TEXES Science of Teaching Reading Practice Test

What phonics method is particularly useful for teaching letter-sound correspondence?

1. Contextual learning

2. Whole language approach

3. Analytic phonics

4. Synthetic phonics

The correct answer is: Synthetic phonics

Synthetic phonics is particularly effective for teaching letter-sound correspondence because this method emphasizes the systematic instruction of the relationships between sounds and their corresponding letters or groups of letters. In synthetic phonics, students learn to read by first learning the sounds of individual letters, and then blending those sounds together to form words. This approach supports early readers in decoding unknown words, which is crucial for developing literacy skills. By focusing on building up from individual phonemes, synthetic phonics provides learners with a clear understanding of how sounds map to written language. This foundational knowledge enables students to apply their skills independently when encountering new words, thereby enhancing their reading fluency and comprehension. Consequently, many educators advocate for synthetic phonics as a primary method in teaching early reading, solidifying its importance in phonics instruction.