Decoding In Early Reading

As children read they use several strategies that allow them to consider information from different sources to construct meaning. These sources of information are broken into three groups known as the cueing systems. These cue systems are semantic, language, and graphophonic. Semantic Information signifies the meanings in the text and in the mind of the reader. It includes word meanings, subject-specific vocabulary, figurative language and meanings presented in images (G. Winch, p32 2010)". Children will often use these cues when they are considering ideas, information, and feeling in the text. Semantic information aids them to call on their previous knowledge to read fluently and comprehend the text. When a reader can link a new text to everything

Share (1999) convincingly describes how decoding skills are supported by vocabulary, syntactic and semantic understandings. Speece and Cooper (2002) report a connection between early semantic skills and reading comprehension in their study of the connection between oral language and early reading. Decoding is vital because it is the basis on which all other reading instruction builds. If children are unable to decode words their reading will lack fluency, their vocabulary will be restricted, and their reading comprehension will suffer. Explicit, systematic and multi-sensory phonics instruction produces effective decoding skills. Phonics can be taught both implicitly or explicitly. Implicit phonics begins with a whole word and then looks at beginning sounds, ending sounds and context clues. Explicit phonics does the reverse by building from a single letter to a

Shared Reading, is where the teacher models and support students. Generally, the teacher reads for enjoyment first then later, the teacher may focus on theme, title, cover, illustrations, and predictions. Significantly, it is during this type of reading that student contribution is strongly encouraged. Language concepts are emphasised, and in this way, typical phonics/grammar knowledge is strengthened. Guided Reading is an instructional reading strategy during which a teacher works with small groups of children who have similar reading processes and needs. The teacher selects and introduces new books carefully chosen to match the instructional levels of students and supports whole text reading. Independent Reading time, when students choose their own appropriate books. Here, they can apply the cue systems and decoding strategies that they have learned during Shared and Guided