New Hampshire Foundations of Reading Practice Test

What happens during the phonetic stage of spelling development?

1. Students rely solely on memorization

2. Students may spell some simple words correctly

3. Randomly select letters for spelling

4. None of the above

The correct answer is: Students may spell some simple words correctly

During the phonetic stage of spelling development, students start to use their understanding of sounds to spell words, relying on the sounds they hear in words to guide their spelling choices. At this stage, they often represent the phonemes (sounds) in words rather than focusing on traditional spelling rules or memorization. As a result, they may successfully spell some simple words correctly, especially those that follow regular phonetic patterns. This stage often reflects a transitional phase where students are developing their ability to decode and encode words. The approach is more intuitive and based on the relationship between sounds and letters, which is a fundamental aspect of early literacy development. As they progress, they will increasingly recognize spelling patterns and rules, leading to more accurate spelling of complex words.