Which activity best supports collaboration to improve students' comprehension skills?

• A. Providing opportunities for discussion with peers and adults
• B. Isolating students to work alone
• C. Relying solely on computer-based instruction
• D. Administering quizzes without discussion

Answer: (A)

Collaborative discussion is a powerful way to build reading comprehension because talking about a text helps students surface and negotiate meaning. When students discuss with peers and adults, they articulate their thoughts, ask clarifying questions, hear different interpretations, and receive guidance on strategies like predicting, summarizing, and inferring. A teacher or skilled peer can scaffold the conversation, prompt evidence-based reasoning, and model how to monitor understanding during a text. This social practice turns comprehension into something co-constructed, improving how well ideas stick and how learners apply strategies later.

If students work in isolation, they miss the chance to hear diverse viewpoints and justify their thinking aloud. Relying solely on computer-based instruction can provide practice but often lacks the dynamic back-and-forth that deepens understanding. Quizzes without discussion also miss the opportunity to articulate reasoning and refine thoughts through feedback. So, providing opportunities for discussion with peers and adults best supports collaboration to improve comprehension skills.