79. Based on data indicated by the student's errors on a spelling test, which of the following most accurately identifies the orthographic pattern for which the teacher needs to provide further instruction to benefit the student's growth in literacy? (Student misspellings: rok, first, enjoy, foto, puh, mask, sleep, bread, cance, lake)Student Response & Correct Spelling:rok (rock), first (first), enjoy (enjoy), foto (photo), puh (push), mask (mask), sleep (sleep), bread (bread), cance (chance), lake (lake)
Answer: D
Consonant digraphs
The student's misspellings indicate a pattern where they struggle with consonant digraphs, as seen in the errors "foto" for "photo" and "puh" for "push". These examples demonstrate confusion with the sounds represented by two letters that combine to create a single sound.
A) Consonant blends
Consonant blends involve two or more consonants that are pronounced together without losing their individual sounds, such as in "mask". The student's errors do not exemplify this pattern, as they do not demonstrate confusion with blends but rather with digraphs.
B) Diphthongs
Diphthongs are complex vowel sounds formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable. The misspellings provided do not reflect errors in recognizing or producing diphthongs, making this option irrelevant to the student's spelling difficulties.
C) Syllable types
Syllable types refer to the different ways syllables can be structured in words. The student's errors do not indicate confusion with syllable structure; instead, they highlight specific issues with consonant digraphs, thus rendering this option incorrect.
D) Consonant digraphs
Consonant digraphs are pairs of consonants that create a single sound, such as "ph" in "photo" and "sh" in "push". The misspellings "foto" and "puh" indicate a need for further instruction in this area, making this the correct choice.
Conclusion
The identification of consonant digraphs as the area requiring further instruction is supported by the specific spelling errors made by the student. Unlike the other options, which do not correlate with the patterns observed in the student's misspellings, consonant digraphs directly address the phonetic confusion evident in their responses. Therefore, focusing on this aspect will effectively enhance the student's literacy development.