For a high school student struggling with reading, what would be the most beneficial instructional focus?

Focusing on coaching in decoding and comprehension regularly is crucial for a high school student who is struggling with reading. Decoding involves the ability to translate written words into spoken language, while comprehension refers to the ability to understand and make sense of what is read. These two skills are foundational to reading proficiency.

By providing regular coaching in these areas, educators can directly address the specific challenges the student faces, offering targeted support that is necessary for improvement. This approach not only helps the student develop fundamental reading skills but also builds confidence and encourages a deeper engagement with texts. In high school, a strong emphasis on decoding and comprehension leads to better reading outcomes, which can benefit the student's overall academic performance.

While other options may have merit, they do not provide the same level of direct intervention on the core issues impacting reading ability. Weekly instruction on various reading skills might not be sufficiently focused, fostering self-motivation is important but secondary to developing reading skills, and strategies for understanding general meaning lack the specificity needed to effectively address decoding and comprehension, which are critical for high school students who need to manage academic material successfully.