In the context of reading strategies, what does "decoding" refer to?

Decoding refers to the process of converting written words into their corresponding sounds, which is a fundamental skill in reading. This involves understanding the relationship between letters and sounds, allowing readers to pronounce words correctly and fluently. When readers can effectively decode text, they are better equipped to understand the content they are reading.

Effective decoding is essential for early literacy development, as it helps learners link the sounds of spoken language to the symbols of written language. This skill is crucial for building vocabulary and comprehension, as it allows readers to recognize words quickly and accurately, making it easier to focus on understanding the overall message rather than struggling with word recognition.

Other choices, while related to reading skills, do not capture the essence of decoding. Recognizing complex sentences involves syntactic understanding, understanding meanings of words pertains to vocabulary knowledge, and summarizing paragraphs is a higher-order comprehension skill. Each of these processes is important in its own right, but they do not specifically address the foundational skill of decoding.