A teacher reviews the following student scores on a standardized reading test with the goal of determining areas in which the student will require additional instruction: 75th percentile in vocabulary knowledge, 85th percentile in decoding, 40th percentile in comprehension, 70th percentile in fluency. Based on the data, which activity best addresses the student's needs?

• A. Using a plot chart to track the events in a story
• B. Intensive vocabulary instruction
• C. Extra decoding drills
• D. Timed fluency practice

Answer: (A)

The key issue is comprehension—the student’s lowest percentile (40th) shows understanding text is weaker than those other skills. To boost comprehension, you want a strategy that helps the reader organize and interpret what they read. A plot chart to track events does exactly that. By mapping the sequence of events, characters, setting, conflicts, and resolutions, the student can see how ideas connect, recall details more easily, and understand cause-and-effect within the story. This kind of visual guide supports summarizing, inferring, and predicting, all of which strengthen overall comprehension.

The other options target skills that are already strong for this student—vocabulary, decoding, and fluency—so they don’t address the main area of need as directly.