Correct Response: C. Option C is correct because knowledge of letter-sound correspondences is a necessary component of the more complex skill of decoding words. When early readers learn to decode simple words, they must learn to sound out the letters of a printed word in sequence and blend those sounds together to read the words. Mastering high-utility letters (i.e., letters that they are likely to encounter in beginning reading instruction and in grade-level decodable texts) prepares children to develop the complex skill of decoding. For example, the group of letters a, m, t, and s, includes both high-frequency consonants and a vowel, enabling a child who has mastered these letter-sounds to decode many simple, phonically regular words (e.g., sat, mat, at, am). Options A and B are incorrect because they describe foundational print concepts, book- handling skills (A) and print directionality in English (B), respectively. Without letter-sound knowledge, these more basic skills are not sufficient preparation to support beginning decoding instruction. Option D is incorrect because memorizing the letters of the alphabet in order is not a component skill of decoding and thus not an indicator of readiness for decoding instruction.
