Reading: Decoding or understanding?

Reading: Decoding or understanding?

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The way in which we teach children is denied the conception we have of these in the framework of the development of the teaching and learning process of the child. In this sense, if we bet on a traditional method for the teaching of reading, we surrender that we read the recognition of letters, syllables, sounds, words and once it has become the part of the child that has the tools to pass to another level: reading comprehension. When you get here, let's assume that the child will be able to enjoy reading.

However, in front of this simplistic position of the reading process, there are some ideas that show that this act (reading) implies other elements that go beyond decoding. One of these is related to the accumulation of experiences and experiences that allow you to relate what the text says. For example, if at this moment, we are reading Dan Brown's Inferno and we have previously read his other books, a set of prior knowledge is automatically put into play that makes my experience of reading it pleasant and attractive, generating that it is in tune with the plot of the text. On the other hand, if I had to read about a subject about medicine and given that my knowledge on that subject is limited, I could decode what the text says, but I would not understand the importance of the topic that arises there.

But why does this happen? This happens because reading comprehension is not only achieved with the decoding of the written language. You need to create links between the reader and what the writer says. This means that we do not read a text in the same way. Knowledge of textual schema and different reading strategies is required to arrive at the comprehension of a text, so deodification is the first step for reading comprehension.

All this means that, as teachers, we have to understand that our work should not be limited only to the recognition of letters, syllables and words, it is necessary to consider aspects such as living conditions, personal and cognitive development of the student and the experiences that shape their personality, since these serve for the appropriation of the text by the child.

Also consider that this process in which the child should not be left alone, however, this is individual, that is, it depends on each child. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a method that provides pleasant experiences when teaching children to read.