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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Long E Graphemes - SCOOT! Task Cards
Explore words containing graphemes that make the ‘long e’ sound with this active classroom game that will get your students moving!
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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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EE, EA and EY Vowel Team Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to EE, EA and EY vowel digraphs with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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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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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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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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Vowel Digraph Dominoes - OA, OW, and OE
Decode words with oa, ow, and oe vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds using this set of 28 dominoes.
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SPLAT! CVCC Word Game
A set of 36 task cards to practise decoding CVCC words.
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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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Word Study List - Long A Graphemes
Introduce and explore words containing graphemes that make the ‘long a’ sound with this extensive list of words.
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Long A Graphemes - SCOOT! Task Cards
Explore words containing graphemes that make the ‘long a’ sound with this active classroom game that will get your students moving!
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Consonant Digraphs Poster Pack
Expose your students to the most common consonant digraphs with this set of 9 posters.
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Ultimate Blends Poster Pack
Expose your students to a range of common consonant blends with this set of 20 posters.
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Vowel Teams Sorting Activity (OA, OW and OE)
Decode words with the OA, OW and OE vowel teams using 18 picture cards with sorting mats.
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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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Consonant Digraph NG Interactive Activity
Engage students in practising their learning around the consonant digraph of ‘ng’ with this fun playground-themed interactive activity.
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Vowel Digraph Dominoes - AI and AY
Decode words with vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds using this set of 26 dominoes.
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Consonant Digraphs Worksheet Pack
Practise writing and enhancing knowledge of consonant digraphs with this worksheet pack.
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OI and OY Words - Word Search
Explore words containing ‘oi’ and ‘oy’ with this set of differentiated word searches.
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Long OO Graphemes - SCOOT! Task Cards
Explore words containing graphemes that make the ‘long oo’ sound with this active classroom game that will get your students moving!
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Long or Short OO? - SCOOT! Task Cards
Identify the long and short 'oo' sound in one- and two-syllable words with this active classroom game that will get your students moving!
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Long U Graphemes - SCOOT! Task Cards
Explore words containing graphemes that make the ‘long u’ sound with this active classroom game that will get your students moving!
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My Magic E Story - Mini-Book
Practise reading and writing sentences with CVCe words with this magic e mini-book.
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S-Blends Blending Flashcards
Practise blending s-blends with this set of blending s word cards.
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L-Blends Blending Flashcards
Practise blending l-blends with this set of blending l word cards.
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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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Consonant Digraph PH Interactive Activity
Engage students in practising their knowledge of the consonant digraph ‘ph’ with this fun ocean-themed interactive activity.
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'EE' Vowel Digraph Board Game
Decode words with the ee long vowel team in this word card board game.
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EA Vowel Digraph Bingo Game
Practise decoding words that include the EA long /e/ vowel team sound with this BINGO game for up to 20 players.
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AY Diphthong Vowel Digraph Bingo
Practise decoding words that include the AY long /a/ vowel team sound with this BINGO game for up to 20 players.
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Short OO Graphemes - SCOOT! Task Cards
Explore words containing graphemes that make the ‘short oo’ sound with this active classroom game that will get your students moving!