Home » Intervention » Automaticity » Why Automaticity in Decoding?

Automaticity

Why Automaticity in Decoding?

A major breakthrough in the understanding of reading fluency and its impact on comprehension was the development of the theory of automatic information processes as articulated by LaBerge and Samuels in 1974. These researchers theorized that the reading of letters, syllables and words must be learned to a point of automatic responding so that readers can attend to higher-level comprehension and reasoning (Fiedorowicz, 1986). Ackerman (1987) emphasizes that automatic processes "may develop only through extensive practice under consistent conditions, which are typical of many skill acquisition situations."

Without a doubt, learning to read can be described as a complex undertaking that requires extensive practice. The unique training procedure incorporated by the Academy of READING includes both visual matching-to-sample and auditory-visual matching-to-sample activities, and is designed to improve rapid automatic responding through practice (Fiedorowicz, 1985).

Practice with pseudo-words is also essential for an effective training program in decoding. According to Shaywitz (2000), the reading of pseudo-words is "perhaps the clearest indication of decoding ability because familiarity with letter patterns cannot influence the individual's response." In order to achieve automaticity of letter and word recognition, learners must demonstrate an ability to respond at a high level of accuracy and at a consistent rate of speed. As students progress through this hierarchy of skills, decoding accuracy and fluency is achieved.