WPM Phonics & Decoding Skills Flashcards

What is the term for breaking a written word into its individual sounds for spelling purposes?

Answer: Segmenting

Segmenting involves separating a word into each of its individual phonemes, which is foundational for spelling instruction.

A student reads 'phone' as /p/-/h/-/o/-/n/-/e/. Which decoding error are they making?

Answer: Not recognizing the 'ph' digraph

The student is treating 'ph' as two separate sounds instead of recognizing it as a digraph that represents the /f/ sound.

Which syllable type contains a vowel followed by one or more consonants with a short vowel sound?

Answer: Closed syllable

A closed syllable ends in one or more consonants that 'close in' the vowel, keeping it short (e.g., 'cat', 'hop').

What does the term 'orthographic mapping' refer to in reading development?

Answer: The process by which readers store words in long-term memory through sound-spelling connections

Orthographic mapping is the mental process readers use to permanently store printed words for instant retrieval by connecting phonemes to graphemes.

Which sequence reflects the recommended order for teaching vowel sounds in a structured phonics program?

Answer: Short vowels → Long vowels → Vowel teams

Most structured literacy programs introduce short vowels first because they are the most common and predictable, then long vowels and vowel teams.

A student consistently confuses the letters 'b' and 'd'. This is best described as a difficulty with:

Answer: Letter-sound correspondence and visual discrimination

Confusing 'b' and 'd' reflects difficulty distinguishing visually similar letters and connecting them to their distinct sounds.