What is the primary benefit of helping students accumulate background knowledge before reading a challenging text?

Helping students accumulate background knowledge before reading a challenging text is essential because it supports them in making inferences from the material. When students have the relevant knowledge and experiences related to a text, they are better equipped to understand the context, themes, and concepts presented. This prior knowledge allows them to connect new information with what they already know, facilitating deeper comprehension and critical thinking.

Making inferences involves drawing conclusions based on evidence and reasoning beyond the literal information provided in the text. With adequate background knowledge, students can recognize subtleties, understand implied meanings, and engage with the material on a more complex level. This process not only enhances their understanding of the specific text but also contributes to their overall reading skills and comprehension strategies in future reading.

While other options, such as summarizing effectively, improving fluency, or memorizing vocabulary, are also valuable reading skills, they are secondary to the foundational support that background knowledge provides in enabling inference-making, which is crucial for comprehension of more complex texts.