Building Strong Readers: What to Do When a Student Struggles with Phonics & Decoding

(Note: This is Part 4 of an 8-week blog series called Building Strong Readers. If you haven't read the rest of the series , check it out HERE)

Phonics instruction is one of the most important building blocks of learning to read, giving children the tools they need to connect letters with sounds and unlock written language. Without a strong foundation in phonics, many students are left guessing at words or relying on pictures and context, which can lead to frustration and reading struggles down the road.

In this blog post, we’ll break down what decoding really is, how to spot when a student is struggling, and what effective phonics instruction looks like.

Phonics vs. Decoding

Phonics is an instructional strategy that teaches letter-sound associations and their application through spelling and reading words (National Reading Panel, 2000). Decoding is the process of using letter-sound relationships to translate a printed word into speech.

Being able to decode requires knowledge of phonics, including:

• Knowledge of letter-sound correspondences

• Ability to blend sounds smoothly

• Understanding of common phonics patterns ((vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, etc.)
  

• Understanding of syllable types and syllable division patterns
  
  

The Science of Reading strongly supports explicit, systematic instruction as the most effective way to teach phonics.

 
Signs of Weakness with Decoding

Here are some common signs that a student needs extra support in decoding:

• Struggles to sound out unfamiliar words; instead, guesses or skips them

• Frequently relies on the first letter or picture clues instead of reading the word

• Cannot apply phonics rules consistently to new words (e.g., doesn’t recognize “-ed” endings)

• Reads slowly or haltingly because they don’t have decoding strategies

• May guess entire words instead of sounding them out, leading to errors

If these sound familiar, don’t worry—decoding can be taught explicitly with the right approach!

To truly understand where your students have gaps in Phonics (and where to start with instruction), you will first need to assess them individually.

How Do I Assess Phonics Skills?

Phonics screeners are an essential tool for teachers who want to provide targeted, effective reading instruction. These quick assessments help identify a child’s strengths and pinpoint specific areas where they may be struggling, such as letter-sound correspondence, recognizing common phonics patterns, and decoding multisyllabic words. By using screeners, teachers can avoid a one-size-fits-all approach and instead tailor instruction to meet each student’s needs.

Common types of phonics screeners include letter-sound knowledge assessments, nonsense word reading tasks (which show if a child can truly decode unfamiliar words), and word reading lists. Some common phonics screeners include:

• CORE Phonics Survey
• LETRS Assessment
• Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)
  

Ideally, the phonics screener you use matches up with your scope & sequence of phonics skills. Here at Up & Away Literacy, we use a Quick Check Phonics Assessment that aligns with our scope & sequence. The Quick Check assessment covers 60 phonics concepts, and includes student assessment sheets, student word lists, and a class spreadsheet so you can easily group your students.

These Quick Check assessments are available exclusively in our teacher membership, Launching Literacy. Learn more about the membership HERE!

With the information gained from these assessments, teachers can group students strategically and provide the right interventions to close gaps before they grow wider.

Basic Recommendations for Phonics Instruction

Here are some quick tips to keep in mind for phonics instruction:

1. Use a Systematic Scope and Sequence for Phonics

Phonics instruction should follow a carefully planned sequence, introducing letter-sound relationships and patterns in a logical order.

• Start with simple consonant and short vowel sounds

• Move to blends and digraphs

• Progress to more complex vowel patterns and multisyllabic decoding

This systematic approach prevents students from feeling overwhelmed and builds confidence gradually.

2. Provide Explicit Instruction and Daily Practice

Explicit means directly teaching the “how” and “why” of decoding, not just expecting students to figure it out on their own.

• Model how to sound out and blend each letter or pattern

• Explain the "why" behind certain patterns (ex. why a word is spelled with "ch" vs. "tch")

• Practice decoding in short, focused lessons daily

• Use decodable texts that match the phonics skills taught so far
  
  

3. Incorporate spelling

Spelling is a powerful and often overlooked component of phonics instruction, and it plays a crucial role in helping children truly master the code of written language. When students practice spelling, they are not just memorizing words—they are applying phonics rules, recognizing patterns, and making connections between sounds and letters in a deeper, more lasting way.

Incorporating spelling into phonics instruction reinforces decoding (reading) by strengthening encoding (spelling), allowing students to see how the two skills work hand in hand.

For example, when students learn that the grapheme <tch> represents the /ch/ sound (and is used after a short vowel sound), have students practice spelling words containing <ch> and <tch> to help them gain a deeper understanding of the phonics concept.
 

4. Review Previously Taught Patterns Frequently

Phonics skills are cumulative—students need lots of practice revisiting earlier lessons to solidify learning.

• Regularly revisit learned letter patterns (we like to use grapheme-phoneme flashcards for this!)

• Use quick warm-up activities or games to review previous skills before learning a new one

• Spiral back to tricky patterns and provide extra practice as needed
  
  

5. Teach Blending Routines to Support Fluency

Blending is key to decoding fluently. Teach routines like:

• Continuous blending: smoothly saying each sound without pausing (e.g., /ssss/ /aaa/ /t/ → sat)

• Successive blending: Instead of sounding out all the phonemes separately and then blending, students add one sound at a time, sliding through the word until it’s complete. Here's an example for the word <slip>:
  

  1. Start with the first two sounds: /s/… /l/ → sl

  2. Add the next sound: /sl/… /ĭ/ → sli

  3. Add the final sound: /sli/… /p/ → slip
     

*This method helps early readers keep the sounds “in memory” as they build the word, instead of trying to hold them all until the very end.*

Practice blending routines daily, making the transition from slow sounding out to smooth reading. To learn more about teaching blending to your students, be sure to read our blog post HERE.

What Are Some Engaging Activities I Can Use with My Students?

Digital LIFT OFF! Phonics Lessons

We know our kids love screens, so let's use them in a productive way while weaving in multisensory, paper/pencil activities! These Digital LIFT OFF! Phonics Lessons are truly the best of both worlds, and our students absolutely love them!

Each set of lessons includes the following Science of Reading components for each concept:

Interactive Digital Lesson - Day 1

• Review of previously learned concepts and sounds
• Guided discovery of the new phonics concept (what do you hear, what do you see)
• Explicit instruction of the new concept
• Guided decoding practice with fun animations to keep students engaged
• Printable word list that includes words, phrases and sentences for students to practice on their own and gain fluency

Interactive Digital Lesson - Day 2

• Review of previously learned concepts and sounds
• Engaging encoding (spelling) practice that moves from sounds, to words, to a sentence
• Decodable reader with comprehension questions

In addition to the digital lessons, the following printable resources (to be used with the Day 1 & 2 lessons) are included:

• A word list with words, phrases, and sentences
• Blank encoding page for sounds, words, and a sentence (COPS visual included)
• Encoding guide for teachers (scripted activities for each step of encoding practice)
• Coordinating LIFT OFF! fiction decodable reader

 
To learn more about these digital lessons, and browse by concept, click HERE! (These are also available in Launching Literacy)

Word Chains

Word chains are one of our favorite activities for working on phonics. Basically, it’s a string of words where only one sound (phoneme) changes at a time.

Kids start with a base word, and then you guide them through a series of small sound shifts. Sometimes it’s just one letter that changes, but other times it might take two letters to spell the new sound—for example, moving from bat to chat. Both words sound almost the same, but that little change makes a big difference! We like to keep our chains to around 5-6 words.

Here’s a quick example: bag → bat → at → fat → fan → man

You can mix up where the change happens—in the beginning, middle, or end of the word—depending on what your students need practice with.

The MOST important thing when it comes to using word chains with your students is to have your chain already prepared before starting! There's nothing worse than trying to think of a word change when your mind is blanking and you have 6 little sets of eyes staring at you! (We speak from experience 😉)

If you'd like an already done-for-you resource of word chains, be sure to check out our Word Chains by Phonics Concept. Three word chains are provided for each of the 52 total phonics concepts, plus a student recording sheet is included as well!

(Note: This resource is also included in the growing library of literacy resources inside our Launching Literacy membership for teachers!)

Games

Once students have learned a new phonics concept, a great way to practice is through the use of games! Teach your students a coordinating game after learning the phonics concept, and then place the game at a literacy center so students can consistently review. 

Because we know that entertaining your students while they learn is so incredibly important, we've included, and will continue to add, lots of games inside Launching Literacy. We've also made it possible for your students to play the same games at different levels. Many of the resources are broken down into each and every concept of our scope and sequence!

Wrap Up

Decoding is the bridge between knowing letter sounds and reading real words on a page. Without strong decoding skills, students will struggle to read fluently or with comprehension.

By providing systematic phonics instruction, focused practice with decodable texts, and blending routines, you empower students to independently crack the code of print—and become confident readers.

Building Strong Readers Reference Sheet (FREE DOWNLOAD!)

If you would like a printable version of reading skills and strategies to apply when you spot a weakness in each one, click the image below to download our free Building Strong Readers Reference Sheet!

The Resources You Need, All in ONE Membership!

We understand that purchasing resources one by one adds up fast—and as teachers, we know every dollar matters. That’s why our K-2 membership, Launching Literacy, is a smarter and more cost effective option. Our membership gives you everything you need for small group instruction—all in one place—so you can save time, money, and stress.

No more weekends wasted hunting for Science of Reading–aligned heart word resources, phonics lessons, and decodable texts. With Launching Literacy, you simply log in, choose the skill you want to teach, and instantly download detailed, ready-to-use lesson plans and activities.

In just a few clicks, your small group lessons are prepped and ready to teach—so you can spend less time planning and more time making an impact in your classroom. It’s planning made simple, effective, and affordable.

We hope that you found this blog post helpful! Whether you choose to join the membership or not, we are always here to help you in any way we can. Send us an email at: [email protected] with any questions you have!