How can listening improve reading comprehension?

Listening can significantly enhance reading comprehension, primarily through the exposure to vocabulary that may be beyond a student's immediate reading level. When students engage with auditory materials such as audiobooks, read-alouds, or discussions, they encounter new words and phrases in context. This exposure helps them understand nuances of meaning and how these words are used in sentences, ultimately expanding their vocabulary.

A rich vocabulary plays a critical role in reading comprehension because it allows students to decode texts more effectively and grasp more complex ideas when they read independently. As they learn new words through listening, they are better equipped to tackle challenging texts and make connections with prior knowledge, thus improving overall comprehension and facilitating a deeper understanding of the material they read later on.

The other options do not accurately reflect how listening can support reading comprehension. For instance, reducing engagement with texts contradicts the purpose of listening to enhance understanding. Focusing solely on decoding ignores the comprehension aspect, which encompasses understanding meanings and contexts of words rather than just pronouncing them. Lastly, encouraging memorization of texts does not contribute to deeper comprehension; rather, comprehension is the ability to interpret and make sense of information, which is fostered through active engagement with language.