Which behavior indicates that a student understands letter-sound relationships?

The indication of a student’s understanding of letter-sound relationships lies in their ability to not only write letters but also to connect specific letter combinations to the sounds they make and the words they represent. When a student writes "KR" and asserts that it translates to the word "car," this demonstrates an understanding of how the letters correspond to the sounds in a word they know.

In this case, "K" and "R" are both present in the word "car." Although the representation is incomplete, the student is engaging with the phonetic aspect of the word, showcasing an understanding of the letter-sound relationship. This suggests that they are manipulating sounds to form words, which is a critical component of literacy development.

Other scenarios presented do not demonstrate this same level of understanding. For instance, merely writing the letter "T" in response to a prompt does not involve any letter-sound relationship application, as it lacks phonetic engagement. Similarly, a student who writes "HWG" and claims it means "dragon" is not correctly associating the sounds with their letters, as there is no phonetic connection between them. Lastly, a student named Lucy writing her name on her painting, while it showcases writing skills, does not indicate an