What does the linkage procedure begin with?

The linkage procedure, as part of the Multi-Sensory Structured Language Education (MSLE) approach, begins with listening for sounds. This step is crucial because it lays the foundation for phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. This auditory focus helps learners connect sounds to letters and words, which is essential in developing reading and writing skills.

By starting with sounds, educators can help students develop critical auditory discrimination skills, leading them to better recognize sound patterns and phonetic structures in language. This stage ensures that students have a solid understanding of the sounds they will later associate with written symbols, ultimately supporting their progress in spelling, reading, and learning the rules of language.

While the other options involve important aspects of language learning, they come into play after students have established a firm grounding in sound recognition. Reading full sentences, writing words on a board, and identifying sight words are valuable skills, but if a learner lacks the ability to hear and distinguish sounds, they may struggle with these subsequent tasks. Therefore, emphasizing sound recognition at the beginning of the linkage procedure is fundamental to building a comprehensive and effective language education strategy.