Five Ways to Move Away from Sound by Sound Reading and Build Fluency
Episode Summary:
If you’ve ever had a student who reads “c...a...t...” and by the time they finish the sentence, they can’t remember what it was about, this episode is for you!
Today, we're diving into a super common (and totally normal!) stage of early reading: sound-by-sound decoding — why students get stuck there, and how to help them move into smoother, more confident word reading.
You’ll walk away with simple, practical steps you can start using tomorrow to bridge the gap from choppy decoding to fluent reading.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
Why students get stuck in sound-by-sound reading
How to check and strengthen decoding foundations
Blending strategies that actually make reading easier
How to use blending lines for daily fluency practice
What comes next after students move past sound-by-sound reading
Key Takeaways:
✅ Accuracy always comes before speed — strengthen the foundation first
✅ Teach and model blending explicitly (traditional, successive, and continuous)
✅ Use blending lines daily for structured, targeted practice
✅ Celebrate small wins — fluency is built word by word!
Connect With Me:
Instagram: @literacyedventures
Website: Literacy Edventures
If You Loved This Episode:
You will LOVE these Blog Posts:
5 Research-Backed Strategies to Build Reading Fluency That Actually Work
From Sounds to Words – Helping Students Move Past Sound-by-Sound Reading
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WHY WE LOVE IT
Build Fluency with Blending Lines!
Students need repeated, meaningful practice to move from sounding out each word to reading with confidence and ease. These blending lines are designed to do just that—help students build fluency by focusing on consistent vowel patterns with increasing complexity.
Each set includes three levels per vowel, giving students the opportunity to build automaticity over time. The vowel has been excluded from the blending lines to promote vowel flexibility and decoding
HOW TO USE
You may choose to laminate each page for future use or simply print one sheet out per student.
Read through the blending lines once choral reading. Show students how to track from left to right sounding out the words as they go.
Then, ask students to practice reading several times independently or with a partner. Students can color one star for each time they read the sheet all the way through.
GET ALL ACCESS NOW!
OR
1-Minute Decodable Word Fluency Drills are timed reading activities that help students practice reading decodable words based on specific phonics patterns (e.g., short vowels, digraphs). Each drill contains 30 words, building fluency and speed.
Strengthen Sentence Fluency with Fun!
This engaging, no-prep fluency game helps students practice reading full sentences with accuracy, expression, and confidence. As students roll the die, move across the board, and read the sentence they land on, they’re developing essential sentence-level fluency — a key bridge between decoding and comprehension.
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