What is one major benefit of teaching grammar in relation to reading?

Teaching grammar has a significant impact on students' comprehension of sentence structure, which is essential for effective reading. Understanding the rules and components of grammar allows readers to parse sentences more effectively, facilitating a deeper understanding of their meaning. When students grasp how sentences are constructed—knowing subjects, verbs, objects, clauses, and punctuation—they can better navigate complex texts. This understanding leads to improved comprehension, as readers can identify relationships between ideas and follow the author’s argument or narrative more easily.

Other options, while they may have some relation to grammar instruction, do not provide the same level of direct benefit. For instance, vocabulary retention is influenced by various factors, including context and usage over time, rather than grammar alone. The speed of reading can be affected by many variables, such as familiarity with the text or reading strategies, rather than grammar instruction specifically. Lastly, while grammar has a role in writing, effective writing practice should complement, not diminish, the need for writing in conjunction with learning grammar. Therefore, the strongest link between grammar instruction and reading is the enhancement of sentence structure comprehension.