In which stage of Spelling Development do children begin to understand letter-sound correspondence and use single letters to represent sounds?

The Semiphonetic Stage is characterized by children's growing understanding of letter-sound correspondence, which is crucial for spelling development. During this stage, children start to use single letters to represent individual sounds in words, demonstrating an initial grasp of how letters can be used to symbolize spoken language. This stage typically occurs after children have developed some awareness of sounds but before they can fully segment words into their phonemes.

In this stage, children may not yet spell words correctly or consistently; instead, they focus on the relationship between sounds and letters, often resulting in phonetic approximations rather than exact spellings. This exploration lays the foundation for their future spelling skills as they begin to understand that certain letters correspond to specific sounds and start to apply this knowledge in their writing.