What does Perfetti's Lexical Quality Hypothesis emphasize as critical for reading comprehension?

Perfetti's Lexical Quality Hypothesis highlights the significance of the various contexts in which a word is encountered as critical for reading comprehension. This understanding is grounded in the idea that exposure to a word in diverse situations enhances a reader's lexical knowledge and understanding of that word. When learners engage with a word across different contexts, they develop a more nuanced grasp of its meanings, associations, and appropriate usages, which in turn supports their comprehension and overall reading skills.

By encountering words in different contexts, learners can better understand subtle differences in meaning based on how words are used within sentences, genres, or subject matters. This rich exposure contributes to deeper cognitive processing and familiarity, enabling readers to effectively integrate the word into their prior knowledge, leading to improved comprehension when they encounter the word in new texts. Thus, emphasizing varied contexts ensures that learners construct a robust mental model of language that supports their reading development.