In supporting a student who struggles with decoding while maintaining access to grade-level texts, which practices are appropriate?

• A. Provide decodable or level-appropriate texts, use read-alouds, audio supports, guided practice, and targeted phonics interventions; differentiate text complexity.
• B. Provide only picture books.
• C. Use audio supports but no text.
• D. Avoid grade-level texts entirely.

Answer: (A)

The aim is to support decoding while keeping students connected to grade-level texts and ideas. Using texts that are decodable or aligned with the phonics skills the student is practicing gives them authentic opportunities to apply their decoding rules within meaningful reading. Pairing those texts with read-alouds and audio supports lets the student access the content and vocabulary without being overwhelmed by decoding demands all at once, keeping comprehension and engagement intact. Guided practice with scaffolded instruction provides modeling, feedback, and gradually fading assistance so the student can transfer decoding strategies to independent reading. Targeted phonics interventions address the specific sound-symbol relationships the student struggles with, strengthening foundational decoding. Differentiating text complexity ensures the material remains within the student’s zone of proximal development—challenging enough to promote growth but not so hard that it blocks access to grade-level concepts. This combination best maintains access to grade-level texts while building decoding skills.

Choices that rely only on picture books, use audio with no text, or avoid grade-level texts altogether fail to provide meaningful decoding practice in the context of grade-level content, so they don’t support sustained access and growth in reading.