Understanding word structure, or how words are made up of smaller component parts, is key in both decoding and spelling. Over time, as students become more proficient readers, they learn more about word structure, or how words are formed of smaller parts, such as sounds, syllables, and morphemes (the smallest units of meaning that make up a word or part of a word). As students build their understanding of word structure, they are better able to identify the individual parts of words and decipher the meaning of longer and more complex words.

In the English language, the information that a word conveys can be changed by adding other word parts to it. A word can change in meaning or function by adding these word parts. For example, the word happy changes in meaning when the prefix un- is added to create unhappy. Happy changes its function from a descriptive word to a state of being by adding the suffix -ness to make happiness. Students must understand these concepts in order to expand their own vocabulary and communicate effectively.

Students use their experience hearing words pronounced in social and academic settings to make connections to sound-symbol relationships and spelling patterns in the written English language. The relationship between sounds and letters is known as phonics and is used by students learning to read and spell new words. At higher grade levels, phonics gradually shifts to a focus on morphology.

the ability to detect and manipulate the sound structures of spoken language, including recognizing differently sized sound parts (i.e., phrases, words, syllables, phonemes) and manipulating those parts (i.e., blend, segment, delete, add, and change)

in reading, the ability of a reader to know and recognize how text works (e.g., know what a book is, print directionality, the difference between words and sentences, and that printed text conveys a message)