Correct Response: C. Option C is correct because the phrase-cueing activity described both highlights phrases that convey essential ideas in the poem and provides students with a context in which to speak about the phrases in a meaningful way. Recognizing component phrases in a written text is essential to reading the text with prosody—that is, reading with the natural phrasing and meaningful expression found in spoken language. Prosody is one of the three key indicators of reading fluency. Reading phrases expressively both supports and is supported by text comprehension. Options A, B, and D are incorrect because these options do not accurately reflect the lesson described. Reading aloud the poem (prior to analyzing its key phrases) does not result in appreciation of beauty or meaning in the poem (A). The phrase-cueing activities do not focus on developing students' decoding accuracy (B). Finally, the lesson focuses on only one key indicator of reading, prosody, and not on the other indicators, accuracy or reading rate (D).
