Connecticut Foundations of Reading Test (FORT) Practice

Which of the following best defines emergent readers' focus?

1. Understanding cause and effect

2. Literal comprehension and story elements

3. Identifying complex themes

4. Morphemic analysis

The correct answer is: Literal comprehension and story elements

Emergent readers primarily focus on developing foundational skills that are critical for their understanding of text. At this stage, they are engaged with literal comprehension, which involves grasping the basic meaning of words and sentences in a text. This includes recognizing story elements such as characters, settings, and events, which are essential for making sense of the narrative structure. Literal comprehension provides a scaffold upon which more complex reading skills can be built as readers progress. Emergent readers often use illustrations, context clues, and their own experiences to help them make meaning of the content they encounter. This focus on the fundamental aspects of stories and basic comprehension is a natural part of their reading development. In contrast, options like understanding cause and effect, identifying complex themes, and morphemic analysis involve higher-level thinking and analytical skills which are generally beyond the scope of emergent readers. These skills require a more advanced understanding of language and the text, which develops later in the reading process.