succeed in reading fluency with this free printable bookmark and poster set of strategies for decoding unknown words.
- Free Plan
Vowel Teams Diphthong Worksheets
Practice diphthongs with this set of fun and engaging worksheets.
- Free Plan
My Diphthong Cheat Sheet
Help students learn all about diphthong vowel teams with this handy diphthong student reference sheet.
- Free Plan
Decoding Strategy Poster Pack
Display different decoding strategies in the classroom with this printable poster pack.
- Plus Plan
Draw and Write Final E Worksheet Pack
Provide extra practice reading, spelling, and writing final-e words with Draw and Write Worksheets.
- 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.
- Free Plan
Medial L Words - List & Flashcards
Practice reading and articulating Medial L words with a list of 50 words and accompanying illustrated flash cards.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph Cover Up Game
Practice consonant digraphs with your students with this set of two fun partner cover up games.
- Plus Plan
Building Sundaes Game - S Blends
Build a sundae to practice decoding words with S consonant blends.
- Plus Plan
Consonant Digraph Bingo
30 different bingo cards using consonant digraph graphemes.
- Plus Plan
Roll and Read Vowel Teams Diphthong Activity
Explore different diphthongs with this fun gamified diphthong activity.
- 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
Consonant Digraph PH Interactive Activity
Engage students in practicing their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘ph’ with this fun ocean-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Th Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the th digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
- Plus Plan
Ch Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the ch digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
- Plus Plan
Diphthong Vowel Teams Interactive Activity
Practice knowledge of diphthongs during your phonics lessons with this fun bubble-themed interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Diphthong Vowel Teams Journal
Help students remember and record words and examples of different diphthong vowel teams during your phonics lessons.
- Free Plan
Diphthongs Maze Worksheet
Excite your students to practice their knowledge of diphthongs with this fun clue-based maze diphthong worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Bump! R Blends - Board Game
A board game to practice decoding words with an r-blend.
- Free Plan
Th Word List and Digraph Flashcards
Practice reading and spelling words with the Digraph TH with a list of 50 words and accompanying illustrated flash cards.
- Plus Plan
Common Spelling Rules - Instructional Slide Deck
Boost your students' spelling skills with an instructional slide deck teaching the different spelling rules.
- Plus Plan
My Magic E Story - Silent E Words Mini-Book
Practice reading and writing sentences with silent e words with this magic e-mini-book.
- Free Plan
Silent Letters Worksheets - Read, Find, and Color
Identify letters that are silent with this set of three find and color worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Word Study List - Silent Letters
Introduce and explore words containing silent letters with this extensive list of words.
- Plus Plan
Long U Words - Printable Word List
Introduce and explore words containing graphemes that make the “long u” sound with this extensive list of words.
- Plus Plan
Digraph Activity - Monster Mash Sort
Build phonemic awareness with a printable digraph sorting activity.
- Plus Plan
Which Sound? Poster - The Letter C
Remind your students of the different sounds made by the letter C with this colorful classroom poster.
- Plus Plan
Which Sound? Poster - Soft G and Hard G Sounds
Remind your students of the different sounds made by the letter G with this colorful classroom poster.
- Plus Plan
Word Chain Worksheet - Beginning L Blends
Manipulate the individual phonemes in words to create new ones with this differentiated word-building worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Magic E Wand and Word Cards
Create a crafty phonics activity to explore the power of the magic e in CVCe words.