Reading feels automatic, but it's one of the most complex things your brain does. It's not a single action. It’s a two-part process: decoding and comprehension. You do both simultaneously without even thinking about it.

Decoding is the foundational skill. It's how you look at the letters c-a-t and know they make the sound of the word "cat."

But knowing the word is only half the battle. The other half is comprehension—understanding what the words mean when they're strung together.

Comprehension is where meaning is made. It’s how you read “the cat sat on the mat” and picture a feline lounging on a rug. The two processes are intertwined. Without decoding, you can’t access the words. Without comprehension, the words have no meaning.

So how does your brain hold onto the beginning of a sentence long enough to understand the end? It uses something called working memory.

Think of working memory as your brain's temporary sticky note. When you read, each word is jotted down on this note. Your brain keeps the words there just long enough to connect them and form a complete idea. Once the idea is understood, it gets filed away into long-term memory, and the sticky note is cleared for the next sentence.

When your working memory gets overloaded, you might find yourself rereading a sentence. That’s your brain’s way of hitting refresh and trying to process the information in smaller chunks.

What you already know has a huge impact on how well you read. This is your background knowledge. It acts like a mental framework, giving new information a place to land.

Imagine reading this sentence: “The batsman hit a googly for six.”

If you know nothing about cricket, this sentence is just a string of confusing words. Your brain decodes them, but comprehension fails. You have no existing knowledge to connect the terms batsman, googly, or six to.

But if you're a cricket fan, your brain instantly activates everything you know about the sport. You picture the scene, understand the skill involved in hitting that specific type of bowl, and recognize the significance of scoring six runs. The new information clicks into place effortlessly.

This is why reading widely is so powerful. Every new thing you learn builds up your background knowledge, making it easier to learn the next thing. Strong decoding skills get you the words, working memory helps you juggle them, and background knowledge gives them a place to stick.