Correct Response: A. Research indicates that prior knowledge plays an important role in providing a reader with the necessary contextual schema to comprehend a text. An English language learner who is at the bridging level has developed good foundational reading skills, but without any prior knowledge related to the content of a chapter in a content-area textbook, the student is likely to experience difficulty understanding the chapter. B is incorrect because cognitive strategies (e.g., taking notes about a text, summarizing a text, using visual aids or graphic organizers to support recall of information in a text) are not going to be effective if the student does not have sufficient prior knowledge to support comprehension of the text when he/she reads it. C is incorrect because knowledge of discourse markers (e.g., transition words and phrases such as consequently or on the other hand) would not support comprehension of the chapter as much as prior knowledge of the chapter's topic would. Also, a bridging-level English language learner most likely already attends to discourse markers as he/she reads. D is incorrect because an English language learner whose reading is at the bridging level most likely reads at a rate that is appropriate to support comprehension, as long as the student has sufficient background knowledge to support the conceptual demands of the text.
