What type of phase is identified when students can decode unfamiliar words and store known sight words?

The Full Alphabetic Phase is characterized by students' ability to effectively decode unfamiliar words while also having a repository of known sight words. At this stage, learners have gained a solid understanding of the alphabetic principle, allowing them to apply their knowledge of letters and their corresponding sounds to decode new words, effectively blending phonics with their sight word recognition.

Students in the Full Alphabetic Phase can recognize and read complex words by breaking them down into their constituent sounds and applying their knowledge of spelling patterns. This skill set is crucial for reading fluency, as it allows students to tackle unfamiliar text more confidently, relying on both their decoding skills and their memory of frequently encountered words.

The other phases may include early stages where students may not yet have a comprehensive grasp of phonics or only recognize limited words, but in the Full Alphabetic Phase, they demonstrate a robust ability to read through both phonetic decoding and retrieval of sight words. This phase is vital for developing advanced reading skills and independent reading comprehension.