Which statement about listening comprehension and vocabulary development is true?

Which statement about listening comprehension and vocabulary development is true?

• A. It is unrelated to vocabulary development.
• B. It occurs after reading comprehension.
• C. It is the only factor in vocabulary development.
• D. It supports vocabulary development and often develops before reading comprehension.

Answer: (D)

Listening comprehension provides the foundation for how we learn words. When kids hear language in stories, conversations, and explanations, they encounter new words in meaningful contexts, hear how they’re used, and infer meanings from usage. This oral language exposure builds vocabulary before children can read, so listening skills often develop earlier than reading skills and set up understanding of words they will encounter in print. Because a strong oral vocabulary supports decoding and overall reading comprehension later on, the statement that listening comprehension helps vocabulary development and often develops before reading comprehension is the best choice. It isn’t true that listening is unrelated, that it only comes after reading, or that it’s the only factor—other elements like decoding, world knowledge, and print exposure also play roles in reading growth.

Listening comprehension provides the foundation for how we learn words. When kids hear language in stories, conversations, and explanations, they encounter new words in meaningful contexts, hear how they’re used, and infer meanings from usage. This oral language exposure builds vocabulary before children can read, so listening skills often develop earlier than reading skills and set up understanding of words they will encounter in print. Because a strong oral vocabulary supports decoding and overall reading comprehension later on, the statement that listening comprehension helps vocabulary development and often develops before reading comprehension is the best choice. It isn’t true that listening is unrelated, that it only comes after reading, or that it’s the only factor—other elements like decoding, world knowledge, and print exposure also play roles in reading growth.