New Hampshire Foundations of Reading Practice Test

What is a common characteristic of students requiring phonics intervention?

1. Struggling to recall the alphabet

2. Decoding using memorization

3. Difficulty with unfamiliar words despite context clues

4. Reading books significantly above grade level

The correct answer is: Difficulty with unfamiliar words despite context clues

Students requiring phonics intervention often exhibit difficulty with unfamiliar words despite having context clues available. This characteristic highlights a fundamental challenge in their reading development; they may struggle to apply their knowledge of phonics to decode new or complex words found in texts. While context clues can provide semantic hints about the meaning of a word, a phonically challenged student may still find themselves unable to accurately pronounce or recognize the word, leading to difficulties in overall comprehension. In contrast, recalling the alphabet is typically a foundational skill expected from all readers, and those who rely on memorization for decoding may not have a firm grasp of phonics principles either, but their issues are more about strategy rather than foundational skills. Lastly, reading books significantly above grade level would generally indicate a certain proficiency in reading skills, which would be atypical for students needing phonics intervention. Thus, the correct choice effectively represents the unique challenges faced by these students in relation to phonics-based reading instruction.