What describes the ability to connect speech sounds with the printed letters they represent?

The ability to connect speech sounds with the printed letters they represent is known as phonics. Phonics is a foundational component of reading instruction that helps learners understand the relationships between sounds and their corresponding letters or groups of letters. This connection enables students to decode words while reading, facilitating their ability to recognize words quickly and accurately.

Phonics instruction often includes teaching the sounds of individual letters, as well as blends and digraphs (combinations of letters that produce a single sound), which are crucial for developing reading skills. This skill is essential for young readers as they begin to engage with written text, as it provides them with the tools needed to sound out unfamiliar words and thus comprehend what they are reading.

In contrast, vocabulary refers to the words that a person knows and uses, grammar involves the structure and rules of language, and fluency is the ability to read smoothly and expressively. While all of these elements are important for literacy development, phonics specifically addresses the connection between sounds and their written representation.