What does an instructional reading level indicate about a child?

An instructional reading level is designed to reflect the level of text that a student can read with assistance, indicating they are able to recognize words with occasional difficulty. This level suggests that while the child can read and comprehend most of the text, they still benefit from support in decoding challenging words or understanding more complex ideas. This is crucial for educators to tailor their instruction and provide appropriate guidance to help the student improve their reading skills.

In contrast, the other options imply different capabilities that do not align with the definition of an instructional reading level. For example, being able to read any text available suggests a mastery of reading that is above the instructional level, while reading fluently without support indicates a level of proficiency that is typically categorized as independent reading. Additionally, limiting comprehension to only simple sentences does not capture the nuance of understanding texts encountered at the instructional level. Thus, option B accurately characterizes the expected skills of a child at this reading stage.