Which concept is most directly supported by having children identify letters and words on signs during walks around the school?

• A. Familiarity with environmental print
• B. Phoneme segmentation
• C. Alphabetic principle
• D. Sight word memorization

Answer: (A)

This item focuses on familiarity with environmental print. When children notice and identify letters and words on signs during walks, they’re engaging with print that exists in their daily surroundings. This builds print awareness by showing that letters and words are part of the real world and carry meaning beyond spoken language. It helps children understand that signs, labels, and words are information sources they can use, which is the essence of environmental print.

This activity isn’t primarily about breaking words into sounds (phoneme segmentation) or understanding how letters map to sounds in general (alphabetic principle). It’s also not specifically about recognizing a set of words by memory (sight word memorization); instead, it emphasizes noticing and making sense of print in the environment.