TEXES Science of Teaching Reading Practice Test

Which instructional activity is most effective in promoting word-reading accuracy and automaticity in full-alphabetic first graders?

1. Practicing reading simple closed-syllable words in isolation

2. Modeling contextual strategies to read unfamiliar words

3. Increasing practice with irregular high-frequency words

4. Reading predictable texts in various genres

The correct answer is: Practicing reading simple closed-syllable words in isolation

Focusing on practicing reading simple closed-syllable words in isolation is particularly effective for first graders who have reached the full-alphabetic stage of reading development. At this stage, children can decode and recognize words by breaking them down into their phonemic components. Practicing closed-syllable words—like "cat," "dog," or "hat"—allows students to solidify their understanding of phonics and enhances their ability to recognize patterns in words. By providing them with targeted practice on these simpler words, students can focus on decoding and become more fluent in reading, which builds their overall word-reading accuracy and automaticity. This method emphasizes the foundational skills necessary for reading development, enabling students to progress to more complex words and texts with confidence. The other options, although beneficial in their own rights, do not specifically target the immediate needs of building word-reading accuracy and automaticity in the same focused manner. For instance, modeling contextual strategies for unfamiliar words may help with comprehension, but it does not provide the same level of practice with foundational skills. Similarly, focusing on irregular high-frequency words might be more relevant for sight word recognition than building phonics-based reading skills. Reading predictable texts can support comprehension and fluency, but may not provide the