In reading instruction, which practice helps students build automaticity?

Using timed reading exercises is an effective practice for building automaticity in reading. Automaticity refers to the ability to read quickly and accurately without needing to decode every word consciously. Timed reading exercises encourage students to read at a steady pace, promoting fluency as they become familiar with words and phrases. This practice allows students to focus on comprehension rather than slowing down to decode each word, ultimately leading to more fluent reading and improved overall literacy skills.

The other practices mentioned, while beneficial for literacy development in different ways, do not specifically target the aspect of automaticity to the same extent. Varied genre exposure enhances comprehension and appreciation of different text types, group discussions foster critical thinking and engagement with the material, and phonics games are great for teaching foundational skills but don't directly focus on the speed and fluency aspect necessary for building automaticity.