What is structural analysis in reading?

Structural analysis in reading refers to a strategic approach that focuses on understanding the structure of words, particularly their prefixes, suffixes, and root words. This process is crucial for decoding unfamiliar words, as it allows students to break down complex words into manageable parts, aiding comprehension and pronunciation.

Using structural analysis, students learn to identify meaningful word parts which provides clues to a word's meaning. For example, understanding that the prefix "un-" means "not" and the suffix "-able" indicates "capable of" can help a student figure out that "unreadable" means "not able to be read." This strategy is particularly valuable for developing vocabulary and enhancing reading fluency.

In contrast, summarizing text focuses on condensing information into essential points, handwriting improvement pertains to writing skills, and organizing thoughts is related to planning and structuring written or verbal communication. These concepts do not directly apply to decoding words in reading, which is the central aspect of structural analysis.