Praxis SLP Licensure Exam

When evaluating an adolescent for literacy difficulties, what aspect should the SLP prioritize if spelling errors are noted?

1. Social language skills

2. Oral language proficiency

3. Orthography understanding

4. Pragmatics development

The correct answer is: Orthography understanding

When evaluating an adolescent for literacy difficulties, prioritizing orthography understanding is essential as it directly relates to the spelling errors noted. Orthography refers to the conventional spelling system of a language, and understanding it is crucial for developing effective spelling strategies. This includes recognizing phonological patterns, grapheme-phoneme correspondences, and the rules governing word formation. When a student has spelling errors, it often indicates that they may struggle with the recognition and application of these spelling conventions. By focusing on orthography, the SLP can identify specific areas where the adolescent may require instruction or intervention, such as decoding, encoding, and word recognition skills. This targeted approach enables the SLP to develop personalized strategies that enhance the student's spelling abilities and overall literacy development. Other aspects, such as social language skills, oral language proficiency, and pragmatics development, while important for overall communication skills, are less directly connected to the specific challenges presented by spelling errors. Thus, they do not address the immediate need to improve orthographic knowledge, which is the most relevant area for remediation in this context.