How does reading aloud benefit students compared to independent reading?

Reading aloud benefits students by engaging them in a way that promotes deeper comprehension and fluency. It allows students to hear the correct pronunciation of words and demonstrates proper expression and intonation, which can enhance their understanding of text. This focused approach helps students to grapple with vocabulary and word recognition, fostering automaticity, or the ability to read words effortlessly. While independent reading is valuable for building personal reading habits and self-paced learning, reading aloud creates an interactive environment that emphasizes precision and vocabulary clarity, making it a more influential practice for developing fluent reading skills.

The other benefits listed—such as enabling faster reading, facilitating group discussions, or reducing anxiety—are significant but do not directly address the core reasons why reading aloud specifically aids in building automaticity in reading, which is reflected in the chosen response. Each of these other aspects contributes to a supportive learning environment but does not highlight the targeted skill development that reading aloud facilitates.