40. A student reads at a normal pace but with little expression. When stopped at periodic intervals, the student is able to accurately summarize the reading. In this case, the teacher should first target instruction in which of the following areas?
Answer: A
Instruction should first target prosody.
The student demonstrates the ability to summarize accurately but lacks expressive reading, indicating a need for improvement in prosody, which involves the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech.
A) Prosody
Prosody is crucial for reading fluency as it enhances the expressiveness of reading. Since the student reads at a normal pace but with little expression, the teacher should focus on this area to help the student convey meaning through vocal inflection and emotion, thereby improving overall reading engagement and comprehension.
B) Automaticity
Automaticity refers to the ability to read quickly and accurately without conscious effort. Since the student reads at a normal pace, it is likely that automaticity is not a primary concern at this time; hence, targeting this area may not address the student's specific needs related to expressiveness.
C) Decoding
Decoding involves translating written text into spoken words by recognizing letters and their corresponding sounds. Given that the student can summarize accurately, it suggests that decoding skills are sufficiently developed, making this area less of a priority for instruction.
D) Comprehension
Comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret what is read. While the student demonstrates good comprehension by summarizing effectively, the lack of expression indicates that the issue lies more in the delivery of the reading rather than in understanding the content, making this option less relevant for targeted instruction.
Conclusion
Focusing on prosody is essential for enhancing the student's reading expressiveness, which is currently lacking despite their ability to summarize content accurately. By improving prosody, the student can better engage with the text and convey meaning more effectively, while automaticity, decoding, and comprehension are not the primary concerns at this stage.