Chapter 1
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness and Emergent Literacy
Course: Elementary Education Multiple Subjects 7001
Subject: Elementary Education Teaching Reading Subtest 7002
Chapter: Written Expression
1. Overview
Decoding and encoding are two sides of the same literacy coin. Decoding refers to reading: the ability to translate written symbols (graphemes) into spoken sounds (phonemes). Encoding refers to writing or spelling: the ability to take spoken sounds and represent them in writing using the correct graphemes. Both require a solid understanding of sound-symbol relationships, phonemic awareness, and orthographic patterns in the English language.
The connection between the two is reciprocal. As students learn to decode, they become more adept at encoding, and vice versa. Research supports the idea that integrating instruction in both skills leads to stronger orthographic mapping—the mental process through which spoken words become stored as written forms in long-term memory. This integrated approach improves both reading fluency and spelling accuracy.