Encoding from dictation
Encode a dictated word from its sounds to its full spelling.
Encoding from dictation is spelling a word you hear, with nothing on the page to choose from. It is the strictest test of phonics knowledge and is taught from Grade 2 (two-syllable regular words) to Grade 6 (multisyllable words with derivational endings). Errors are informative: missing a whole syllable means the child is not segmenting first; a plausible-but-wrong pattern (rane for rain) means the pattern is known but not which one this word uses; a scramble means the sounds themselves were not held in order. Teaching the routine — say it, count the syllables, spell each, check — matters as much as the words. These worksheets provide word lists and dictation lines with answer keys; the Listen & Spell game reads each word aloud and accepts a typed answer, on a tablet keyboard as well as a physical one.
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Games that practise it
Teacher FAQ
How should I run a dictation?
Say the word, use it in a sentence, say it again. The child repeats it, counts the syllables, spells each one, then checks. The routine is the teaching.
What does a missing syllable in a spelling tell me?
The child is not segmenting before spelling. Go back to saying and counting the syllables aloud before writing.
How many words per dictation?
Ten is plenty for one sitting. Frequency beats length.