What is the primary focus of the science of reading?

• A. Building comprehension skills
• B. Memorizing sight words
• C. Isolating phonics without comprehension
• D. Fluency practice only

Answer: (A)

The primary focus is building comprehension skills. The science of reading looks at how readers turn print into understanding, so instruction aims to help students map sounds and letters to words, build vocabulary, and develop fluency in service of understanding the text. When decoding and word recognition flow smoothly, cognitive effort can be directed toward interpretation, making inferences, recognizing text structure, and monitoring meaning. That constellation of skills supports meaning-making rather than simply memorizing words or practicing isolated skills.

Memorizing sight words alone isn’t the main aim because it doesn’t guarantee flexible decoding or deep understanding of new text. Isolating phonics without linking it to comprehension misses how readers use sound-letter knowledge to unlock meaning. Fluency practice is important, but it serves comprehension by allowing faster, more automatic word recognition; it isn’t the only objective.