Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) Subject Area Practice Test

Which instructional technique promotes comprehension by focusing on the structure of texts?

1. Predicting outcome

2. Text analysis

3. Vocabulary enrichment

4. Writing summaries

The correct answer is: Text analysis

The selected answer is the most effective instructional technique for promoting comprehension through an examination of the structural elements of texts. Text analysis involves breaking down a piece of writing to understand its components, including the organization, genres, and features that contribute to its overall meaning. This method helps students identify patterns, such as cause and effect, problem and solution, or chronological order, allowing them to see how the structure aids in conveying the author’s message. By engaging in text analysis, learners develop critical thinking skills and become more adept at interpreting complex texts, which ultimately enhances their overall reading comprehension. Other instructional techniques mentioned, while beneficial in their own right, do not focus primarily on the structure of texts. Predicting outcome engages readers’ inferential skills but does not directly analyze textual organization. Vocabulary enrichment enhances understanding of individual words and phrases but does not explicitly address the overarching framework of the text. Writing summaries encourages students to distill information but often requires an understanding of structure before students can effectively condense a text’s main ideas. Thus, text analysis stands out as the technique directly concerned with comprehension through text structure.