Which statement best contrasts DRA and DR-TA as reading instruction methods using basal readers?

Which statement best contrasts DRA and DR-TA as reading instruction methods using basal readers?

• A. DRA requires convergent thinking whereas DR-TA also requires divergent thinking.
• B. DRA and DR-TA both require only convergent thinking.
• C. DR-TA rejects the use of basal readers altogether.
• D. DRA emphasizes divergent thinking more than DR-TA.

Answer: (A)

Understanding how DRA and DR-TA engage different thinking processes in reading instruction helps explain why this contrast is the best fit. DRA, or Developmental Reading Assessment, is typically tied to basal readers to measure accuracy, fluency, and factual comprehension through structured questions that call for specific, text-based responses. That setup aligns with convergent thinking, where students focus on retrieving or identifying evidence to arrive at the one correct understanding. DR-TA, or Directed Reading Thinking Activity, uses the basal reader as a springboard for thinking strategies before, during, and after reading. Students are guided to predict, infer, question, and connect ideas, exploring multiple interpretations and possibilities. This emphasizes divergent thinking, where there isn’t a single right answer but rather many valid ways to understand the text. So the best contrast is that DRA requires convergent thinking while DR-TA fosters divergent thinking. The other statements don’t fit: DR-TA isn’t about rejecting basal readers, and DRA isn’t characterized by a primary emphasis on divergent thinking.

Understanding how DRA and DR-TA engage different thinking processes in reading instruction helps explain why this contrast is the best fit. DRA, or Developmental Reading Assessment, is typically tied to basal readers to measure accuracy, fluency, and factual comprehension through structured questions that call for specific, text-based responses. That setup aligns with convergent thinking, where students focus on retrieving or identifying evidence to arrive at the one correct understanding.

DR-TA, or Directed Reading Thinking Activity, uses the basal reader as a springboard for thinking strategies before, during, and after reading. Students are guided to predict, infer, question, and connect ideas, exploring multiple interpretations and possibilities. This emphasizes divergent thinking, where there isn’t a single right answer but rather many valid ways to understand the text.

So the best contrast is that DRA requires convergent thinking while DR-TA fosters divergent thinking. The other statements don’t fit: DR-TA isn’t about rejecting basal readers, and DRA isn’t characterized by a primary emphasis on divergent thinking.