At which stage of reading development do learners primarily focus on initial consonants and letter sounds?

The correct answer focuses on the Letter Name and Alphabetic Stage, which is characterized by learners recognizing and using letter names to represent sounds in words. During this stage, students concentrate on the relationships between letters and their corresponding sounds, particularly the initial consonants. They begin to understand that letters stand for sounds, allowing them to decode simple words. This foundation is critical for later reading and spelling development.

In this stage, students are typically engaged in activities that promote phonemic awareness, such as sounding out words and recognizing familiar letter patterns. Learning to connect letters with their phonetic values is essential for progressing in reading development and helps build their confidence as readers. As they focus on initial consonants and letter sounds, they start to form the basics of literacy that will support their future reading skills.