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 the Australian English curriculum (V9.0 included!), and each resource has undergone the Teach Starter teacher team's thorough review process. Download resources you know you can 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 recognisable 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're teaching 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.
Instead of translating written words into speech, encoding means teaching our students to translate spoken words into written words.
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Vowel Digraphs Poster Pack
Expose your students to the most common vowel digraphs with this set of 24 posters.
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Printable Early Reader Books - Ocean Animals
Learn about sea life with a printable ocean book for year 1 students.
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Diphthong Fluency Charts
Practise reading out these word lists that contain different diphthongs with these fluency charts
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Final 'E' Worksheet Pack (I_E)
Explore words that make the 'long i' sound using the split i_e digraph with this set of 11 worksheets.
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Digraph Search and Find Worksheet Pack
Search for images that contain particular consonant digraphs with this worksheet pack.
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Consonant Digraph TH Interactive Activity
Engage students in practising their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘th’ with this fun sloth-themed interactive activity.
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Diphthong Colouring Activity Worksheets
Practise finding different vowel team diphthongs with this set of fun colour-by-code worksheets for your students.
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Ph Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the ph digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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Ck Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the ck digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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Consonant Digraph Sound Wall Cards
Guide students through phonics with these consonant digraph sound wall cards for a classroom display.
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Vowel Teams Sorting Activity (EE, EA and EY)
Decode words with the EE, EA and EY vowel teams using 18 picture cards with sorting mats.
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Sounds of 'OO' - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Sort words according to whether they contain a long or short ‘oo’ sound with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Word Study List - Long Vowels
Introduce and explore words containing graphemes that make long vowel sounds with this extensive list of words.
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Final 'E' Worksheet Pack (A_E)
Explore words that make the 'long a' sound using the split a_e digraph with this set of 11 worksheets.
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R-Controlled Vowel Word Building - Google Slides Interactive Activity
Explore spelling and reading words that contain r-controlled vowels with this interactive Google Slides activity.
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Consonant Digraph Cover Up Game
Practise consonant digraphs with your students with this set of two fun partner cover up games.
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Ar Digraph Words With Images
Learn words that contain the 'ar' digraph with these word and picture flashcards.
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Vowel Digraph Dominoes - EE, EA, and EY
Decode words with ee, ea, and ey vowel digraph conventions for representing long vowel sounds using this set of 26 dominoes.
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R-Controlled Digraphs Worksheet Pack
Practise writing and enhancing knowledge of r-controlled digraphs with this worksheet pack.
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Consonant Digraphs Worksheet Pack
Practise writing and enhancing knowledge of consonant digraphs with this worksheet pack.
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Word Study List - Double Consonants
Introduce and explore words containing double consonants with this extensive list.
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R-Controlled Vowels Poster Pack
Supplement your phonics curriculum with an r-controlled vowel poster display.
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Blends PowerPoint
A 21 slide PowerPoint presentation on different blends.
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Vowel Teams Phonics Journal
Help students remember and record words and examples of different vowel digraphs during your phonics lessons.
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Long Vowel O Teams Interactive Activity
Practise identifying the different graphemes that spell the long /o/ sound with this fun boat-themed interactive activity.
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Vowel Team Digraph Poster Set
Display this poster set in your classroom when teaching children about different vowel team digraphs.
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Kn Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the ng digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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Diphthongs Sound Wall Cards
Use these diphthong cards as visuals on a sound wall or as flashcards during your phonics lessons.
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Ending Consonant Digraphs Sorting Activity
Explore words that contain a final consonant digraph with a set of 24 picture sorting cards.
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Magic E Words - Match-Up Activity
Explore words containing long vowel sounds created by the magic e.
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Blend and Digraph Cards
A set of 32 blend and digraph cards that can be used in a variety of ways.
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Consonant Digraph SH Interactive Activity
Engage students in practising their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘sh’ with this fun beach-themed interactive activity.