Which statement about high-frequency words is true?

Which statement about high-frequency words is true?

• A. Irregularly spelled words are often included in high-frequency word lists.
• B. High-frequency word instruction should focus only on decoding
• C. The goal is to recognize words automatically and access meaning quickly
• D. It is only for emergent readers

Answer: (C)

High-frequency words are the words you see most often in texts, and the main aim is for readers to recognize them instantly without sounding them out. When these words are recognized automatically, meaning is accessed quickly and fluency improves because the reader isn’t bogged down decoding every word. This frees cognitive resources for understanding the message rather than for figuring out spelling or letter-by-letter decoding. If you focused only on decoding, you’d slow down on common words you should be able to read at a glance, which makes comprehension harder. While some high-frequency words have irregular spellings and do require memorization, that doesn’t change the primary purpose: fast, automatic recognition that lets meaning come through right away. And high-frequency word instruction benefits readers across levels, not just emergent readers. So the true statement is that the goal is to recognize words automatically and access meaning quickly.

High-frequency words are the words you see most often in texts, and the main aim is for readers to recognize them instantly without sounding them out. When these words are recognized automatically, meaning is accessed quickly and fluency improves because the reader isn’t bogged down decoding every word. This frees cognitive resources for understanding the message rather than for figuring out spelling or letter-by-letter decoding. If you focused only on decoding, you’d slow down on common words you should be able to read at a glance, which makes comprehension harder. While some high-frequency words have irregular spellings and do require memorization, that doesn’t change the primary purpose: fast, automatic recognition that lets meaning come through right away. And high-frequency word instruction benefits readers across levels, not just emergent readers. So the true statement is that the goal is to recognize words automatically and access meaning quickly.