Decoding and Comprehension

In Heath’s piece the children were in fact not initially taught to read but to decode the pictures and the fonts of products to check the prices. In turn, the children were able to understand at an early age through sponsorship of older siblings or peers the decoding of prices and the symbols to associate with certain brands. In comparison, Cornelius discusses the reading process of slaves while under the rule of a white master. “Reading is considered to be a two pronged effort, involving both decoding and comprehension,” according to Cornelius.

With the two articles in mind, discuss the similarities and differences between the two ways of decoding and comprehension that both authors suggest.