This video from Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest (REL Midwest) discusses the most effective evidence-based practices for teaching decoding to early readers. Strategies in this video are based on the What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade (
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/21)
One of the main reasons that some students struggle to read proficiently is that, when presented with an unfamiliar word, they cannot accurately decode it. To decode, students need a strong foundation in both phonemic awareness and phonics. This video explains the need for systematic, direct, and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics and this video clearly defines what systematic, direct, and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics looks like.
To learn more about our work in this area, visit the REL Midwest Early Childhood Education Research Alliance webpage (
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/midwest/partnerships/midwest_early_childhood_education_resear...)
Visit the REL Midwest website (
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/midwest/default.aspx) to learn how we are partnering with stakeholders to equip state and local education agency staff to access, use, and disseminate research results.
The content of this video does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Institute of Education Sciences or the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government.