Which statement best describes phonological cueing?

• A. To decode word meanings
• B. To notice rhymes and sounds
• C. To identify sentence structure
• D. To understand punctuation rules

Answer: (B)

Phonological cueing centers on the sounds of language—the ability to hear and work with sounds in spoken words. This includes noticing rhymes, patterns of similar sounds, and how phonemes blend together to form words. When readers use these cues, they rely on sound information to help decode unfamiliar words, recognizing how a word is built from sounds rather than from meaning or grammar. That focus on sound patterns and phonemic awareness is what makes noticing rhymes and sounds the best description of phonological cueing. By contrast, decoding word meanings depends on understanding what words convey (semantics), identifying sentence structure requires knowledge of how words combine into clauses (syntax), and understanding punctuation rules deals with writing conventions rather than sound.