North Carolina Foundations of Reading Practice Test

Which stage of writing involves leaving spaces between words?

1. Scripting the ends-sound

2. Writing from top left to top right

3. Initial sound understanding

4. Emergent writing stage

The correct answer is: Writing from top left to top right

The correct answer relates to the writing process where young children begin to develop their understanding of written language structure. During this stage, they are learning to organize their writing on the page, which includes leaving spaces between words. This practice helps them understand that words are distinct units of meaning in a sentence. In contrast, the other choices focus on different aspects of early writing development. For instance, scripting the ends-sound refers more to phonological awareness rather than the spatial organization of writing. Initial sound understanding pertains to recognizing and using the first sounds in words, which is critical for phonemic awareness but does not specifically address spacing. The emergent writing stage encompasses a broader range of developmental milestones, including experimentation with letters and sounds, but spacing between words is more closely linked to writing directionality and organization, as highlighted in the correct answer.