TEXES Science of Teaching Reading Practice Test

What is the best strategy for helping beginning readers identify function words like "to" and "the"?

1. Encourage students to apply phonic analysis to such words

2. Provide instruction in the use of context clues

3. Develop students' structural analysis skills

4. Teach such words as sight vocabulary

The correct answer is: Teach such words as sight vocabulary

Teaching function words like "to" and "the" as sight vocabulary is the most effective strategy for beginning readers. These words are high-frequency and do not always follow typical phonetic patterns, making them difficult to decode using phonics alone. By emphasizing recognition of these words through sight, students can quickly identify them in text without needing to sound them out, leading to smoother reading fluency. Function words often serve important grammatical roles in sentences, and recognizing them instantly helps students focus on comprehension rather than getting bogged down in decoding. By using methods like flashcards, repeated reading, or word walls, students can build their sight vocabulary and develop automaticity with these essential words. In contrast, applying phonic analysis, though useful for many other words, is less effective for these exceptions in the English language. Similarly, while context clues and structural analysis can be beneficial in more complex reading tasks, they do not specifically address the immediate need for beginning readers to recognize basic function words quickly and accurately.