7.2 Decoding

When and Where Did I Find This Word: I think that I first heard this word when I entered the Literacy program at Naz. Since then, I've heard it on nearly a weekly basis and most recently in our assigned reading of the Reading Handbook by Kamil, Mosenthal, Pearson, and Barr (2000).

Full Citation: Kamil, M. L., Mosenthal, P. B., Pearson, P. D., & Barr, R. (Eds.). (2000). Handbook of reading research: Volume III. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

What the Word Means: According to dictionary.com, the word decode has the following definitions:

1. to translate (data or a message) from a code into the original language or form.
2. to extract meaning from (spoken or written symbols).
3. Television. to unscramble (an electronic signal) so as to provide a video picture for cable subscribers.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/decoding

Level of Familiarity: I am very familiar with definition 1 and 2 from above but definition 3 never really crossed my mind. As I stated above, I come across the word a on a regular basis and have a good understanding of most of its meanings.

Should I Know This Word? Absolutley!!! As a future literacy specialist and as an educator I think that it is crucial to know this word. Decoding is an intricate part of the reading process and it is necessary to understand what it is and how it works in order to help students to read. Decoding can interfere with comprehension and other crucial aspects of reading and therefore knowing the term as well as strategies to help promote decoding proficiency in the classroom are crucial for any educator or literacy specialist.

Should Others Know This Word? Who and Why? I think that all educators and literacy specialists/coaches should know and understand this word for the reasons listed above.