Have you ever wondered what makes someone a good reader? It turns out that the Simple View of Readings is a combination of two key skills. One is decoding, which involves reading words accurately. The other is language comprehension, which means understanding what those words mean. Together, these two skills form what’s called the Simple View of Reading. In this post, we’ll break down this model to help you understand how decoding and comprehension work together to create strong readers.
What Is the Simple View of Reading?
The Simple View of Reading, developed by researchers, explains that reading is a mix of two main skills: decoding and language comprehension. These skills combine to help children become strong, independent readers. But if one of these skills is weaker than the other, reading becomes harder. Let’s break down what these skills are and how they work.
Decoding: Reading the Words
Decoding is all about reading the words on the page. When your child looks at the word “dog,” their brain breaks it down into individual sounds: “/d/ /o/ /g/.” This skill allows them to figure out the word, even if they’ve never seen it before.
Being good at decoding means that your child can recognize and read words quickly. This is important because once they master decoding, they can focus more on understanding the meaning of the text rather than struggling to figure out each word. Key skills for decoding include:
- Phonological Awareness: This is the ability to hear and break apart the sounds in words.
- Letter-Sound Correspondence: Knowing the sounds that each letter or combination of letters makes.
- Sight Recognition: Being able to read common words that don’t follow standard rules, like “the” or “said.”
Language Comprehension: Understanding the Meaning
Decoding is only half of the reading puzzle. The second half is language comprehension, which involves understanding the meaning of the words and sentences. For example, when your child reads the sentence, “The dog is barking,” they need to know not only what a dog is but also what it means for the dog to bark.
Language comprehension includes several important skills:
- Vocabulary: The more words your child knows, the better they can understand what they’re reading.
- Background Knowledge: Previous experiences or knowledge help children make sense of new information.
- Verbal Reasoning: This is the ability to figure out the meaning behind the words and how they connect to form a bigger idea.
These skills work together to help your child truly grasp what they’re reading, making the story or information meaningful.
Why Both Skills Matter
To become a skilled reader, your child needs to be strong in both decoding and comprehension. Here’s why:
- Decoding without comprehension: If your child can sound out words but doesn’t understand their meaning, reading becomes a frustrating exercise in word-calling without understanding.
- Comprehension without decoding: On the other hand, if your child understands words but can’t decode them, they won’t be able to read on their own.
The Simple View of Reading helps us see that reading success relies on these two skills working together. A strong reader can both read the words and make sense of what they mean.
How You Can Help Strengthen Both Skills
Now that you know how decoding and language comprehension work together, here are some simple ways you can help your child strengthen both skills:
- Decoding practice: Use phonics games and activities to help your child match letters to sounds. You could create fun word puzzles where they decode and blend sounds to form words.
- Build vocabulary: Introduce new words during everyday activities and conversations. Ask your child to describe things they see or read about to expand their vocabulary.
- Story discussions: After reading a book or story, ask questions to encourage comprehension. Try asking, “Why did the dog bark in the story?” or “What do you think will happen next?”
For more tips and strategies to strengthen your child’s reading skills, download my free guide, “The 5 Essential Areas of Reading At Home“—it’s packed with practical ideas to support decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension at home.
Bringing It All Together with the Simple View of Reading
The Simple View of Reading gives us a clear way to understand how reading skills develop. It shows that reading is more than just recognizing words—it’s about understanding them, too. By focusing on strengthening both decoding and language comprehension, you can help your child become a strong, confident reader who enjoys the process.
As you support your child’s reading journey, remember that both of these skills are equally important. Stay tuned for more posts where we’ll share even more tips and strategies for building strong reading habits at home!