FTCE Reading K-12 Practice Exam

Which term refers to the words composing written material?

1. Text structure

2. Text

3. Word family

4. Word analysis

The correct answer is: Text

The term "Text" refers to the words composing written material. In literacy and reading education, "text" encompasses all written words in a book, article, or any written format, forming the basis of content that readers interact with. This definition is critical because understanding what text is aids students in grasping the foundational elements of reading comprehension. The other concepts, while related to literacy, focus on different aspects. For instance, text structure pertains to how the information within a text is organized, such as chronologically, sequentially, or topically. Word family refers to groups of words that share a common base or root, aiding in vocabulary development. Meanwhile, word analysis involves breaking down words into their constituent parts to understand their meaning and structure, which is essential for decoding complex vocabulary. Thus, the answer clearly identifies the fundamental unit of written language as "text."