Which type of spelling utilizes pictures and letter-like figures?

The correct answer focuses on prephonetic spelling, which is characterized by the use of pictures and letter-like figures to represent words and ideas. This stage of spelling development typically occurs in young children who are beginning to express their thoughts through writing but have not yet fully grasped the conventional phonetic representation of sounds in words.

In prephonetic spelling, children might draw a series of pictures or use symbols alongside written letters to convey meaning. They rely on their understanding of visual cues rather than phonetic principles, illustrating their early literacy skills. As they develop further, their spelling moves toward more structured forms, where phonetic sounds become essential, but prephonetic spelling showcases their initial attempts at communication through visual means rather than strictly sound-based representations.

Other types of spelling, like phonetic spelling, involve more mature understandings of sound-letter relationships, while semiphonetic moves into combining letters with some awareness of sounds but is not yet fully developed. Formal spelling refers to the proper conventions of spelling as recognized by standard English, which is beyond the scope of early development.