Why Some 'Simple' Words Are Surprisingly Hard to Read And How to Fix It

At first glance, words like five, move, and gone look simple. But for beginning readers, decoding these words can be far from easy.

This infographic explores the hidden cognitive load involved in traditional phonics instruction, and how simplifying the decoding process leads to faster, more confident reading.

Download the Cognitive Load Comparison Infographic as PDF.

The Traditional Phonics Approach: A Climb in Cognitive Load

With traditional phonics, reading these words requires mastering a series of rules and exceptions:

• Step 1: Learn basic sounds — hop, mat, nest

• Step 2: Understand VCe pattern — five, cave

• Step 3: Learn scribal 'o' — none, love

• Step 4: Know words don’t end in ‘v’ — give, live

• Step 5: Recognize o-e = /oo/ in some words — move, lose

• Step 6: Remember exceptions — gone

• Step 7: Memorize irregulars — one

Each step adds to the cognitive load, requiring mental energy to override phonetic patterns, apply exceptions, and memorize outliers. These words cannot always be decoded phonetically. For many learners, this results in frustration, slower reading, and guesswork. 

Readable English: Built-in Decoding with Minimal Load

Readable English solves this problem by making sound-spelling relationships visually transparent - within the words themselves.

• Learners first understand letter and digraph sounds

• Then, in just 2.5 hours, they learn the Readable English markup system

• All 7 of the words (five, none, gone, etc.) can be decoded confidently, without memorization

This approach eliminates unnecessary cognitive strain and frees students to focus on fluency and comprehension. Readable English is endorsed by the Founder of Cognitive Load Theory himself, John Sweller. 

Why This Matters

English has:

• Reduces the need for memorization

• Accelerates decoding and word recognition

• Builds confidence and fluency

• Makes reading more accessible, especially for struggling learners

And that’s just with single-syllable words. Imagine the impact on multisyllabic decoding:

determine, undermine, ratio, patio, laughter, slaughter…

Join the Literacy Revolution

If decoding rules are slowing your students down, it’s time for a better way. With Readable English, students gain the tools they need to decode words with confidence.  

Contact us to schedule a demo today!