In Directed Reading Activity (DRA) with basal readers, which action best describes the teacher's role at the outset of a lesson?

In Directed Reading Activity (DRA) with basal readers, which action best describes the teacher's role at the outset of a lesson?

• A. Students read assigned text with no pre-teaching.
• B. Teachers first prepare students to read by introducing new concepts, words, and stimulating motivation.
• C. Students begin with independent writing tasks.
• D. The approach begins with spelling lists.

Answer: (B)

In this approach, getting students ready to read is the focus at the outset. The teacher primes understanding by introducing new concepts and vocabulary and by sparking motivation, so students have a purpose and the needed background before they encounter the text. This pre-reading work helps students access meaning during reading, supports comprehension, and sets up effective use of reading strategies as they move through the basal material. So why this is the best fit: introducing concepts and words helps students decode and understand the content more readily, and stimulating motivation gives them a reason to engage with the text. Beginning with independent writing or spelling lists shifts the focus away from preparing for the reading itself and from building comprehension before tackling the text, which is not aligned with the DRA framework.

In this approach, getting students ready to read is the focus at the outset. The teacher primes understanding by introducing new concepts and vocabulary and by sparking motivation, so students have a purpose and the needed background before they encounter the text. This pre-reading work helps students access meaning during reading, supports comprehension, and sets up effective use of reading strategies as they move through the basal material.

So why this is the best fit: introducing concepts and words helps students decode and understand the content more readily, and stimulating motivation gives them a reason to engage with the text. Beginning with independent writing or spelling lists shifts the focus away from preparing for the reading itself and from building comprehension before tackling the text, which is not aligned with the DRA framework.