At what stage does a child represent every speech sound with letters even if the spelling is not conventional?

The choice indicating the phonetic stage is accurate because, during this phase, children begin to understand that letters can represent sounds, and they start to apply this knowledge when spelling. This stage typically involves a child writing words by trying to capture the phonetic sounds they hear, resulting in spellings that may not adhere to standard conventions, but show an emerging grasp of the sound-letter relationship.

In this stage, children often spell words based solely on how they sound, using a single letter for each sound they hear in a word, which reflects their developing awareness of phonemic structures. Their spelling may lack the correct sequence or omit certain letters, but the crucial point is that they are actively attempting to represent every speech sound with letters.

The other stages, such as the transitional stage, semiphonetic stage, and early production stage, do not emphasize the child's ability to represent every speech sound accurately; instead, they reflect earlier or more advanced stages of phonemic awareness and spelling development.