Which of the following describes the skills/balanced approach?

The skills/balanced approach to reading instruction integrates various components of literacy development to create a comprehensive framework for teaching. The correct choice highlights the importance of building a large vocabulary for sight recognition, which is crucial for fluent reading. By developing a robust vocabulary, students are able to recognize words quickly and accurately, which enhances their reading comprehension and overall literacy skills.

This approach acknowledges that effective reading instruction involves not just phonics and phonemic awareness, but also the significance of vocabulary development. Expanding a student's vocabulary allows them to understand texts more deeply and use context clues, thus promoting a more holistic reading ability.

In contrast, other options suggest a more narrow focus. For instance, focusing solely on sentence structure and grammar, emphasizing auditory skills, or prioritizing phonemic awareness exclude some important elements of reading instruction that can hinder overall literacy development. The balanced approach, however, encompasses the integration of these various skill sets, ensuring students become proficient and confident readers.