Oregon Educator Licensure Assessments (ORELA) Practice Exam

Which aspect of language involves understanding the structure of words?

1. Phonological awareness

2. Orthography

3. Graphemes

4. Phonemes

The correct answer is: Phonological awareness

The correct aspect of language that involves understanding the structure of words is orthography. Orthography refers to the conventional spelling system of a language, which includes the rules governing the structure and formation of words, including the arrangement of letters, correct spelling, and the use of punctuation and capitalization. Understanding orthography is essential for literacy, as it contributes to reading and writing skills by helping students recognize how words are formed and spelled. This knowledge allows learners to decode and encode words more effectively. Phonological awareness primarily relates to recognizing and manipulating sounds in spoken language, which does not necessarily involve understanding the structure of written words. Graphemes, while related to the written representation of sounds, focus more on the visual symbols and their relationships to sounds rather than the broader structural aspects of word formation. Phonemes refer to the individual sounds in a language; while they are fundamental to speech, they do not address the structural components tied to word formation.