Glossary · Letters, phonics and word reading
What is encoding?
Definition
Encoding is spelling a word by segmenting it into its sounds and choosing a grapheme for each one, in order.
It's the reverse of decoding, and usually harder. When reading, the letters are given. When spelling, the student must produce them, and often choose between options, such as c or k for /k/, or ai or ay for long a.
Good encoding rests on three things: hearing every sound, knowing the graphemes for each sound, and knowing which grapheme fits where. The last part is spelling rules and word knowledge, and it takes years.
Encoding practice strengthens reading too. Spelling a word forces attention to every letter in order, and that strengthens the word's storage in memory. That's why dictation belongs in every phonics lesson, not just spelling tests on Fridays.
In a lesson
Dictate brake. The student taps /b/ /r/ /ā/ /k/, writes br, then has to pick a spelling for long a. They choose a_e because the sound is followed by a consonant at the end of the word.
Examples
Each word with its spelling units, one per sound.
- brakeb·r·a_e·k
- stains·t·ai·n
- trailt·r·ai·l
- spokes·p·o_e·k
Words come from our lexicon, checked against a pronouncing dictionary. Words a student sees in our assessments are left out.
Why does this matter for the record?
Look at what kind of error a student makes. A missing sound, a wrong grapheme and a broken rule each point to different practice.
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.