Connecticut Foundations of Reading Test (FORT) Practice

What is an outcome of effective phonemic awareness training?

1. Improved vocabulary skills

2. Increased ability to read without errors

3. Enhanced spelling skills and phonics knowledge

4. Better understanding of literary themes

The correct answer is: Enhanced spelling skills and phonics knowledge

Effective phonemic awareness training significantly contributes to enhanced spelling skills and phonics knowledge. Phonemic awareness involves the ability to recognize, manipulate, and work with the sounds in spoken words. When students develop a strong foundation in identifying and manipulating these sounds, they become more adept at decoding words when reading and encoding words when spelling. This training helps students understand the relationship between sounds and letters, which is fundamental to both reading and spelling. For example, as students learn to segment sounds in words, they're better equipped to connect those sounds to their corresponding letters or letter combinations when writing or reading. This understanding fosters stronger phonics skills, which enable students to sound out unfamiliar words more effectively and spell words accurately. While improved vocabulary skills, increased reading ability, and a better understanding of literary themes are valuable outcomes of literacy education, they are not direct outcomes of phonemic awareness training. Instead, strong phonemic awareness primarily supports spelling and phonics, which are critical building blocks for reading proficiency.