A cause is deficient word recognition skills.

A cause is deficient word recognition skills.

• A. Significant language deficiencies
• B. Deficient word recognition skills
• C. Inadequate cognitive development and reading experiences
• D. Insufficient exposure and practice

Answer: (B)

This item centers on identifying the specific skill deficit causing reading difficulties: word recognition. Word recognition is the ability to identify printed words quickly and accurately, which supports fluent reading. When that skill is deficient, decoding slows, reading becomes labored, and comprehension suffers. Naming the deficit as word recognition skills directly matches the described cause, making it the best fit. Other options point to broader or different issues—language deficiencies affect understanding of meaning, general cognitive development and experiences cover a wide range of factors, and insufficient exposure or practice relates more to amount of reading than to the underlying decoding skill.

This item centers on identifying the specific skill deficit causing reading difficulties: word recognition. Word recognition is the ability to identify printed words quickly and accurately, which supports fluent reading. When that skill is deficient, decoding slows, reading becomes labored, and comprehension suffers. Naming the deficit as word recognition skills directly matches the described cause, making it the best fit. Other options point to broader or different issues—language deficiencies affect understanding of meaning, general cognitive development and experiences cover a wide range of factors, and insufficient exposure or practice relates more to amount of reading than to the underlying decoding skill.