EDRG 3520

Science Decoding Strategies

Here are two decoding activities you can do with a class to help them to become great decoders when they see words having to do with science and other areas.

1. Decoding words to do with science.  Make a list of words; thunder, weather using the “th” sounds.  Use words like raining and storming, in the “ing” family.

Pick 7-8 students from the class to make the words.  Give each student, you have chosen a letter hooked to a string to wear around their neck.  You tell the students in secret the word to be spelled and they form the word as fast as they can by arranging themselves in order.  The students still in their seats then call the word out.  You can have teams and time them to see which teams can spell the words the fastest.  You could also have two teams up and have them race each other. 

2. Listening for sounds in the weather report. 

Record the weather report form your local news station or off the weather channel.  Play the tape of the report to the class.  Have the students listen different sounds in the report.  As the students hear the sound made by the letters th, r, w, have them raise their hands.  This can be done for other combinations of letters also.  You will have to record how many time you hear it yourself so you will have a good idea of how accurate the students are at picking out the sounds that they hear.