Helping High School Students Decode Multisyllabic Words: A Teacher's Guide
- DocHolbrook
- Mar 30
- 4 min read
Teacher question: As a high school teacher, I often have kids who struggle with reading. Many of them are years behind in their reading skills. How can I help them?
This is something I hear often. Teachers want to help their students; they just don’t know how and usually don’t have the resources to help. The good news is that there are slight adjustments you can make to your instruction to help students access the material. In my previous post, I discussed how schools can implement systemic changes to help older students become better readers. This week, I will focus on practical strategies that teachers can use every day in their classrooms to help struggling readers, particularly when decoding multisyllabic words. But it’s important to note that these strategies are not a quick fix. Teaching a student to read requires intentional, systematic, and explicit instruction. That said, these strategies will help students access grade-level material and start building their confidence as readers.
Why Teaching Grade-Level Texts Matters
The most important thing we can do for older struggling readers is to teach them how to read grade-level texts. It’s common for secondary teachers to read aloud to students or have them listen to audiobooks of grade-level texts. The idea is to give students access to the content they can’t yet read on their own. I understand the rationale behind this approach, but the reality is that listening to a text or having it read to them doesn’t solve the problem. It can be beneficial, but only if students are also being taught how to read independently.
Teaching older students to read is more challenging and requires a different set of strategies, but we can help older students learn how to read. The key is adopting systematic, structured approaches that build the skills they need to succeed.
Where to Start: Decoding Multisyllabic Words
Secondary teachers often don’t have formal training in reading instruction, and most available resources are geared toward younger students. Using elementary-level reading strategies with teenagers is a surefire way to lose their engagement. After all, they already know they’re struggling with reading—reinforcing that idea doesn’t help. Instead, we can help students build their skills with strategies that are appropriate for their age and maturity level.
One effective starting point is teaching students how to decode multisyllabic words. Here’s how you can do this:
Select Key Vocabulary Words
Choose 5-7 vocabulary words from the text you're teaching that you can explicitly break down for students. For example, let’s say you're teaching a science unit on cells, and one of the words you want to focus on is mitosis.
Identify the Vowels and Break the Word Into Syllables
In mitosis, there are three vowels: i, o, and i. This tells you that the word will have three syllables: Mi/To/Sis. When teaching multisyllabic words, it’s helpful to use the six types of syllables in English: open, closed, vowel-r, vowel-consonant-e, cle, and vowel teams. In this case, you have an open syllable (Mi), another open syllable (To), and a closed syllable (Sis).
Read the Word Aloud
Say the word out loud slowly, breaking it down into its syllables.
Have Students Echo the Word
After you say the word, have students repeat it after you. This helps reinforce the correct pronunciation and gives them confidence as they practice.
Discuss the Meaning of the Word
Once students can decode the word, talk about its meaning. For mitosis, explain that it’s the process of cell division in which one cell divides into two identical cells. Create a student-friendly definition and use the word in a sentence.
Breaking Down Complex Words: Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
Sometimes, especially in subjects like science, it’s more effective to break words down into their roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Take the word extraction, for example:
Find the Root Word
In extraction, the root word is tract, which comes from the Latin word meaning "to pull" or "to drag."
Identify the Prefix and Suffix
The prefix is ex-, meaning "out" or "away from." The suffix is -ion, which turns a verb into a noun (in this case, it means "the act of").
Read the Parts of the Word
Read the parts aloud: ex- / tract / -ion.
Have Students Repeat
Have students repeat the word parts after you.
Discuss the Word’s Meaning
Put it all together and explain that extraction means "the act of taking something out," such as in science, when a substance is separated from a mixture. Create a student-friendly definition and use the word in a sentence.
Here is a list of common prefixes, suffixes, and root words from the Florida Center of Reading Research.
Revisiting Texts for Fluency and Confidence
Once students have practiced decoding and understanding key vocabulary, it’s time to revisit the text itself. On the first day, you might go over the vocabulary and read the text aloud to students. On subsequent days, have students practice reading the text themselves. Here are a few strategies for practicing fluency:
Partner Reading: Pair students up and have them take turns reading a paragraph aloud to each other.
Echo Reading: Read a section of the text aloud and have students echo you.
Choral Reading: Have the entire class read the text aloud together.
You can designate a "Fluency Friday" where students practice fluency skills regularly. Even just a short amount of time spent on these activities each week can build students' confidence in reading complex texts.
Why It Matters
Older students need to learn how to read complex texts to succeed in high school and beyond. By focusing on strategies like decoding multisyllabic words; breaking down roots, prefixes, and suffixes; and providing opportunities for fluency practice, you’ll help your students access and engage with the grade-level material they need to succeed. It’s not about making the material easier but about equipping students with the tools they need to handle it themselves. With patience and practice, they can become confident, skilled readers.
References
Comments