Which strategy best supports spelling development when given the words Bite, Hope, Kite, Tape?

Which strategy best supports spelling development when given the words Bite, Hope, Kite, Tape?

• A. Using letter tiles to build previously learned CVC words along with the new words
• B. Copying words from a list
• C. Writing in cursive only
• D. Using flashcards without blending

Answer: (A)

This question checks how spelling is learned by linking sounds to letters and recognizing patterns across words. Using letter tiles to build words that combine what students already know with the new forms helps them see and practice the pattern where a base CVC word gains a final silent e to make a long vowel sound, as in bite, hope, kite, and tape. By manipulating letters, students hear the sounds /b/ /aɪ/ /t/ and map them to B-I-T-E with the silent e, or similarly for the others, showing how the presence of the e changes the vowel. This active encoding and pattern generalization supports both decoding and spelling because students can transfer that same CVC base-plus-e idea to other words. Copying from a list, focusing only on cursive, or using flashcards without blending doesn’t engage students in mapping sounds to letters or in seeing how the silent-e pattern works, so they don’t build the flexible skill needed for spelling unfamiliar words.

This question checks how spelling is learned by linking sounds to letters and recognizing patterns across words. Using letter tiles to build words that combine what students already know with the new forms helps them see and practice the pattern where a base CVC word gains a final silent e to make a long vowel sound, as in bite, hope, kite, and tape. By manipulating letters, students hear the sounds /b/ /aɪ/ /t/ and map them to B-I-T-E with the silent e, or similarly for the others, showing how the presence of the e changes the vowel. This active encoding and pattern generalization supports both decoding and spelling because students can transfer that same CVC base-plus-e idea to other words.

Copying from a list, focusing only on cursive, or using flashcards without blending doesn’t engage students in mapping sounds to letters or in seeing how the silent-e pattern works, so they don’t build the flexible skill needed for spelling unfamiliar words.