What is the core goal of text-dependent questioning in early literacy?

• A. To require students to refer back to the text to answer and provide evidence.
• B. To encourage opinion-based responses without text reference.
• C. To test memory of unrelated facts.
• D. To rely on pictures instead of the text.

Answer: (A)

Text-dependent questioning in early literacy asks students to base their answers on the text itself and to point to specific parts of the text as evidence. This means when students explain why a character acted a certain way, what a clue means, or how the author used a particular word, they should quote or paraphrase exact phrases and show where in the text they found it. This practice strengthens close reading, helps students connect claims to concrete evidence, and supports vocabulary understanding by examining words in context. It also trains students to distinguish between what the text says and their own thoughts, since answers must be grounded in the text.

Responses that encourage opinions without text reference, or that rely on memory of unrelated facts, or that depend on pictures rather than the written text, don’t build that same ability to justify reasoning with evidence from reading.