Which factor most contributes to differences in reading comprehension between ESL students and native English speakers, a factor instructional programs should address?

Which factor most contributes to differences in reading comprehension between ESL students and native English speakers, a factor instructional programs should address?

• A. Background knowledge
• B. Word recognition speed
• C. Grammatical competence
• D. Vocabulary breadth only

Answer: (A)

Understanding reading comprehension hinges on background knowledge that connects new text to what a reader already knows. For ESL students, there can be gaps in the cultural, experiential, and content knowledge that typical school texts assume readers have. When these gaps exist, it’s harder to predict, infer, and integrate ideas as you read, which slows comprehension even if decoding and basic vocabulary are solid. Therefore, building and activating background knowledge gives students the framework they need to make sense of new material, make connections, and understand deeper meaning. While word recognition speed, grammatical competence, and vocabulary matter, background knowledge often has the largest impact on how well ESL students comprehend text, because it directly shapes interpretation and the ability to organize new information within familiar concepts. Instruction should explicitly develop relevant content knowledge and cultural context alongside language skills, using pre-teaching, activating prior knowledge, and visually rich or culturally relevant materials.

Understanding reading comprehension hinges on background knowledge that connects new text to what a reader already knows. For ESL students, there can be gaps in the cultural, experiential, and content knowledge that typical school texts assume readers have. When these gaps exist, it’s harder to predict, infer, and integrate ideas as you read, which slows comprehension even if decoding and basic vocabulary are solid. Therefore, building and activating background knowledge gives students the framework they need to make sense of new material, make connections, and understand deeper meaning.

While word recognition speed, grammatical competence, and vocabulary matter, background knowledge often has the largest impact on how well ESL students comprehend text, because it directly shapes interpretation and the ability to organize new information within familiar concepts. Instruction should explicitly develop relevant content knowledge and cultural context alongside language skills, using pre-teaching, activating prior knowledge, and visually rich or culturally relevant materials.