Which word is spelled using the correct letter-sound matches, even if the spelling is not the standard one?
ASpelling 'dog' as 'QZR'
BSpelling 'fish' as 'FIH'
CSpelling 'son' as 'SUN'
DSpelling 'map' as 'TBK'
In 'SUN' for the word 'son,' each letter matches the sound it represents: S makes /s/, U makes /uh/, N makes /n/. The standard spelling 'son' uses an O for the /uh/ sound, but 'SUN' maps the sounds correctly. The other options either use letters that don't match the sounds at all (QZR for 'dog,' TBK for 'map') or miss a sound (FIH drops the /sh/ sound). Letter-sound correspondence means each letter represents a sound in the word.
Question 2 Multiple Choice
What is the alphabetic principle?
AThe rule that every letter in English has exactly one sound
BThe understanding that written symbols represent spoken sounds
CThe sequence in which the alphabet is taught
DThe idea that letter names and letter sounds are the same thing
The alphabetic principle is the foundational insight that writing is a code — that the marks on a page systematically represent the sounds in speech. This does NOT mean every letter has exactly one sound (English has many inconsistencies), nor does it mean letter names equal letter sounds ('h' is named 'aitch' but makes /h/). It means that the relationship between symbols and sounds is systematic and learnable, making decoding possible.
Question 3 True / False
Knowing the name of a letter is the same as knowing the sound it represents.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Letter names and letter sounds are distinct and must be taught as separate things. The letter 'b' is named 'bee' but makes the sound /b/. The letter 'h' is named 'aitch' but makes /h/. The letter 'w' is named 'double-you' — a name that gives no clue to its sound. Conflating the two is a common source of confusion for beginning readers. A child who knows all 26 letter names but hasn't connected them to sounds cannot yet decode words.
Question 4 True / False
A child who knows core letter-sound correspondences can attempt to read words they have never seen in print before.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: True
This is precisely what letter-sound correspondence unlocks — the ability to decode unfamiliar words by sounding them out. Once you know the code, you don't have to have memorized a word to attempt reading it. A child who knows /b/, /ĭ/, and /g/ can attack the word 'big' even if it's new to them in print. This is the essential power of phonics: it makes reading generative rather than purely memorization-based.
Question 5 Short Answer
Why is it important to distinguish a letter's name from its sound when teaching early reading?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: Because reading requires mapping written symbols to spoken sounds, not to letter names. If a child only knows that 'b' is called 'bee,' they may try to read 'bat' as 'bee-ay-tee' instead of blending /b/-/æ/-/t/. The name is just a label for the letter; the sound is what the letter contributes when decoding a word.
Many early readers get stuck precisely because they try to use letter names as decoding tools. The letter name 'aitch' tells you nothing useful about how to pronounce the beginning of 'hat.' Teaching the sound /h/ as the function of the letter 'h' — independent of its name — gives the child a working decoding key. Both names and sounds eventually need to be known, but sounds are what enable reading.