Effects of Successful decoding on fluency and vocabulary

Effects of Successful decoding on fluency and vocabulary

Introduction

Decoding is the process of interpreting and translating coded information into a comprehensible form. In communication, decoding refers to the process by which an audience member receives the message of communication and then understands and interprets it. During decoding, communication is converted into thoughts for understanding or getting the meaning. Reading fluency is the competency associated with word recognition and comprehension. Thus a reader gains vocabulary growth when he practices reading. Reading fluency is known to have a significant impact on reading comprehension. Readers with high reading fluency spend ‘less cognitive energy in decoding individual words to get the message.’

A Person’s vocabulary is essential in understanding what he reads, and thus it is related to his intelligence. Language deficits affect spoken language but do not influence intelligence. This is because language disorders are connected to brains development since birth. In fact, most learners with language disorder are of average or above-average intelligence. Teachers should encourage oral dialogue with their students as it helps in spotting language deficits. It is of great importance for teachers to identify at the begging of the teaching process, those students who are subject to language delays. Early identification of such learners enables the teacher to make follow up with the child’s parent to connect the affected student with language pathologist

In conclusion, fluency is one critical skill required in understanding a text or comprehension. Children who are fluent in their reading can make connections and comprehend the passage. It is expressed through the learner’s ability to read with speed, accuracy and proper expression. A child who struggles in decoding a message is always a non-fluent reader. For such a child, most time is spending decoding and breaking words which in turn leads to an unclear understanding of comprehension. It is, therefore, quite crucial for a student to master decoding skills if he comes out to be a fluent reader.