Correct Response: C. Since the students could read the text orally with fluency during subsequent informal assessments, the teacher needs to consider other factors that may have affected the students' comprehension of the text. Informational texts introduce vocabulary words that are likely to be unfamiliar to many students in a fifth-grade classroom. Informational texts may also include academic language structures with which students are unfamiliar. For students to be able to read and comprehend such a text independently, the teacher may need to model and provide students with practice in close reading of key passages in the text, as well as explicitly teach key vocabulary prior to reading. Using only informational texts that students can access independently (A) is not an effective option, as these texts are unlikely to include important grade- level vocabulary and thus may not match grade-level standards for that content area. Similarly, simply providing students with instruction in test-taking skills (B) or focusing on narrative texts for reading activities (D) would not help students develop the content-specific knowledge and vocabulary required at their grade level.
