Final answer:
The best statement describing the relation between oral vocabulary and decoding is that a reader's existing oral vocabulary knowledge helps them understand the meaning of words as they decode them. Good reading and comprehension involve decoding and semantic processing of text, enhanced by the self-reference effect.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the statements provided, the one that best describes the relationship between oral vocabulary knowledge and the process of decoding written words is: B. A reader's oral vocabulary knowledge allows the reader to derive meaning as he or she decodes written words. When readers encounter written words, especially those that are unfamiliar, they use decoding skills to pronounce the words. However, it's their pre-existing oral vocabulary knowledge that helps them to understand those words in context and construct meaning from the text. Without this base of knowledge, decoding might still be possible, but comprehension would be limited. On the other hand, encountering new words in writing can indeed contribute to an expansion of a reader's oral vocabulary, but this is a secondary effect rather than the primary relationship between the two.
Good reading strategies often involve a critical analysis of text, whereby readers decode the words and reflect upon their meaning for better comprehension and memory retention. Semantic encoding, which involves deep processing of the meaning behind words, plays a significant role in how readers understand and remember information. This is especially true when readers can relate the content to their own experiences, known as the self-reference effect.