50. A group of students work together at a literacy center where the individual letters “p,” “i,” and “g” are printed on card stock. One student puts the three letters together and says, “I made “pig!'” The activity best supports which of the following reading skills?
Answer: C
The activity best supports blending phonemes to make words.
The students' activity of combining the letters “p,” “i,” and “g” to say “pig” exemplifies the skill of blending phonemes to create a word. This process involves merging the individual sounds of the letters to form a cohesive word, which is a fundamental aspect of early reading development.
A) Building words with onsets
While building words with onsets involves creating words by focusing on the initial consonant sounds, the primary focus of the activity described is not solely on the onset ‘p’ but rather on the complete blending of all three letters to form the word “pig.” Thus, this option is not the best fit for the activity.
B) Dividing words using syllabication
Dividing words using syllabication involves breaking words down into their syllabic components, which is not what the students are doing when they combine the letters “p,” “i,” and “g.” Instead of dividing, they are actively combining sounds, making this option incorrect.
C) Blending phonemes to make words
This option accurately describes the activity since the student is blending the sounds of the letters “p,” “i,” and “g” to articulate the word “pig.” This skill is crucial for developing reading fluency, making it the correct choice.
D) Segmenting phonemes to make words
Segmenting phonemes involves breaking a word down into its individual phonetic components, which is the opposite of what the students are doing. They are not segmenting but rather blending sounds to create a word, rendering this option incorrect.
Conclusion
The correct answer, blending phonemes to make words, aligns perfectly with the activity described, where students combine individual letters to form a complete word. Options A, B, and D fail to capture the essence of the activity, as they focus on different aspects of phonemic awareness that do not apply in this context. Thus, option C is the only one that accurately reflects the skill being practiced.