What components are included in the decoding process?

The decoding process primarily involves the ability to translate written symbols into sounds to form words. The chosen answer highlights two key components of this process: visual symbol recognition and blending sounds.

Visual symbol recognition refers to the ability to identify letters and words visually. This is crucial as it enables the reader to recognize the graphemes (the written symbols) associated with phonemes (the sounds they represent). Once a reader can recognize these symbols, they can move on to blending the sounds together. Blending involves combining individual phonemes to form words, which is a fundamental skill in reading. It allows readers to construct meaning through sound, which is essential for accurate word pronunciation and comprehension.

In contrast, the other choices represent components that are relevant to reading and comprehension but may not specifically relate to the mechanics of decoding. For instance, word recognition and fluency, while important, are more about how quickly and efficiently one can read rather than the initial stage of decoding itself. Context clues and inference pertain to comprehension strategies used after decoding, and vocabulary and grammar are related to the broader aspects of language understanding rather than the specific act of decoding individual words.