Ready, Set for Variability, Read!

ABSTRACT In printed English, there is some variability in the relationships between graphemes and the phonemes they represent. Learners who are sensitive to this variability learn to adjust their attempted pronunciation of an unfamiliar word such that they identify a real word that fits the context. This sensitivity and the ability to adjust attempted pronunciations are referred to as Set for Variability (SfV). Readers with a well‐developed SfV try out different, reasonable pronunciations for graphemes in unfamiliar words and confirm accuracy by matching the decoding attempt to a word in their oral vocabularies and/or ensuring their attempted word makes sense in context. In this article, we discuss the research behind SfV and present instructional suggestions for developing SfV in young readers.