Correct Response: D. Option D is correct because this statement reflects decades of evidence related to the development of skilled reading. According to convergent research, accurate, automatic decoding skills are foundational to the development of reading fluency, which in turn is essential to support reading comprehension. Without fluent reading skills, readers do not have sufficient cognitive resources to attend to the meaning of a text. Fluency is not only essential for supporting text comprehension among beginning readers; it continues to be crucial for supporting reading comprehension as students encounter increasingly complex texts in the elementary grades and beyond. Options A, B, and C are incorrect because these statements are not supported by convergent, evidence-based research on beginning reading development.
