Videos: Symposiums

Teachers often turn to nonsense words for phonics practice, believing they build decoding skills. But is this practice worth our instructional time? We look into the role that nonsense words play in assessment and instruction.

Quick, practical ideas to help build readers' accuracy and confidence. Learn how simple changes to practice can make a big impact on accuracy and fluency.

Subskill automaticity targets practicing a foundational reading subskill (e.g., letter names, letter-sound correspondences, word reading) with isolated, structured repetition. A comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to use this practice to cement the skill to the point of effortless retrieval.

Decoding is the process of using learned letter-sound correspondences to sound out words and typically precedes more automatic, effortless word recognition. When a student demonstrates automatic word recognition, they access the word as if by sight. Decoding is the reverse process of encoding.

The Advanced Decoding Routine equips students with a powerful tool for reading complex multisyllabic words. A comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to use this routine to help students apply their knowledge of morphemes and syllables to decode unknown words.

The Blending Drill is a quick, low-prep routine used to reinforce letter-sound knowledge and blending skills. A comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to use this activity to support student's early decoding skills.

Decoding and spelling errors reveal where students are stuck and allow us to analyze the best teaching opportunity. Kara Campbell shows how immediate feedback using a diagnostic, prescriptive approach maximizes student learning.

The Simple Decoding Routine helps students apply their knowledge of letter-sound correspondences to decode unknown words rather than guessing or skipping them. A comprehensive, step-by-step guide on how to use this activity to help students establish strong foundational reading skills.

Using decodable texts to reinforce phonics patterns and create a scaffolded entryway to reading for young students is a widely held practice. But are we overusing them at the detriment of authentic texts? What does the research say?

Applying evidence-based structured literacy practices to meet diverse K–12 learners’ needs can be challenging. Dr. Linnea Ehri and Dr. Katie Pace Miles address educators’ questions and share key research insights on effective reading instruction.