What is an indicator that a student lacks literal reading comprehension?

A fundamental aspect of reading comprehension is the ability to understand and recall basic facts and details from a text. When a student struggles to recall this foundational information, such as names, dates, or key events, it signifies a gap in literal comprehension. This type of comprehension is crucial because it represents the first level of understanding a text, involving straightforward recognition and recall without the need for inferences or deeper analysis.

The other responses indicate different aspects of reading skills and comprehension but do not directly reflect a lack of literal comprehension. For example, answering complex questions accurately may suggest an advanced comprehension level, including the ability to infer and analyze, while summarizing effectively indicates an understanding of the text as a whole. Reading at an appropriate pace relates more to fluency rather than comprehension, which doesn't directly measure literal understanding. Thus, the inability to recall basic facts is a clear and direct indicator of a deficiency in literal reading comprehension.