What do word analysis or word attack strategies help with?

Word analysis or word attack strategies are techniques used to help readers break down and understand unfamiliar words. These strategies involve various skills, such as phonics, morphology, and orthographic recognition, allowing readers to decode words rather than simply memorizing them. By analyzing the components of a word, including its prefixes, suffixes, and root words, students can infer meaning and pronounce words they have not encountered before. This systematic approach is essential for developing strong decoding skills, which are crucial for fluent reading and overall literacy development.

While some options mention vocabulary memorization, reading speed, or comprehension, these do not focus on the primary role of word attack strategies, which is to enable readers to decode and tackle unknown words effectively. Decoding is foundational for reading proficiency, as it allows readers to access a wider range of texts and enhances their ability to comprehend material by recognizing and understanding more words on sight.