Decoding, a fundamental skill in early literacy development, refers to the process of transforming written symbols into their corresponding sounds. Essentially, it's the ability to translate the visual code on a page into the phonological building blocks of spoken language.

This process unfolds in distinct stages:

• Letter-Sound Recognition: Building a foundation of understanding the sounds associated with individual letters (e.g., "b" = /b/, "a" = /a/).

• Blending Sounds: Progressing from recognizing individual sounds to merging them together to pronounce written words (e.g., /b/ + /a/ + /t/ = "bat").

• Vocabulary Development: As decoding proficiency grows, so does a reader's ability to recognize and sound out an expanding vocabulary of words.

Effective decoding skills form the foundation of fluent reading. They empower readers to tackle unfamiliar words they encounter in text, fostering independent reading and comprehension. Decoding goes beyond simple phonics, encompassing:

• Understanding Grapheme-Phoneme Relationships: Recognizing that some letter combinations represent single sounds (e.g., "sh") while others, like "th," can have multiple pronunciations depending on context.

• Developing Automaticity: With practice, the decoding process becomes increasingly automatic, freeing up cognitive resources for focusing on deeper comprehension of the written message.

Witnessing a child sound out a word is a testament to their ongoing development of this critical skill. Decoding unlocks the door to a world of written language, paving the way for a lifelong love of reading and exploration through text. Unfortunately, millions of older students have missed the opportunity to internalize this crucial skill, whether it be due to ineffective teaching strategies, Covid-related learning interruptions, or perhaps a learning disability. 

Storyshares is the literacy solution for previously left behind or underserved older struggling readers. Learn more about our unique approach here.

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