What is a defining feature of cumulative instruction within literacy education?

• A. It entails progressively building on concepts that students have already learned.
• B. It introduces many new concepts without review.
• C. It relies on memorizing isolated facts.
• D. It discourages student collaboration.

Answer: (A)

Cumulative instruction centers on continually linking new literacy learning to what students already know, adding new complexity while revisiting and strengthening established concepts. This approach uses scaffolded practice and spiral review so skills like phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies are built upon and integrated over time, not treated as separate, one-off tasks. The goal is deeper understanding and easier transfer to new reading and writing contexts because students repeatedly connect new ideas to their existing knowledge.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: introducing many new concepts without review breaks that ongoing connection to prior learning; literacy grows as a web of related skills rather than isolated facts. Relying on memorizing isolated facts misses the point of applying skills in real reading and writing. And while collaboration can occur, the defining feature isn’t about discouraging or encouraging collaboration, but about building on what students already know through repeated, connected practice.