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What Is Encoding?: Part 1 of Encoding vs. Decoding | IMSE Journal

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Together, encoding and decoding strategies are required for mastery of linguistic communication. Learn the difference and how to teach them effectively!

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What is reading? And what are the core skills that young children need to become successful readers? Learning to read is complex, but this overview can help explain key terms and demystify the process.

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A child's writing development parallels the child's development as a reader.

Part of early print awareness is the realization that writing can be created with everyday tools such as pens, pencils, crayons, and markers. Children begin to imitate the writing that they see around them. What often starts as scribbling ends up being important clues to a young child's understanding that print carries meaning.

How writing develops

Young children move through a series of stages as they are learning to write. The stages reflect a child's growing knowledge of the conventions of literacy, including letters, sounds and spacing of words within sentences. Almost every interaction in a child's world is preparing them to become a reader and writer.

It's important to remember that every child is different and there are variations in the way kids move through writing stages - it may not happen in the same way or at the same time and the lines between the stages can be blurry.

Scribbling/drawing

Most children begin their writing career by scribbling and drawing. Grasping the crayon or pencil with a full fist, a young scribbling child is exploring with space and form. He is creating a permanent record of his ideas and thoughts. These first scribbles can be proud accomplishments! Thick markers, crayons, and unlined paper are good writer's tools for this stage.

Letter-like forms and shapes

At this stage of writing development, children begin to display their understanding that writers use symbols to convey their meaning. Writing begins to include shapes (circles, squares) and other figures. A writer in this stage will often write something and ask, "What does this say?" There's little orientation of forms and shapes to space (i.e., they appear in random places within the writing or drawing). Tubs of markers, crayons, and paper remain good writer's tools.

Letters!

As a child's writing continues to develop, she will begin to use random letters. Most children begin with consonants, especially those in the author's name. Pieces of writing are usually strings of upper-case consonants, without attention to spaces between words or a sense that writing moves left to right and top to bottom. At the beginning of this stage, there remains a lack of sound-to-symbol correspondence between the words they are trying to write and the letters they use. Later efforts may include letters for the key sounds in words and include the author's own name. Different types of paper, including memo pads, envelopes, lined paper and some smaller pens and pencils are good writer's tools at this stage. Tubs of foam letters and letter magnets are also handy.

Letters and spaces

As beginning writers practice their craft, they are learning many concepts about print. When a child points to individual words on a page when reading, and works to match their speech to a printed word, a "concept of word" is developin - the awareness of the purpose and existence of spaces separating words and that spoken words match to printed words. It's a watershed event of kindergarten! Adults watch young writers insert these important spaces in their own work. Guided either by an index finger in-between each word or by lines drawn by the parent or teacher, children demonstrate one-to-one correspondence with words.

At this stage, children write with beginning and ending sounds. They also may begin to spell some high frequency words correctly. Vowels may be inserted into words. As children transition to more conventional writers, they will begin to write words the way they sound. Punctuation begins as writers experiment with forming sentences.

Conventional writing and spelling

At this stage, children spell most words correctly, with a reliance on phonics knowledge to spell longer words. Writers use punctuation marks correctly and use capital and lower case letters in the correct places. Writing for different purposes becomes more important. First and second grade students often write signs for their bedroom doors or a letter to a friend. Storybook language, "Once upon a time," and "happily ever after," become a part of writing samples as the child joins the league of writers with a storytelling purpose. As students progress through the writing stages, various pieces become more automatic and fluent. Handwriting becomes easier, as does the spelling of a majority of words.

At all stages, it's important to honor the writing efforts of your young child. Find opportunities to have your child share his work with others. Display efforts on the wall or on the refrigerator. Ask your child to read his work at the dinner table or by sitting in a special author's chair.

To write well, children need a broad set of skills

Basic writing skills: These include spelling, capitalization, punctuation, handwriting or keyboarding, and sentence structure (for example, elimination of run-ons and sentence fragments). Basic writing skills are sometimes called the "mechanics" of writing.

Text generation: Text generation means translating your thoughts and ideas into language - the "content" of writing. Text generation includes word choice (vocabulary), details that add meaning, and clear expression.

Writing processes: Good writing involves planning, revising, and editing. These processes are extremely important to success in writing, and become even more important throughout a child's schooling.

Writing knowledge: Writing knowledge includes an understanding types of writing (genre) - for example, understanding that narrative writing or descriptive writing is organized differently than informational writing or persuasive writing. Another important part of writing knowledge is understanding the audience you are writing for.

Foster a love of writing at home for your child

This video is from Home Reading Helper, a resource for parents to elevate children's reading at home provided by Read Charlotte . Find more video, parent activities, printables, and other resources at Home Reading Helper .

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From handwriting to personal stories to persuasive writing to explaining how to do something, writing is a critical skill. Developing good writing skills strengthens a child's vocabulary, comprehension, and spelling skills.

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Fluency is a child's ability to read a book or other text with accuracy, at a reasonable rate, and with appropriate expression. Reading fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension.

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Vocabulary is word knowledge - knowing what the words mean. Word learning is an ongoing process - we are always adding to our "word bank." The goal is to recognize and understand the meaning of spoken and written words.

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Good spellers aren't born, they are taught! Nearly 90 percent of English words can be spelled if a student knows basic patterns, principles, and rules of spelling. Good spellers end up as better readers and writers.

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Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2005). Words their way: Word study phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Publishing.

Berninger, V. W., Vaughn, K., Abbot, R. D., Brooks, A., Begay, K., Curtin, G., Byrd, K., & Graham, S. (2000). Language-based spelling instruction: Teaching children to make multiple connections between spoken and written words. Learning Disability Quarterly, 23, 117-135.

Carreker, S. (2005). Teaching spelling. In J. R. Birsh (Ed.), Multisensory teaching of basic language skills (2nd ed.) (pp. 217-256). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Cassar, M., Treiman, R., Moats, L. C., Pollo, T. C., & Kessler, B. (2005). How do the spellings of children with dyslexia compare with those of nondyslexic children? Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 18, 27-49.

Ehri, L. C. (2000). Learning to read and learning to spell: Two sides of a coin. Topics in Learning Disorders, 20, 19-49.

Graham, S. (1999). Handwriting and spelling instruction for students with learning disabilities: A review. Learning Disability Quarterly, 22, 78-98.

Henry, M. K. (2003). Unlocking literacy: Effective decoding and spelling instruction. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Henry, M. K. (2005). A short history of the English language. In J.R. Birsh (Ed.). Multisensory teaching of basic language skills (2nd ed.) (pp. 119-139). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Joshi, R. M., & Aaron, P. G. (2003). A new way of assessing spelling and its classroom applications. In R. M. Joshi, B. Kaczmarek, & C.K. Leong (Eds.). Literacy acquisition, assessment and instruction: The role of phonology, orthography, and morphology (pp. 153-161). Amsterdam: IOS Press.

Kessler, B. & Treiman, R. (2003). Is English spelling chaotic? Misconceptions concerning its irregularity. Reading Psychology, 24, 267-289.

Moats, L. C. (2005). How spelling supports reading: And why it is more regular and predictable than you think. American Educator, Winter 2005/06, 12-22, 42-43.

Treiman R., & Bourassa, D. (2000). The development of spelling skill. Topics in language disorders, 20, 1-18.

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Spelling is a challenge for people with dyslexia. The International Dyslexia Association provides a fact sheet explaining why people with dyslexia have trouble spelling, how to find out the reasons a particular child has this difficulty, and how to help children with dyslexia spell better.

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Developing A Pencil Grip For Young Children | IMSE | Orton-Gillingham

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Fluency is defined as "the ability to read connected text rapidly, smoothly, effortlessly, and automatically with little conscious attention to the mechanics of reading, such as decoding" (Meyer and Felton, 1999, p. 284). It provides "a bridge between word recognition and comprehension" (National Institute for Literacy, 2001, p. 22). Fluency combines rate, accuracy, and prosody (i.e., reading with expression).
When a child incorporates prosody, his oral reading sounds much like speech with appropriate phrasing, pause structures, stress, rise and fall patterns, and general expressiveness.

A fluent reader does not need to give his attention on decoding the words. Instead, he can concentrate on what the text means and develop his comprehension skills (e.g., making connections, asking questions, understanding nuances and references in text, etc.)

Fluency training is something all parents can do for their child. It requires little time, minimal expertise, and it invariably works. You can read single words, poetry, plays, comic books, or fiction - anything of interest to your child.

Fluency develops gradually over time and through substantial practice. A good way to help motivate your child is to use material that is of interest to him.

There are many situations in which reading aloud can occur everyday (e.g., singing a sound, telling a joke, giving a speech).

Here are some helpful tips to target, as well as maximize, reading fluency to practice at home:
Routine

Establish a daily family reading routine. 10-20 minutes is all you need!
Books

Select books that are at the child's reading level so he feels comfortable reading independently.

Vary the material. Read books, poems, magazines, comic books, and newspapers.

Utilize auditory books on CDs to foster continued vocabulary development and content knowledge. Listening to books while reading the text will help your child maintain his language skills commensurate with his peers. By having the child read along with the CD silently or aloud also targets reading fluency. (Check out LearnOutLoud.com and Librivox.)

Encourage your child to choose the material.
Strategies

Model
Read aloud to your child to provide a good example of fluent reading. Consider reading material that is just beyond grade level. Your child will not only enjoy listening to a good model, but it will also foster language development and reading comprehension. Be sure to make it fun by using an expressive voice and intonation.

Partner Reading
You and your child take turns reading. Be sure to select reading material that is at your child's success level. You are the model for both fluency and personal expression.

Choral Reading

You and your child read together at the same time. You should be slightly ahead (i.e., a couple of milliseconds) of your child. Even though it appears that the reading is happening simultaneously, you are actually leading and your child is following.

Choral reading allows your child to build up his sight words as he associates the correct pronunciation with each written word. The pace should be slow, yet fluent, for the initial reading.

Repetition

Once you have complied reading material, encourage your child to reread his favorites. Try to make it fun! This could include reading in a different location (e.g., on a swing or in the bathtub) or using different voices.

Repeated readings not only improve fluency, but comprehension and using intonation as well.

Repeated oral reading significantly improves word recognition and fluency (i.e., speed and accuracy). Remember to practice at a level that your child is already able to decode easily. Your child should feel confident and comfortable with the text selected.

You can also review sight words with your child to increase automaticity. (Check out Dolch Word.) You could do 2-3 minute drills with your child a few times a week.

Effort
Keep your child motivated by encouraging and praising her for her strengths and her interest in reading. This will build confidence and maintain interest.

You now have been given a "tool kit" of activities and strategies to use help your child with fluency (i.e., accuracy + rate).

Best results to improve fluency are through consistent repetition, drill, and practice. It is not difficult to target fluency everyday for short periods of time (i.e., minutes).

Repeated oral reading significantly improves word recognition and fluency, which will increase self-confidence in your child. Success starts here!

References
Carlisle, J.F. and Rice, M.S. (2002). Improving Reading Comprehension: Research-Based Principles and Practices. Baltimore, MD: New York Press, Inc.

Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA). (2001). Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read. Jessup, MD. National Institute for Literacy at ED Pubs.

Rasinski, T. (2003). The Fluent Reader. New York, NY: Scholastic Professional Books.

Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming Dyslexia. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

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Fluency is defined as "the ability to read connected text rapidly, smoothly, effortlessly, and automatically with little conscious attention to the mechanics of reading, such as decoding" (Meyer and Felton, 1999, p. 284). It provides "a bridge between word recognition and comprehension" (National Institute for Literacy, 2001, p. 22).

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Colorín Colorado

For Families
Bilingual resources offer parents tips on helping children learn to read, succeed in school, and learn a new language.

LEE & LOW BOOKS

Tool to Build a More Diverse Home Book Collection
A Home Library Questionnaire to help parents reflect on and diversify the types of books families share at home.

NEA's Read Across America

Raising Readers: What Parents Can Do
20 tips to help parents create a sense of enjoyment, wonder, and a passion for reading.

NATIONAL PTA AND NEA

Developing Your Child's Reading Skills and Raising Ready Readers
Tips to support children at each stage of their education with encouragement to read books that celebrate diversity and foster critical thinking.

NATIONAL CENTER FOR FAMILIES LEARNING

Cultivating Readers
Available in both English and Spanish, the Cultivating Readers Family Guide provides tips to grow reading skills from birth to age eight.

PBS

PBS for Parents: Literacy
Age-by-age tips, articles, and activities related to literacy.

READING ROCKETS

Reading 101: A Guide for Parents
A guide to give parents a better understanding of what it takes to learn to read (and write) and advice on how they can help their children grow as readers, writers, and learners.

REACH OUT AND READ

Milestones of Early Literacy Development
Information in English and Spanish to help parents of newborns through children at age 5 understand what they are observing in their child's early literacy development and how they can support their growth.

START WITH A BOOK

Parent Tips for Reading, Writing, and Learning
Tips on how parents can help kids build background knowledge, boost reading fluency, strengthen writing skills, and more.

UNDERSTOOD

Reading and Writing
Resources to help parents of PreK through grade 12 children enjoy reading, even if reading is a struggle.

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Learn how and why to make room for books and reading together at home with these resources, activities, and information.

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Learning the meanings of new words (vocabulary) helps children to read more complex books and stories and to learn wonderful new things. Children learn new words by being read to and by reading on their own; the more children read, the more words they are likely to know.

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The Alabama Reading Initiative presents PHONICS: Family Engagement Information and Ideas

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The Alabama Reading Initiative presents COMPREHENSION: Family Engagement Information and Ideas

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The Alabama Reading Initiative presents VOCABULARY: Family Engagement Information and Ideas

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The Alabama Reading Initiative presents FLUENCY: Family Engagement Information and Ideas

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The Alabama Reading Initiative presents PHONEMIC AWARENESS: Family Engagement Information and Ideas

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Etymonline - Online Etymology Dictionary

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The online etymology dictionary (etymonline) is the internet’s go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms. It is professional enough to satisfy academic standards, but accessible enough to be used by anyone.

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Index of prefixes and suffixes beginning with 'I' at the Dictionary of Affixes

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Interactive Alphabet Arc
The Interactive Alphabet Arc is a digital version of our Rainbow Alphabet Mat. These arcs are available in both uppercase and lowercase and have been provided in both English and Spanish. The Interactive Alphabet Arcs can be used for timed and untimed alphabet activities.

Follow the links below to see the Alphabet Arcs in action!
Early Literacy Resources available from Region 4 Literacy and Language
Questions about our resources? E-mail reading@esc4.net.

This resource serves as a tool for teaching letter names and sounds to support students on their journey in becoming successful readers and writers. This set can be used for whole-group, small-group, and individual literacy instruction. $30 each. Order online: ALPHABET POSTER AND CHARTS SET
Tool for supporting letter names and sounds.
English| Spanish

LETTER KNOWLEDGE MANIPULATIVE KIT - NEW!
Tools to deepen emergent readers' letter knowledge
This supplemental resource can be used for teaching letter knowledge in small groups. This kit is appropriate for use with emergent readers of any age who need additional support in letter identification, letter-sound correspondences, and letter formation. $100.ORDER ONLINE

READING BY DESIGN
Systematic, Explicit, and Intensive Reading Intervention
Reading by Design: An Individualized Literacy Intervention is a systematic, multisensory approach aligned with research-based practices for developing literacy. This intervention follows an intensive, explicit, and cumulative design for remediation of reading and writing skills at all grade levels. This comprehensive program addresses the following components: phonological awareness, sound-symbol association, six syllable types, written spelling patterns, morphology, syntax, reading fluency, and comprehension. Progress monitoring and review lessons are embedded throughout the program to inform student progress and promote reading and writing automaticity. Reading by Design may be used with students in kindergarten through grade 12 in a small, homogeneous group setting. (Teacher training required.)

For more information about Reading by Design, visit our web page, or e-mail dyslexia@esc4.net.

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Interactive Alphabet Arc The Interactive Alphabet Arc is a digital version of our Rainbow Alphabet Mat. These arcs are available in both uppercase and lowercase and have been provided in both English and Spanish. The Interactive Alphabet Arcs can be used for timed and untimed alphabet activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Etymonline - Online Etymology Dictionary

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The online etymology dictionary (etymonline) is the internet’s go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words, phrases, and idioms. It is professional enough to satisfy academic standards, but accessible enough to be used by anyone.

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Index of prefixes and suffixes beginning with 'I' at the Dictionary of Affixes

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Create a Writer's Space

Children thrive with structure, if possible, create a fun space for kids to write at home. This can be a corner in their room, a desk, table, anyplace that they can go to and know it is time to write! Don't have a space to use? Grab an old shoebox and fill it with writing tools your children will need like paper, a notebook, pencils, and crayons. Now they have a portable writing desk that allows them to write anywhere!

Make Bulleted List

Have kids keep a list of all the different activities that they do each day at home in a journal or notebook. Simply put the date at the top of the list and have kids create the list. Some activities may be everyday tasks, like made my bed, while others may be more exciting like, went on a nature walk. No matter the task, have kids record them all. This simple activity not only helps kids to write each day but by creating this list, they are actually creating a brainstormed list of "seed" ideas that they can later turn into narrative writing pieces. If you have students complete this during a school break or summer vacation, be sure they bring this notebook back to school so they can use these ideas and expand upon them.

Descriptive Web

Have students select any household item and create a descriptive web in their writing notebook. To do this, they simply write the word of the item they are describing in a circle and create a web of descriptive phrases about it using their five senses. You could also give more specific directions about what to write about such as a special toy, a piece of fruit, or something that fits in your hand.

Figurative Language Around the House

One writing skill that students love to practice is using figurative language. I don't know what it is, but kids love to write similes and metaphors, pack a sentence full of alliteration, and write using personification and exaggeration. Have children find an object in their home and write about it using figurative language. They can simply write a sentence with one form of figurative language or a paragraph with several.

Write about Reading

Since students are expected to read every day, why not have them write about what they read. This does not have to be a long task at all! Keep it simple and have kids write a sentence or two that summarizes their reading, something that they learned, or a prediction that they have. Just a quick response to practice writing at home each day.

Daily Journal

I love having students write in their journals each morning. While sometimes there is a basic prompt such as, write about your favorite food or something you did over the weekend, I usually let students free-write. This is an easy activity for children to do at home, too. There is no right or wrong way to write in a journal, so just let them be creative.

Tip: If you find your child is stuck and does not know what to write about, give them three minutes to draw a picture in their journal and then have them write about their drawing.

Create an Instruction Manual

Have children keep a procedural writing journal of all the things that they did while they were home over break. They will not only be practicing how to writing skills, but they will never be stuck for an idea. They can write directions for ANY TASK they did that day including making a bed, brushing their teeth, washing dishes, building a lego set, reading a book, really anything! To motivate children to write, have them create a comic book style illustrations to match. If students complete this activity while on break from school. encourage them to bring in their writing when school begins again and "teach" their peers how to do something they are good at! Since this a writing project, it will take several days to complete.

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

This one is simple! Grab any photo, even a digital one saved on a phone or tablet and have the kids write about it. They can write about what happened that day, a descriptive piece about the setting, or even a short story. Kids love using pictures to write, so why not use ones that they know a lot about already to get them writing?

Juicy Word Journal

In my classroom, we call out of the ordinary words "juicy words." This could be a descriptive adjective, a new word that they found in a chapter book or a very scientific vocabulary word they learned during science class! Simply have kids record the word and its meaning in a journal and before long they will have a dictionary of new words that they not only love but will actually use in their own writing.

Be the Parent for the Day

Let the kids pretend to be the adults for the day, at least when it comes to writing. When and why do parents need to write each day? Maybe you have to write a grocery list, a recipe, or an email. Let the kids help or do all the writing that is needed that day. There is nothing better than using parent role models to encourage writing at home.

Don't Forget the Other Genres

Writing is so much more than a narrative or essay! Encourage your child to think about something that they love and write a poem or song lyrics about it. They can also complete writing activities with a purpose like writing a friendly letter or note to a friend or family member, or an email to a company requesting information or asking a question. Any form of writing is great writing practice!

Writing at home helps writers grow! Be sure to download these ideas for FREE here to encourage your students to write at home or to use it as an at-home writing assignment. Students will be engaged and since these activities require no screens or printables, all students can complete tasks.

You might be interested in reading:

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How Parents Can Help with Writing at Home - TeachWriting.org

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Children thrive with structure, if possible, create a fun space for kids to write at home. This can be a corner in their room, a desk, table, anyplace that they can go to and know it is time to write! Don't have a space to use?

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Alabama Reading Initiative - Alabama State Department of Education

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The goal of the ARI is to significantly improve reading instruction and ultimately achieve 100% literacy among public school students.​