Episode Details

What happens after students master single-syllable words in phonics, but the words in their books keep getting longer?

Dr. Devin Kearns takes us for a deep dive into polysyllabic word reading and what the research tells us about helping students tackle increasingly complex words. He explains why the transition into longer words presents challenges that simply don't exist in single-syllable words, including the unpredictability of single-letter vowels, reduced vowels & schwa, and the growing prevalence of derivational suffixes. He also challenges some long-standing approaches to syllable division and explains why more rules and terminology aren't necessarily better for students.

You'll learn about ESHALOV ("Every Syllable Has At Least One Vowel") as well as the “peeling-off strategy” for recognizing affixes and accessing the base of polymorphemic words.

The conversation also explores lexical verification (i.e., set for variability): how readers adjust an initially decoded pronunciation until it connects with a word in their mental lexicon.

Key Takeaways:

• What the research suggests about traditional syllable division rules
• How to use the strategy: ESHALOV for polysyllabic words
• How to use the “Peeling-off” strategy for polymorphemic words
• How lexical verification helps students move from a plausible pronunciation to a known spoken word
• What advanced decoding instruction might look like in the upper elementary classrooms

Resources Mentioned:

• Phinder
• High-Frequency Syllables & Morphemes (compiled by Dr. Devin Kearns)
• The Word Complexity of Primary-Level Texts: Differences Between First and Third Grade in Widely Used Curricula by Devin Kearns & Elfrieda Hiebert
• Helping Students With Dyslexia Read Long Words by Devin Kearns & Victoria Whaley
• Building BRIDGES: A Design Experiment to Improve Reading and United States History Knowledge of Poor Readers in Eighth Grade - O’Connor, Beach, Sanchez, Bocian, & Flynn - ESHALOV principle (Every Syllable Has At Least One Vowel)
• Components of effective remediation for developmental reading disabilities: Combining phonological and strategy-based instruction to improve outcomes - Lovett, M. et al. - “Peeling Off” Strategy

Connect with Dr. Devin Kearns:

• Website: https://www.devinkearns.com/
• LinkedIn
• Instagram: @devin.kearns
• X: @devin_kearns

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