Arkansas Foundations of Reading Test (FORT)

What characterizes the fluent stage of writing development?

1. Initially writing using all capital letters

2. Using capitalization and punctuation marks conventionally throughout their writing

3. Relying heavily on picture cues

4. Primarily using phonetic spelling

The correct answer is: Using capitalization and punctuation marks conventionally throughout their writing

The fluent stage of writing development is characterized by the conventional use of capitalization and punctuation marks throughout the writing. At this stage, writers begin to demonstrate a solid understanding of standard writing conventions, making their texts clearer and more understandable. This includes properly utilizing periods, commas, quotation marks, and other punctuation to convey meaning correctly, as well as appropriately capitalizing the first word of sentences and proper nouns. In contrast, the other options represent earlier stages of writing development. For instance, initially writing using all capital letters signifies an early stage when children are still experimenting with letter formation and are not yet aware of the conventions of lowercase letters. Relying heavily on picture cues points to a pre-writing phase where illustrations serve as the primary means of communicating ideas. Similarly, primarily using phonetic spelling indicates a developing understanding of sound-letter relationships, which is characteristic of earlier stages where spelling is more focused on how words sound rather than their conventional spelling. The fluent stage marks a significant shift towards more structured and coherent writing.