Skills and Thrills of Literacy

How many syllable types are commonly recognised in English phonics instruction?

• 4

• 5

• 6

• 7

What is the main difference between a reading disorder and a reading delay?

• A reading disorder improves with age, while a reading delay does not

• A reading disorder is a lifelong neurological condition. Reading delays can result from environmental factors (e.g., limited exposure to books, inconsistent schooling, or limited support).

• A reading disorder only affects comprehension, while a delay affects all areas of reading

• There is no difference; the terms are interchangeable

Which of the following is an example of phonological awareness?

• Knowing that the word "cat" has three letters

• Writing words with correct spelling

• Identifying that "bat" and "hat " rhyme

• Reading a sentence fluently

What is the primary goal of syllable segmentation (eg: How many syllables in “table” in early literacy?)

• To enhance students' grammar skills

• To help students break down, encode unfamiliar words and develop sound awareness

• To improve handwriting skills

• To teach students how to identify nouns and verbs

In the syllable type “closed syllable,” the syllable usually…

• Ends in a vowel and has a long vowel sound

• Begins with a consonant blend

• Contains a silent vowel

• Ends in a consonant and has a short vowel sound

Which of the following skills is crucial for developing phonological awareness?

• Knowing sight words

• Distinguishing between different vowel sounds

• Recognising punctuation

• Understanding sentence structure

Phonemic awareness is a subcategory of phonological awareness that specifically involves…

• Awareness of syllables in words

• Manipulating individual sounds, such as blending or segmenting phonemes

• Recognising word meanings

• Distinguishing between consonants and vowels

Why is working memory important in reading fluency?

• It allows readers to hold and manipulate information, supporting decoding, sentence comprehension, and tracking story context.

• It helps readers recognize only simple, high-frequency words without needing to decode.

• It provides a way for readers to skip words they don’t understand and still comprehend the text.

• It is mainly useful for readers with advanced reading skills, as beginners do not rely on working memory.

Which of the following is an example of a word attack skill in reading and spelling?

• Using letter names to spell out each word before reading.

• Ignoring unfamiliar words and focusing only on known words.

• Breaking words into syllables to aid in decoding.

• Skipping words that are difficult and moving on to the next sentence.

Which of the following best describes a characteristic of dyslexia?

• Difficulty with phonological processing, affecting word decoding

• Trouble understanding the meaning of words in context

• Limited interest in reading due to poor attention

• Difficulty with motor skills required for writing