In this lesson, students will learn how to decode unknown words in text. At the end of the lesson, students are able to:
- Determine a word's beginning, middle, and end sounds.
- Utter each sound in a word to make it longer.
- Mix sounds to recognize words you don't know.
- Verify that a word was correctly deciphered by using the context and pictures.

- How can strategic readers comprehend literary and informational texts?
- What kind of responses and thought processes are elicited by text interaction?
- What is the purpose of learning new words?

- Illustrations: Pictures or drawings.
- Context Clues: Information from the text that helps a reader identify a word and understand its meaning.

- Seuss. (2004). Hop on pop. Random House Books for Young Readers.
Alternate: 
- Willems, M. (2018b). Elephant & Piggie: The Complete Collection (An Elephant & Piggie Book). Hyperion Books for Children.
Teachers may substitute other books to provide a range of reading and level of text complexity.
- Several decodable readers that support students’ reading levels
- Letter tiles preassembled in bags for each student with only the letters needed for the words s/he will spell. For example, the letters b, m, t, a, and s can be used to spell the words bat, mat, sat, tab, and bam.
- Chart paper

The focus of this lesson is to demonstrate the understanding of decoding strategies used to determine unknown words in text. To assess understanding, ask students the following questions:
- "Why do we employ strategies in texts to identify unfamiliar words?" (If we are illiterate, we will be unable to comprehend the narrative.) "What methods can we employ to identify unfamiliar words in a text?" (Determine the initial, median, and final phonemes of the word; elongate it; and subsequently combine it. We can also make use of examples and context)

Explicit instruction, modeling, scaffolding, and active engagement
W: Assist students in learning and using techniques to decipher text's unknown terms.
NOTE: Prior to this lesson, students must have a solid foundation in phonemic awareness and phonics.
H: Give children practice recognizing beginning, middle, and ending sounds as well as extending and blending words by having them construct words out of letter tiles. 
E: Read Hop on Pop and practice your decoding techniques. 
R: Gradually give pupils more freedom to use decoding techniques and tactics and share their ideas with classmates. 
E: Encourage students to share their ideas and use tactics in small- or large-group discussions. 
T: Give students of all levels access to methods for deciphering unfamiliar words through text, conversation, and peer interactions. 
O: Students can gradually provide more information and explanations to the learning activities in this lesson, which mirror the use of strategies. Using a fresh text, the exercises let students show off their understanding and autonomous application of tactics. 

Main Question: How can we interpret words that aren't obvious in a text?

Assign a bag of pre-selected letter tiles to each student, corresponding with the words you want them to spell. The letters b, m, t, a, and s were selected for this lesson's aims. "Find the letter tile for the letter that says /b/," you can say. Post a tile of the letter B on the board. "Seek out the letter /a/ on the tile and place it beside the b," you instruct. Place a letter tile "A" on the board to illustrate. Say, "Put the tile for the letter /t/ next to the a." Write the letter "T" on the board. Assist pupils in pronouncing each letter (/b/…/a/…/t/) and blending them to form the word "bat." On chart paper, write the word "bat."

For the following words: mat, sat, tab, and bam, follow a similar procedure. Students can also exchange letters with one another. Say, "In the word bat, replace the letter b with m," as an example. Which word is new?"(We get the word "mat"). Jot down every new word on the chart paper.

While reading through the list, ask students to focus on the words on the chart paper. "Do you see any patterns in these words?" you could ask. (They all begin with the sound /a/, and some finish with the letters at.)

Ask pupils to recognize the terms on the list now. Say something like, "Who wants to volunteer to come up to the chart paper and point to the word SAT?" as an example. Ask the pupils how they found out the term SAT if they select the right word. Allow pupils to come forward and point to each word as they speak it. Give pupils enough time to explain how they learned a word; they may indicate that they looked at the beginning, middle, and end sounds before extending it.

Encourage students to recognize the beginning, middle, and end sounds of words they chose incorrectly before having them expand the term.

Part 1

You announce to students that: "Today, they're going to use our decoding skills to figure out words in a story that they don't know or can't read. To confirm their estimate when using decoding skills, they occasionally glance at the visuals, other words in the sentence, and context cues."

Ask them: "What makes deciphering texts we are unable to read important?" (Because it clarifies the narrative for us.)

Assemble the class around you, or ensure that they can see the words written on a blackboard or computer screen. Present the Dr. Seuss book Hop on Pop. Describe how this book will provide pupils with practice decoding terms they might not know using their decoding skills.

Begin by saying, "Company me as I start reading the book. I will demonstrate word decoding in a text for you first. I'll then give you a chance."
Tell the pupils to start reading Hop on Pop. Demonstrate how to decode a word, like a pup, using the method below:
Your right hand should be raised in a closed fist. Feel for the initial /p/ sound and put out your thumb. (You use your right hand and begin at the thumb since you are sounding out words from left to right.)
Next, recognize the middle sound (/u/) and extend your right index finger (thumb and index finger together).
Finally, point to the final sound, which is /p/, and give it a middle finger.
Wriggling each finger about the sound placement, repeat the sounds in the word. Then speak the word while making a closed fist.
Lastly, review the sentence "Pup is up" and consider the image and context to confirm your guess.

For numerous pages, keep modeling the decoding approach. Next, ask pupils to decipher a word as a way to start handing them more responsibility. After reading a sentence, highlight a word. You can pretend: "I'm stuck on this word. Could you perhaps help me with your decoding skills?" Allow pupils to exercise their decoding abilities and bolster their guesses with context and pictures. After they have worked in pairs, have some pairs present their findings. After allowing students to reach a consensus, repeat the text and add the word they chose. Ask them to double-check accuracy using the visuals and context clues.

This procedure should be followed throughout the book, with students reading as much as they like until they show that they understand the tactics and abilities being used.

Part 2

Establish the student groups beforehand. Depending on their level of reading, pair or group the students into small groups of three to four. To exhibit and apply their understanding of decoding techniques and methods, students ought to be grouped with peers who possess comparable reading abilities.

Assign a decodable text that best suits the reading level of each student group. Say, "Recall the abilities and methods we employed in Hop On Pop to decipher challenging words. "What exactly were they?" (searched for beginning, middle, and end sounds; extended the word; combined sounds to pronounce the word; utilized pictures and other words in the vicinity of the challenging word [context] to confirm the guess.)

"Now, with your partner or small group, you will apply those same abilities and tactics," you announce to students. Let's read a book together; I'll give it to you. I want you to read the material and apply the tactics to decipher tough words that you come across.

Teacher guidelines: "Once the books have been distributed, let everyone take turns reading. Asking your partners to refresh your memory on the techniques to decipher unfamiliar words is a good idea when you come across them. Partners can't merely tell you what's going on. Everyone needs to put the techniques and methods into practice. I'll go around the room to see how you're doing and to check on you."

Permit pupils to read the text aloud while taking a picture walk. After that, have them read aloud while encouraging one another to employ the techniques and strategies. As you traverse the classroom, note how your students are using decoding techniques and methods.

Extension:

Select a few words from a narrative you have read aloud in class to give to kids who require extra help. Utilizing letter tiles, provides kids with experience in word stretching, blending, and sound identification. Then ask them to locate the words in the narrative. Assist them in understanding the words' context.
Provide text that is harder or material with less illustration support for pupils who are ready to go beyond the benchmark. Ask pupils to decode words and describe the process they went through.