What does the alphabetic principle entail?

The alphabetic principle involves the foundational understanding that individual letters and letter combinations correspond to specific sounds in spoken language. This principle is crucial for reading as it enables children to decode written text by associating the printed letters with their associated sounds, facilitating both reading and spelling. Mastery of the alphabetic principle allows learners to recognize that writing systems can represent the sounds of spoken language in a structured way, which is essential for effective literacy development.

While reading aloud is important, as indicated in another option, it does not inherently involve comprehension, which is a critical aspect of reading skills. Understanding punctuation also plays a vital role in reading and writing but is not directly related to the alphabetic principle. Lastly, although phonemes (the smallest units of sound) and morphemes (the smallest units of meaning) are important components of language, they extend beyond the primary focus of the alphabetic principle itself.