What type of intervention is most appropriate for students with poor language comprehension but good word recognition and decoding?

The most appropriate intervention for students who demonstrate poor language comprehension yet have solid word recognition and decoding skills is comprehension interventions. These students can decode and recognize words but struggle to understand the meaning of what they read, indicating their difficulty lies primarily in comprehension rather than in the mechanics of reading.

Comprehension interventions typically focus on strategies to enhance understanding, such as teaching students how to summarize, infer meaning, make connections, and ask questions about the text. These strategies are essential for students who can read the words but need support in grasping the overall meaning and details of the content.

While enhancing vocabulary and background knowledge can also contribute to comprehension, these approaches are more targeted and specific strategies within the broader scope of comprehension interventions. Phonics intervention would not address the specific needs of these students, as they already possess good word recognition and decoding skills. Thus, comprehension interventions directly address their primary challenge—understanding language—making it the most suitable choice for their needs.