










































Georgia Journal of Literacy 
2024, Vol. 46(2), pp. 38–45 
https://doi.org/10.56887/galiteracy.171 
ISSN: 2833-7611 

Teaching Tips  

 
 

 

CONTACT Dr. Shannon Tovey, Associate Professor of Reading and Literacy Education, Department of Elementary 
and Early Childhood Education, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA; email showrey@kennesaw.edu. 
(https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4225-9152). 
 

SSSLIDE into Reading Big Words! A Strategy for 
Decoding Multisyllabic Words 

Shannon Tovey 
Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 

 
ABSTRACT 

The ability to decode multisyllabic words significantly impacts fluency, automaticity, 
vocabulary, and comprehension ability. As students advance to the intermediate 
grades, this skill becomes increasingly critical as they are exposed to a greater 
volume of informational text containing a higher frequency of multisyllabic and 
unfamiliar words. Given the rising number of older children reading below grade 
level, it is essential for intermediate-grade teachers to employ effective and efficient 
strategies to teach multisyllabic word decoding. This article introduces SSSLIDE, a 
straightforward strategy that can be taught in just twelve 30-minute lessons, 
empowering students to decode most multisyllabic words and ultimately to make 
sense of what they read. 

KEYWORDS 

syllables; 
syllabication; 
structural 
analysis; phonics; 
struggling 
readers; word-
solving 
strategies; 
science of 
reading; COVID-
19 

 
eading tutors in Georgia are seldom short of work these days: Only 61% of Georgia fourth 
graders demonstrated reading ability at above the basic level in 2022. This was 2% lower 
than in 2019 (National Assessment of Educational Progress, n.d.), most likely due to the 

interruption in early grades education during the COVID-19 pandemic (Gray et al., 2023). With 
39% of fourth-graders unable to read words well enough to identify simple, literal details in text, 
illiteracy is at a crisis level in our state. 

Chall et al. (1990) used the term fourth-grade slump to explain the critical transition in 
reading skills as children progressed through school. She pointed to the greater number of 
multisyllabic words in non-fiction text, particularly as a possible reason for this trend. Other 
researchers have validated the importance of multisyllabic word reading in student success in the 
upper elementary grades (Ehri, 2005; Nagy et al., 2006). One reason students may struggle to read 
multisyllabic words well is that they have not been systematically taught to do so. This is not 
surprising, given that the guidelines on teaching syllabication are more general than structured 
series of steps (see Bear et al., 2015; Fountas & Pinnell, 2017; Juel, 1988; Pressley, 2006). A recent 
EBSO search of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed articles within the last five years containing 
“syllabication” or “multisyllabic words” in the title yielded no results in the first case and only 
rationale for teaching the skill, but with no specific methods for doing so, in the latter.  

Caleb (pseudonym) represented a typical striving reader. His parents explained that Caleb 
had spent his entire first-grade year and part of second grade online, with inconsistent instruction 
in reading, and that he was now struggling to read at grade level.  

Like many fourth- and fifth-grade struggling readers with whom I’ve worked in the past, 
an assessment of Caleb’s oral reading ability quickly revealed the problem: although he could 
decode most single-syllable words, he had few strategies for decoding multisyllabic words. As is 

R 

mailto:showrey@kennesaw.edu
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4225-9152


Tovey 39 
 

   
 

common with children facing this challenge, Caleb would skip unfamiliar words or read the first 
part of the word and guess at the rest. 
 
What Science Tells Us About Learning to Read 
The ability to make meaning from text—to elicit information and make personal connections 
(Rosenblatt, 1978)—underlies success in every subject area. However, to make meaning from text, 
the reader must possess the ability to decode text and read with automaticity (Adams, 1990; Ehri, 
1995). For word reading to become automatic, children need to know not only how to map 
graphemes (letter patterns) to phonemes (letter sounds) but also how to break larger words into the 
smaller parts to facilitate reading. Instruction on how to do this is crucial for struggling readers 
(Bhattacharya & Ehri, 2004; Moats, 2004; Moats & Foorman, 2003; Shelfelbine, 1990), including 
English language learners (Vaughn et al., 2005).  

In this article, I will explain a strategy I developed to help Caleb decode multisyllabic 
words quickly and accurately in just a few weeks. For Caleb and other students experiencing the 
fourth-grade slump (Chall et al., 1990), such strategies may be key to advancing their reading 
abilities and future academic success. 
 
The SSSLIDE Strategy 
Like many post-pandemic teachers currently teaching the intermediate grades, I had limited time 
to help Caleb catch up to grade level. It made sense, then, to develop an approach that was not 
only sequenced from simplest to more difficult word-solving skills (Moats, 2004) but also focused 
on the grapheme patterns that would help him solve the most words as quickly as possible. 

In each 30-minute lesson, I used explicit instructional methods (Archer & Hughes, 2011; 
Mesmer & Griffith, 2005/2006). I explained and modeled, then had Caleb work with my 
assistance, and finally had him demonstrate independently what he had learned. To make the task 
of dividing words easier, I provided lists of words in large font and with spaces between each 
letter. I set mastery at the ability to decode 80% of multisyllabic words within each category (Black 
& Wiliam, 1996). The sequence of my lessons, all which built upon each other, formed the 
acronym of SSSLIDE: 

Search for word parts that you already know. 
Search for VC-e, CV-r, and C-le syllables. 
Swoop together common consonant digraphs, diphthongs, and vowel teams. 
Label vowels and consonants beginning with the first vowel. 
Identify if the pattern is VCCV or VCV. 
Divide the word according to the most common pattern: VC/CV or V/CV. 
Evaluate the word. 

Step 1: Search for Word Parts That You Already Know 

The easiest way to divide long words is by separating the recognizable word parts within them. 
These word parts may be compound or derivational. Compound words like hotdog or mailbox are 
easy to divide without needing knowledge of syllable rules. According to McGregor et al. (2010), 
these words make up as much as 30% of the English language. The same study found that 28% of 
words are derivational, containing recognizable roots flanked by affixes on one or both sides, such 
as uncomfortable, swimming, and playful. Generally, these words can be easy solved by separating 



40 Georgia Journal of Literacy 46(2)  
 

   
 

the prefixes and suffixes from the base word. Just 20 prefixes make up 97% of English words with 
prefixes, and 20 suffixes account for 93% of words with suffixes (White et al., 1989). It made 
sense to review or teach on the spot, if necessary, the most common prefixes and suffixes, as they 
often indicate where a word can be divided at the beginning (prefixes) or the end (suffixes). I 
provided Caleb with a list of some of the most common prefixes and suffixes (Lane et al., 2009; 
see Figure 1) to scaffold this process and, in our first lesson, had him draw a box around the small 
words, prefixes, and suffixes that he saw. Recognizing compound words and derivative prefixes 
or suffixes became the first step of the SSSLIDE strategy: Search for word parts you already know. 
 
Figure 1: Common Prefixes and Suffixes (Lane et al., 2009) 

Common Prefixes 
in 
re 
de 
dis 
en 
ex 
un 
pre 
non 

Common Suffixes 
al 

tion 
sion 
ate 
ly 

able 
ment 

er 
ent 

 
Step 2: Search for VC-e, CV-r, and C-le Patterns 

I found that Step 1 alone seemed to help Caleb to solve most long words. However, there are other 
rule-governed ways of dividing syllables, and some students need to understand these patterns to 
decode multisyllabic words (Blevins, 2017; Moats & Tolman, 2009; Yampolky & Waters, 2002). 
Teaching Caleb to spot VC-e, CV-r, and C-le patterns made up the next three lessons. 

If searching for compound and derivational words does not solve the word, the next step 
for a student is to identify the syllable type and follow its most common division pattern. There 
are six syllable types: vowel-consonant-e (VC-e), consonant-vowel-r (CVr), and consonant-le (C-
le), closed, open, and vowel teams. Each syllable type should be taught separately until mastery 
before going on to the next type (Bhattacharya & Ehri, 2004).  

VC-e, CVr, and C-le are all syllable types that mostly follow regular pronunciation and 
division rules (Gates & Yale, 2011). Multisyllabic words that end with the VC-e syllables are 
divided before the consonant preceding the vowel sound, such as in the word a/live. If the VC-e 
syllable is in the middle of the word, then it is divided after the e, as in the word ab/so/lute/ly. I 
told Caleb to think of VC-e words as mini silent e words that he could search for and draw boxes 
around to divide the word. 

CVr syllables, also called r-controlled vowels, are divided before the consonant, such as in 
the word con/duc/tor, and, when the pattern occurs in the middle, after the r, such as in the word 
mi/ser/ly. Like with VC-e words, I told Caleb to look for mini r-controlled words to box. 

In C-le syllables, such as the final syllable in can/dle, the division pattern is before the first 
consonant. This pattern occurs only at the end of words, and I taught Caleb to draw boxes around 
them as well. The second step in the SSSLIDE strategy became to search for VC-e, CVr, and C-le 
word parts. 
 
 



Tovey 41 
 

   
 

Step 3: Swoop Together Common Consonant Digraphs, Diphthongs, and Vowel Teams 

Closed syllables are the most common orthographic unit in English, making up about 43% of 
words (Stanback, 1992). Closed syllables have one vowel sound, pronounced as a short vowel, 
followed by a consonant sound, and most closed syllable words are divided after the consonant 
following the first vowel (VC/CV), such as in the word plas/tic. Open-syllable words also follow 
a regular division pattern. These syllables end with a vowel and can be recognized by a pattern of 
VCV sounds. About seventy-five percent of the time, these syllables are divided after the first 
vowel (V/CV), such as in the word to/ma/to (Stanback, 1992). Both closed and open syllable 
patterns work by coding the vowel and consonant sounds, starting with the first vowel sound in 
the word. 

Whether open or closed, children need to understand that syllable rules are based on vowel 
and consonant sounds not on vowel or consonant letters. Therefore, I teach them to “swoop” 
together two or more graphemes that represent one phoneme before applying the syllable rule. 
This applies to sounds that are made by consonant digraphs, diphthongs, and vowel teams. For 
example, in the word mushroom, the sh is a digraph which counts as one consonant sound and 
must be swooped together for the closed syllable pattern (VC/CV) to work in dividing the word. 
In the word season, the ea needs to be swooped together for the most common open syllable pattern 
to work (V/CV). In the word allowance, the ow diphthong needs to be swooped together for the 
V/CV open syllable division to work in the second syllable. Given our limited time and the need 
for efficient word-solving, I provided Caleb with a list of all the consonant digraphs and diphthongs 
and only the most common vowel teams (Fry, 2004; see Figure 2). This served as a scaffold as he 
implemented this step. 
 
Figure 2: Common Consonant Digraphs, Diphthongs, and Vowel Teams (Fry, 2004) 

Consonant Digraphs 
ch 
sh 
th 
wh 
ph 

Diphthongs 
ow 
oo 
ou 
oi 
oy 

Vowel Teams 
ai 
ay 
ee 
ea 
oa 

 
When considering vowel team syllables, I realized there was no need to teach these 

separately from the other syllable types. Nor was there any reason to teach complicated patterns 
like VCCCV patterns and the like. If Caleb remembered to swoop consonant digraphs, diphthongs, 
and vowel teams together, the division patterns of VC/CV and V/CV almost always worked. Thus, 
“S” for “swoop” became the third step in the SSSLIDE strategy: Swoop together consonant 
digraphs, diphthongs, and vowel teams. Swooping common digraphs, diphthongs, and vowel 
teams made up three more lessons. 

After nine thirty-minute lessons (one each on identifying words inside of words, common 
prefixes, common suffixes, VC-e, CV-r, C-le patterns, and swooping common digraphs, 
diphthongs, and vowel teams), Caleb was quickly gaining confidence in his ability to tackle big 
words. However, there were still a few more strategies needed to ensure his ability to solve every 
multisyllabic word he might encounter. 
 
 



42 Georgia Journal of Literacy 46(2)  
 

   
 

Step 4: Label Vowels and Consonant Sounds Beginning with the First Vowel Sound and 
Step 5: Identify if the Pattern is VCCV or VCV 

I began by teaching Caleb to label vowels and consonants by writing a V or a C under each 
grapheme beginning with the first vowel and note which of the two patterns he saw. Both steps 
were taught in the same lesson. 
 
Step 6: Divide the Word According to the Most Common Pattern: VC/CV or V/CV 

To complete the word-solving process, I taught Caleb that if the pattern is VCCV, it generally 
divides after the first consonant. If it is VCV, it will generally divide after the first vowel, and, if 
not, after the first consonant. If other syllables need to continue to be divided to solve the word, 
the student can repeat these steps beginning with the second vowel. This step made up another 
lesson. I followed this with one last lesson in which he practiced solving several examples of 
multisyllabic words by employing all the strategies he had learned. See examples of the SSSLIDE 
strategy in action in Figure 3. 
 
Figure 3: Examples of SSSLIDE in Action 

 



Tovey 43 
 

   
 

Step 7: Evaluate the Word 

No matter what strategy is employed, the student will “evaluate” the word by putting each part of 
the word together in one whole word aloud and noting if it makes sense. This step is important as 
the whole purpose of the SSSLIDE strategy is not to solve a word, per se, but to make meaning of 
print. 
 
Conclusion 
Reading researcher Linnea Erhi (2005) said, “Given that there are multiple ways to read words, 
consider which way makes text reading most efficient” (p. 170). I similarly explain to children that 
they have many tools available to them to solve a word and that it really doesn’t matter how they 
divide it as long as they can read the word. For example, whether the word capable is divided 
cap/a/ble or cap/able, the word will still be recognizable. I also reminded Caleb that he did not 
have to divide syllables from the beginning of the word to the end. Rather he could start at the end 
of the word or even in the middle. 

While the process of SSSLIDE may seem daunting at first, children need to understand 
that they do not need to go through every step of SSSLIDE every time. If they find word parts they 
know (Step 1) or the simple VC-e, Cvr, or C-le patterns (Step 2) those steps are usually sufficient. 
Children also need to understand that they will not have do SSSLIDE every time they try to decode 
a long word, because once they do it a few times, those words, and others like them, will become 
part of their sight word vocabulary.  

If I had had more time with Caleb, I might have taught him to recognize some of the less 
common vowel teams and to use less common syllable division patterns. However, I predict that 
his increased time spent reading will provide more opportunities to practice decoding long words 
and that, through practice, those words will eventually become automatic and part of his sight word 
vocabulary (Ehri, 2005).  

Teachers of struggling readers like Caleb need practical and efficient solutions for catching 
children up to grade level. Strategies like SSSLIDE have the potential to pull Caleb and other 
struggling readers out of the “slump” and set them on their way to academic success. 
 
References 
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readers read and spell words. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37(4), 331–348. 
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Tovey 45 
 

   
 

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0068 

 
Received: September 16, 2024 | Accepted: October 13, 2024 | Published: November 15, 2024 

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https://doi.org/10.1080/02687030244000068

	What Science Tells Us About Learning to Read
	The SSSLIDE Strategy
	Step 1: Search for Word Parts That You Already Know
	Figure 1: Common Prefixes and Suffixes (Lane et al., 2009)

	Step 2: Search for VC-e, CV-r, and C-le Patterns
	Step 3: Swoop Together Common Consonant Digraphs, Diphthongs, and Vowel Teams
	Figure 2: Common Consonant Digraphs, Diphthongs, and Vowel Teams (Fry, 2004)

	Step 4: Label Vowels and Consonant Sounds Beginning with the First Vowel Sound and Step 5: Identify if the Pattern is VCCV or VCV
	Step 6: Divide the Word According to the Most Common Pattern: VC/CV or V/CV
	Figure 3: Examples of SSSLIDE in Action

	Step 7: Evaluate the Word

	Conclusion
	References

