What approach should a teacher take to address a student's confusion with nonsense words?

Reinforcing decoding strategies is crucial when addressing a student's confusion with nonsense words because these types of words are often used to assess a student's phonetic decoding skills without the influence of prior knowledge or context. Nonsense words require students to apply their understanding of phonemes and graphemes, making them essential for developing phonological awareness and decoding skills. By focusing on these strategies, teachers can help students break down unfamiliar words into smaller parts, sound them out, and build their confidence in decoding any new word they encounter, whether it's a real or a nonsense word. This approach equips students with the tools they need to tackle reading more independently and effectively, ultimately enhancing their overall literacy development.