Both decoding and encoding skills are needed to build a foundation in reading. Decoding is sounding words out according to letter-sound relationship conventions. Encoding is the process of using letter-sound knowledge to write or spell words. Students must understand the various spelling patterns and rules of the English language to correctly construct words in their written products. It is important that students apply these rules consistently instead of using invented spelling because they may unknowingly write a word that is real but that they did not intend, causing confusion for their reader.

a linguistic unit, or word, that can stand on its own and have meaning; it can be modified by adding prefixes and/or suffixes to form related words (e.g., teach in teacher; mark in remarking)

a speech sound in which the flow of breath is constricted or stopped by the tongue, teeth, lips, or some combination of these; all alphabet letters except for a, e, i, o, and u

Students should be able to spell words with the knowledge that a suffix is added after a root or base word. They should understand that changes can occur to the spelling of the base word when endings are added. Changes that occur by spelling rules (orthographic changes in the base form) include doubling of the final consonant before a suffix that begins with a vowel; dropping a final e when the suffix begins with a vowel; and changing y to i before a suffix, except those that begin with i. For example, drop the final e, as in sense/sensible; change y to i, as in happy/happiest; or double the final consonant, as in win/winning.