Which phase of word learning involves children not forming letter-sound connections?

The phase of word learning where children do not form letter-sound connections is indeed the Pre-Alphabetic phase. In this stage, children primarily rely on visual cues and contextual clues rather than understanding the relationships between letters and the sounds they represent. They may memorize some words based on their overall shape or distinctive features without grasping how the letters correspond to the spoken language. This can manifest when children recognize words like their names or familiar signs based on their appearance rather than through phonetic decoding.

The other phases represent stages where letter-sound relationships begin to play a role in word recognition. In the Partial Alphabetic phase, children start to use some letter-sound connections but are still not fully decoding words. In the Full Alphabetic phase, they make comprehensive letter-sound associations, enabling them to sound out and spell words effectively. The Consolidated Alphabetic phase involves integrating knowledge of letter patterns and chunks, leading to more fluent reading. Thus, the Pre-Alphabetic phase is distinct in that it lacks these connections entirely.