What does it mean to Decode in the context of reading?

Decoding in the context of reading refers to the process of translating written words into their corresponding sounds. This typically involves sounding out the words phonetically, which means recognizing the letters and understanding the relationship between those letters and their phonetic sounds. Decoding is a fundamental skill necessary for developing reading fluency, as it allows readers to connect written language with spoken language.

While memorizing passages, understanding context clues, and paraphrasing text are important aspects of reading comprehension and literacy, they do not directly relate to the act of decoding. Memorization focuses on recalling text without necessarily understanding how to construct it, context clues aid in grasping the meaning of the text but do not involve pronunciation of words, and paraphrasing entails expressing the text in one's own words, which is a step beyond simply sounding out the words.