What should accompany effective phonics intervention for it to enable children to achieve grade-appropriate reading comprehension?

Effective phonics intervention is closely linked with achieving grade-appropriate reading comprehension, but it is essential to recognize that phonics alone is not sufficient. Adequate levels of fluency play a critical role in enabling children to understand what they read. Fluency involves the ability to read text smoothly and at an appropriate pace. When children can read fluently, they can focus their cognitive resources on comprehension rather than on decoding individual words.

When a child reads fluently, they are more likely to recognize words automatically and can thus devote more attention to the meaning of the text. This fluidity in reading allows for better integration of information, leading to improved understanding and retention of the material. As such, fluency is not merely a byproduct of phonics instruction; it is a crucial component that supports reading comprehension, allowing children to engage with the text more deeply and thoughtfully.

In contrast, other options, while important elements of literacy, do not directly enhance the relationship between phonics instruction and comprehension in the same way fluency does. For instance, vocabulary development, comprehension strategies, and decoding practice all contribute to reading skills but ultimately depend on the child’s fluency to ensure that these elements can effectively enhance comprehension.