What does orthographic knowledge refer to?

Orthographic knowledge refers to the understanding that written symbols, such as letters and their combinations, represent particular sounds in spoken language. This foundational concept in literacy highlights the relationship between phonemes (the smallest units of sound) and graphemes (the written representations of those sounds).

When learners possess strong orthographic knowledge, they can decode words by recognizing the letters and their associated sounds, which is essential for reading fluency. This skill enables them to comprehend and produce written language effectively, as they understand how sounds are mapped to letters, leading to improved reading and writing abilities.