56. Which strategy is likely to be most effective in improving a student's word accuracy when engaged in independent reading?

Answer: B

Explanation:

Providing students multiple opportunities to engage in repeated readings to improve comprehension focus and reading fluency

Repeated readings are a highly effective strategy for enhancing students' word accuracy during independent reading, as this practice allows students to become more familiar with the text, thereby improving their fluency and comprehension.

A) Engaging students in performing a readers' theater during which students attend to the prosody of their oral reading

While readers' theater can enhance students' understanding of expression and prosody, it does not focus specifically on improving word accuracy during independent reading. This strategy is more about performance and fluency in oral reading rather than the direct practice of word recognition and accuracy.

B) Providing students multiple opportunities to engage in repeated readings to improve comprehension focus and reading fluency

This option is correct because repeated readings have been shown to significantly enhance reading fluency and word accuracy. By practicing the same text multiple times, students can improve their familiarity with the words, which leads to better recognition and overall fluency during independent reading.

C) Providing students with a way to self-assess their word-recognition skills by recording their results in a writing journal

Self-assessment can be beneficial for students' understanding of their progress, but it does not directly improve word accuracy. Without active engagement in reading practice, simply recording results does not provide the necessary repetition or exposure to words that are crucial for improving accuracy.

D) Engaging in a teacher-student paired-reading activity in which the teacher models echo reading

While paired-reading and echo reading can support fluency and understanding, this approach relies heavily on the teacher's modeling rather than on students independently practicing word recognition. Thus, it may not be as effective for improving a student's word accuracy independently as repeated readings would be.

Conclusion

Option B stands out as the most effective strategy for improving word accuracy in independent reading due to its focus on repetition, which directly enhances familiarity and fluency with the text. In contrast, the other options, while valuable in different contexts, do not provide the same level of direct practice necessary to effectively improve word recognition skills.