Cracking the Code: Learning to Decode Words!

English Language Arts Grades Pre-K 8:57 Video
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Lesson Description

Let's become word detectives! This lesson helps Pre-K students understand how to figure out new words by looking at letters and sounds, just like cracking a secret code!

Video Resource

Decoding Words | Examples for kids learning how to decode words includes decoding words worksheets

Learn Bright

Duration: 8:57
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Decoding: Figuring out new words.
  • Letter Sounds: Each letter makes a sound.
  • Blending Sounds: Putting letter sounds together to say a word.

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify that letters make sounds.
  • Students will be able to blend simple sounds together to make a word.
  • Students will be able to use pictures and context clues to help understand a new word.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Start by asking students what they do when they see a word they don't know. Explain that today they will become word detectives and learn how to crack the code of reading! Show the Learn Bright video 'Decoding Words'.
  • Sound It Out! (10 mins)
    After watching the video, focus on the first step: sounding out the first letter of a word. Write simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words like 'cat', 'dog', and 'sun' on the board. Go through each word, emphasizing the sound each letter makes. Have the students repeat the sounds after you.
  • Breaking It Down (10 mins)
    Introduce the idea of breaking words into smaller parts. Use words with easily recognizable chunks like 'birthday' (birth-day). Point out how recognizing 'birth' and 'day' separately helps understand the whole word.
  • Picture Clues (5 mins)
    Remind students that pictures can give clues about words. Show pictures with simple labels underneath (e.g., a picture of an apple labeled 'apple'). Ask the students to point to the picture and say the word.
  • Word Detective Game (10 mins)
    Play a game where you give clues about a word and the students have to guess the word by decoding it. For example, 'I am furry, I bark, and I love to play!' (dog). Start with easier words and gradually increase the difficulty.

Interactive Exercises

  • Sound Sorting
    Provide picture cards and have students sort them based on the initial sound of the object (e.g., pictures of a cat, car, and cup go in one pile because they all start with the /k/ sound).
  • Word Building Blocks
    Use letter blocks or magnetic letters to help students build simple words like 'hat', 'pig', and 'top'. Encourage them to say the sounds as they put the letters together.

Discussion Questions

  • What do you do when you see a new word?
  • What sounds do you know?
  • Can you think of a word that starts with the same sound as your name?

Skills Developed

  • Phonological Awareness
  • Decoding Skills
  • Vocabulary Building
  • Listening Comprehension

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

What helps you figure out a new word?

Correct Answer: Looking at the letters and sounds

Question 2:

What sound does the letter 'b' make?

Correct Answer: /b/

Question 3:

If you see a picture of a cat next to the word 'cat', what can the picture help you do?

Correct Answer: Understand the word

Question 4:

Which word has the /a/ sound like in apple?

Correct Answer: Bat

Question 5:

If you know the word 'day', what other word part can help you understand 'birthday'?

Correct Answer: Birth

Question 6:

The letter 'c' often makes what sound?

Correct Answer: /k/

Question 7:

If you read a sentence about a happy dog, what does 'happy' tell you about the dog?

Correct Answer: It is friendly

Question 8:

What is it called when we put letter sounds together to make a word?

Correct Answer: Decoding

Question 9:

Which of these words starts with the letter 's'?

Correct Answer: Sun

Question 10:

If a word starts with the sound /t/, which letter does it probably start with?

Correct Answer: T

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

Each letter makes a ________.

Correct Answer: sound

Question 2:

We can look at ________ to help us understand words.

Correct Answer: pictures

Question 3:

Putting letter sounds together is called ________.

Correct Answer: decoding

Question 4:

The word 'birthday' has the word ________ in it.

Correct Answer: day

Question 5:

The letter 'd' makes the ________ sound.

Correct Answer: /d/

Question 6:

Knowing many words helps you ________ better.

Correct Answer: read

Question 7:

The word 'cat' starts with the letter ________.

Correct Answer: c

Question 8:

We use letter ________ to make words.

Correct Answer: sounds

Question 9:

________ helps you crack the code of reading.

Correct Answer: Decoding

Question 10:

Looking at the first letter of a word and saying its _______ helps you decode.

Correct Answer: sound

Educational Standards

PK.2.PA.3:Students will recognize syllables in spoken words (e.g., pony = po + ny). PK.2.PWS.3:Students will produce some sounds represented by letters. PK.4.R.3:Students will begin to acquire new vocabulary and relate new words to prior knowledge. PK.8.R:Students will listen and respond to read-alouds, participate in shared reading, and interact independently with texts.

Teaching Materials

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