According to the Simple View of Reading, what does proficient reading comprehension rely on?

• A. Accurate decoding of written words and understanding of the language being read
• B. Spelling accuracy alone
• C. Memory recall
• D. Reading speed alone

Answer: (A)

Proficient reading comprehension comes from two interconnected abilities: decoding written words accurately and understanding the language used in the text. Decoding is translating letter patterns into spoken words, so you can access the text aloud in your mind. If decoding is weak, the reader struggles to recognize words, making meaning hard to grasp even if the rest of the text is clear. Language comprehension involves vocabulary knowledge, grammar, and background knowledge—the parts of language you need to infer meaning, interpret sentences, and integrate ideas with what you already know. When both decoding and language understanding are strong, reading comprehension tends to be high; if one is weak, comprehension suffers because you can’t reliably access or interpret the text's meaning.

This aligns with the idea that decoding and language comprehension together determine how well someone understands what they read. The other options focus on a single aspect—spelling, memory, or speed—which do not by themselves ensure understanding, so they don’t capture what the Simple View identifies as essential for proficient comprehension.