Decoding

From WikEd

Monitored and developed by Natalie Lowe, student at the University of Illinois, through EPSY 400: Psychology of Learning in Education. Please feel free to add any additions you like!

1 Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of
2 Application in classrooms and similar settings
3 Evidence of effectiveness
4 Critics and their rationale
5 Alternative explanations due to Diversity considerations
6 Signed “life experiences”, testimonies, and stories
7 References and other links of interest

[edit] Descriptions, definitions, synonyms, organizer terms, types of

What is decoding?

According to Webster's Online Dictionary, decoding is "to convert (as a coded message) into intelligible form."

More specifically, in terms of early readers, the term can be defined: "Decoding is the ability to figure out how to read unknown words by using knowledge of letters, sounds, and word patterns. Decoding skills are essential to being a fluent reader. " (Royer, James M. PhD. 2005)

Wikipedia states that decoding is, " is the reverse of encoding, which is the process of transforming information from one format into another. Information about decoding can be found in the following:

   * Analog decoding, the use of analog circuit for decoding operations
   * Code, a rule for converting a piece of information into another form or representation
   * Code (cryptography), a method used to transform a message into an obscured form
   * Decoding methods, methods in communication theory for decoding codewords sent over a noisy channel
   * Digital signal processing, the study of signals in a digital representation and the processing methods of these signals
   * Word decoding, the use of phonics to read text"

Decoding is a process that people engage in throughout their lives. We most frequently utilize the strategy as early readers, but as we move on, it is also important. In advanced adult reading, decoding is the process which allows us to figure out how to read new words that we encounter. The greater our experience with word structure and sounds, the better we are able to read new words. Understanding actual meaning of the new word involves other advanced processes; therefore, the decoding strategy is not the only piece in the puzzle to reading and comprehension.

[edit] Application in classrooms and similar settings

What role does decoding play in learning how to read?

Decoding text is the first task to be tackled in the process of learning to read. First, children must learn their alphabet by letter name and associated sounds. They can then "decode" or translate letters grouped together as words. Much decoding practice takes place in the early childhood years. Students must learn to decode letters and words in order to translate these symbols into meaningful text.

The famous "Hooked on Phonics" program uses decoding to help children read. The program helps children learn letters and sounds by using flashcards and audiotapes. After the child has mastered these, the sounds are decoded into words by using structured activities and stories in workbooks and CD-ROMs. After this, the child can then move into reading full books. The program purports to be so successful that "...over 4 of 5 parents seeing their children's self-confidence grow, and over 90% saying it works".

Besides 'Hooked on Phonics', several phonics programs exist that help teach children how to read.

[edit] Evidence of effectiveness

According to Royer’s research in the Reading Success Lab, students learn to decode words. His Skill Builder Module runs Intervention Sets, which are defined as “specific word lists that the reader learns to recognize instantly by sight.” Readers are able to master their word sets, through daily exercises, and Royer says their answers become automatic. Through the use of the Intervention Sets, readers become better able to recognize words, “even words they have not yet practiced.” (Royer, Decoding Defined)

Practicing and mastering sets of words, in turn, shows “students are getting faster recognizing the words practiced,” the “… words that are not practiced,” and “students are learning how to decode new words.” This ability to decode unfamiliar words, according to Royer, is extremely important, in the sense that readers no longer have to skip the words they do not recognize. (Royer, Decoding Defined)

“With Skill Builder practice a reader will almost always show very dramatic improvement.” This improvement increases the readers confidence and encourages them to continue practicing, as the increase in improvement continues to provide positive feedback. (Royer, Decoding Defined)

According to BalancedReading.com on "Decoding," once readers have the fundamental skills of decoding "concepts about print, letter knowledge, phoneme awareness, and knowledge of the alphabetic principle," if obtained in kindergarten, children "go on to become healthy readers."

[edit] Critics and their rationale

Decoding can be “laborious”

Especially in the early stages of decoding, a great deal of concentration Is needed and must be devoted to the sounding out of words. Once the child can do that correctly, crucial time is spent practicing, and eventually reading actual text. Once the child has developed working strategies, the child must practice recognizing “real words in real text.” The early stage is crucial to developing the proper decoding skills and can in turn lead to laborious, tedious work, where concentration is necessary. (Balancedreading.com, Decoding)

Teaching Strategies must differ depending on the student

According to Royer, “direct teaching of decoding skills does not work for all students.” Through phonics based decoding strategies, some students are unable to hear themselves. For these students to learn to decode with phonics, requires more practice than is needed for a child to successfully learn through phonics strategies. (Royer, Decoding Defined)

Children with dyslexic have the inability to “transition from sounding out words to automatic recognition of words”. Dyslexia causes children to sound out every word they come across, which slows them down, and does not help with their overall reading comprehension. (Royer, Decoding Defined)

Phoneme Awareness

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, a phoneme is “any of the abstract units of the phonetic system of a language that correspond to a set of similar speech sounds … which are perceived to be a single distinctive sound in the language,” or in other words, a sound.

Phoneme awareness is known as “one of the biggest stumbling blocks that children face” and it is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure that their students have untimely phoneme awareness. It is important that children understand that spoken words are made up of individual sounds (phonemes). They also much acknowledge and understand the relationship between letters and their phonemes, and must be able to recognize “that the letters in printed text represent the phonemes in spoken language.” (Balancedreading.com, Decoding)

There are thousands of words in the English language that are not spelled the way they sound. “There are very few letters in English that always correspond to a single sound, and there is no one sound that always corresponds to a single letter.” Below is an illustration from Balancedreading.com, that shows the “one-to-many relationship that exists between letters and sounds (phonemes),” and shows by example how phoneme awareness is such a “stumbling block” for children today. (Balancedreading.com, Decoding)

Letters --with-- Words that represent different sounds each letter can make

A -- APPLE, AUTHOR, AUTHORITY, ANY, SAID, SAY, ALGAE

B -- BOX, LAMB

C -- CITY, COUNTRY, CHAIR

D -- DOOR, LACKED

E -- BED, BEAD, STEAK, EUREKA, THE, SEW

F -- FOOD, OF

G -- GIANT, GRUNT, RING, REIGN, SIGN, ENOUGH

H -- HOLE, PHONE, SHINE, CHORE, CHOIR, HOUR, EXHIBIT

I -- FINE, LID, CEILING, WEIRD, GOITER

J -- JAM, JALEPEÑO

K -- KING, KNIFE

L -- LOVE, TORTILLA

M -- MOON, MNEMONIC

N -- NOON, KING

O -- BOY, BOOT, FOOT, BLOOD, COYOTE, OUNCE, ONCE, PEOPLE, AMOEBA

P -- PAT, PHONE, PSYCH, PNEUMATIC

Q -- QUEEN, MOSQUITO

R -- ROOT, PERRIER

S -- SAND, SUGAR, EASY, AISLE

T -- TAN, THAN, THIN, LATCH, OFTEN

U -- UNDER, POUND, UNIQUE, TULIP, POUR, AUTHOR, AUTHORITY, CHURCH, BUSY, DIALOGUE

V -- VINE, VOILA

W -- WON, WREN, COW, LOW, AWFUL, FEW, WHICH, WHOLE, TWO

X -- RELAX, LUXURY, EXECUTIVE, XENON

Y -- YES, PSYCH, THEY, SAYS, VERY, PYGMY

Z -- ZOO, WALTZ, RENDEZVOUS

Letter Clusters --with-- Words that represent different sounds each letter can make

AU -- AUTHOR, AUTHORITY, LAUGH, BUREAU, RESTAURANT, DINOSAUR, BEAUTY, GAUGE

EA -- EAT, CREATE, GREAT, IDEA, DEAF, HEAR, HEARD, HEART, BEAR, BUREAU, BEAUTY

OU -- OUT, YOU, YOUR, COULD, YOUNG, JOURNEY, ENOUGH (see OUGH for more)

CH -- CHORE, SCHOOL

TH -- MOTH, MOTHER, FATHEAD

IE -- PIECE, PIE, QUIET, FRIEND, SOLDIER

OO -- FOOD, FOOT, BLOOD, FLOOR

OA -- TOAD, BOARD, BROAD

AI -- TRAIN, SAID, AISLE, AGAIN, AIR

OUGH -- COUGH, THOUGH, THROUGH, THOROUGH, THOUGHT, ENOUGH

[edit] Alternative explanations due to Diversity considerations

[edit] Signed “life experiences”, testimonies, and stories

Please acknowledge who you are. As a Kindergarten teacher, decoding is a part of my daily life. Since it is the foundation for reading, it is important for teachers to make this a positive learning experience for the students. I use games and activities that involve the students moving around the room and sometimes acting out letter sounds (i.e. R is for Rabbit - students hop around room like rabbit). By making decoding an enjoyable experience for kids you are able to strenthen their desire to read. -N.R.

As a special education teacher, decoding has always been something that I have tried to increase in my students to assist them in becoming proficient readers. I have since learned, through grad. classes at the U of I, that young students must have developed phonemic awareness skills in order to decode and eventually read. In the last couple of years, I have focused some reading instruction on building phonemic awareness skills in my kindergarteners, first, and second graders. Hopefully I will see their reading skills begin to increase because of this! Gay Cabutti

As a special education teacher, I have been working on building the phonemic awareness knowledge in children over the last few years. It seems to be working, as regular teachers are seeing the children make more gains in other areas of reading! GC

As a second grade teacher I get to see students expand greatly upon there decoding skills. I had a an interesting case this year. Usually, as students' comprehension increases they become better decoders. Comprehension is needed for students to improve upon their decoding ability...or so I had always thought. I had a student this year who suffered from severe developmental delays. She had a very difficult time with comprehension. However, she could decode with great speed and profeciency. It boogled my mind.-- Karrie K.