What approach believes mastery of specific reading subskills leads to overall literacy?

The Subskills View is grounded in the belief that literacy is built upon a foundation of specific, smaller reading subskills. According to this approach, learners acquire overall reading proficiency by mastering these discrete skills, which might include phonemic awareness, decoding, and vocabulary development. The subskills act as building blocks, and proficiency in each facet eventually contributes to comprehensive literacy abilities.

In contrast, other approaches like the Whole Language View emphasize a more holistic perspective of reading, suggesting that understanding and meaning should take precedence over individual skill mastery. The Phonics View, while also focusing on specific skills, primarily highlights the relationship between letters and sounds, without addressing the broader range of subskills necessary for comprehensive reading skills. Top-down processing emphasizes the role of background knowledge and context in interpreting text, rather than the mastery of individual skills.

Thus, the Subskills View is correct because it articulately connects the mastery of foundational reading components to the ultimate goal of achieving overall literacy, underscoring the process-based aspect of learning to read.