TEXES Science of Teaching Reading Practice Test

A third-grade student struggles with text comprehension by focusing too much on decoding. What should the teacher do to help?

1. Use flashcards for vocabulary

2. Try a language experience story

3. Work on fluency skills

4. Improve decoding with syntactic cues

The correct answer is: Work on fluency skills

Focusing on fluency skills can significantly enhance a student's overall reading comprehension. When a student is able to read fluently, they can process the text more smoothly and efficiently, allowing them to allocate cognitive resources towards understanding and interpreting the material rather than getting stuck on individual words. This means that a fluent reader is more capable of grasping the overall meaning and context of the text, as they can focus on the ideas conveyed instead of being consumed by decoding challenges. Incorporating activities that promote fluency, such as repeated reading, choral reading, or reader's theater, can provide the student with the practice they need. This can lead to increased confidence and performance in reading comprehension tasks. The other strategies, while beneficial in their own contexts, may not directly address the immediate need for the student to shift focus from decoding to comprehension. For instance, using flashcards for vocabulary enhances word knowledge, but it may not help with the fluency that supports comprehension. A language experience story could be helpful for contextual understanding but may not directly address the struggle with decoding. Improving decoding through syntactic cues may continue to emphasize the decoding aspect instead of facilitating a smoother transition to comprehension. Therefore, prioritizing fluency skills creates an optimal environment for the student to enhance