Enhancing decoding efficiency
Achieving fluency and accuracy in word decoding is the main task for a child to learn to read. Word decoding skill is said to be achieved if an individual can recognize a word by sight, retrieving pronunciation, and meaning directly from his or her mind. Word decoding is crucial in comprehension, and thus poor readers can only improve in their comprehension by first improving their word decoding skills or, preferably, abilities (Van et al., 2017). This article aimed at finding out if using a word identification game can be the tool that poor readers use to enhance their decoding efficiency.
Computer games have been believed to have the ability to increase the level of motivation in learners. In this article, gamified interventions of the modern era have been considered as they entail many elements that occur in regular games such as the levels, the different users, the achievements, the points, and the challenges (Van et al., 2017). Gamified interventions are believed to promote learner’s reading skills effectively. The inclusion of gamification elements is also believed to be highly effective in word decoding enhancement more than the conventional method of training.
In the study, a game reading race was developed to determine the possible extent to which word decoding efficiency of poor readers can be enhanced (Van et al., 2017). The game included; corrective feedback, elements of flow and decoding speed, semantic retrieval, and word repetition. I support the finding of the study that the use of a word identification effectively enhances the decoding efficiency of poor readers. This is because the inclusion of different learning aspects such a repetition, semantic retrieval, and corrective feedback that are not present in a typical reading program, are effective at enhancing efficiency.
Reference
Van Gorp, K., Segers, E., & Verhoeven, L. (2017). Enhancing decoding efficiency in poor readers via a word identification game. Reading Research Quarterly, 52(1), 105-123.