New Hampshire Foundations of Reading Practice Test

What is the most important spelling focus for early learners?

1. Creative writing

2. Random letter usage

3. Basic letter-sound relationships

4. Fluency in written expression

The correct answer is: Basic letter-sound relationships

The focus on basic letter-sound relationships is critical for early learners as it lays the foundation for their spelling, reading, and writing skills. Understanding how letters represent sounds helps students decode words and phonetically spell them, which is essential for literacy development. This foundational knowledge allows children to make connections between letters and their corresponding sounds, enhancing their ability to spell words correctly as they encounter new vocabulary. When early learners possess a strong grasp of these letter-sound relationships, they can more confidently segment words into sounds and blend sounds into whole words. This not only aids in spelling but also significantly supports reading fluency since recognizing how to combine sounds into words becomes a seamless process. While other options may present valuable skills in their own right, they do not serve as the bedrock for spelling and literacy in the way that understanding basic letter-sound relationships does. Creative writing and fluency in written expression may come into play later as children gain confidence and proficiency in spelling, but without the foundational knowledge of letter-sound correspondences, their ability to communicate effectively in writing may be limited. Random letter usage, on the other hand, lacks the systematic approach necessary for effective spelling and learning.