Reading & Literacy

What Is ‘Encoding’? Test Your Knowledge About a Core Element of Literacy

By Marina Whiteleather — April 17, 2023 1 min read
Young writer looking at a flash card showing a picture of a dog and writing various words that begin with a "D" like dog, donut, duck and door.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

What is encoding? And is it as important to the science of reading as its counterpart, decoding? Test your knowledge by taking our quiz.

Once you complete the quiz, you can see how your score compares to your peers’, get detailed explanations of the correct answers, and find additional reading and resources on the topic.

For more reading on the place of writing instruction in elementary literacy, read our special report, The Science of Reading ... and Writing.

Related Tags:

Coverage of students with learning differences and issues of race, opportunity, and equity is supported in part by a grant from the Oak Foundation, at www.oakfnd.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.

Events

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Reading & Literacy Spotlight From Teacher Overload to Literacy Impact
New research, literacy shifts, and teacher support strategies are reshaping instruction and classroom practice nationwide.
Reading & Literacy Texas Board Approves Bible Passages as Required Reading in Public Schools
Students will have to read Bible stories under a reading list approved by the state’s education board.
3 min read
Georgia School Shooting 24249513823169
Chimain Douglas holds a Bible on Sept. 5, 2024, in Winder, Ga. The Texas State Board of Education, on June 26, 2026, approved a mandatory reading list that includes Bible passages for public school students.
Brynn Anderson/AP Photo
Reading & Literacy Opinion How We Can Turn the Page on This Failed Reading Strategy
We can’t raise new readers on just excerpts. It’s time to bring back whole books.
Carol Jago
3 min read
Image of a book with symbols of brain, ideas, time, conversation, connecting ideas.
Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
Reading & Literacy Kindergartners' Math and Reading Scores Can Predict Their 3rd Grade Performance
But their academic trajectories aren't set in stone, and early intervention is key, researchers say.
3 min read
Estes Elementary School kindergarten students Evelyn Bolmer, front left; Jase Bellamy, back right; and Eric Guarneros, front right, listen as their teacher Faith Harralson assists Bolmer with a math equation, as they ride pedal desks at school in Owensboro, Ky., Jan. 19, 2016.
Estes Elementary School kindergarten students Evelyn Bolmer, front left; Jase Bellamy, back right; and Eric Guarneros, front right, listen as their teacher Faith Harralson assists Bolmer with a math equation, as they ride pedal desks at school in Owensboro, Ky., Jan. 19, 2016. New research shows students who start kindergarten behind in reading and math are unlikely to catch up by 3rd grade.
Jenny Sevcik/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP