Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) Practice Test

Which type of knowledge includes what a person knows about splitting words into meaningful parts?

1. Phonemic awareness

2. Orthographic knowledge

3. Morphemic analysis

4. Syllabic analysis

The correct answer is: Morphemic analysis

The correct answer focuses on morphemic analysis, which is the study of the smallest units of meaning within a word, known as morphemes. This type of knowledge involves recognizing how words can be divided into meaningful parts, such as prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Understanding morphemes is essential for vocabulary development, as it enables learners to decode new words and derive meaning from them based on their component parts. Morphemic analysis plays a crucial role in literacy, particularly in reading and writing, because it helps individuals enhance their comprehension and expression by understanding how different morphemes contribute to the meaning of a word. This knowledge is particularly beneficial when encountering complex or unfamiliar words, allowing learners to break down words and make educated guesses about their meanings. The other types of knowledge mentioned—phonemic awareness, orthographic knowledge, and syllabic analysis—are related but focus on different aspects of language. For instance, phonemic awareness concerns the sounds within words, orthographic knowledge relates to the spelling patterns and visual representations of words, while syllabic analysis focuses on the division of words into syllables. While all of these are important for literacy, it is morphemic analysis that specifically pertains to the understanding of meaningful