What indicates that a child has mastered spelling?

Mastering spelling involves the ability to encode, which means accurately representing spoken language in written form through the correct arrangement of letters. When a child encodes sentences accurately, it demonstrates that they understand the relationship between sounds and letters, allowing them to transcribe ideas effectively. This skill reflects a deeper grasp of spelling rules, phonetics, and overall writing competency, indicating that the child can spell words correctly within the context of complete sentences.

Reading fluently, writing individual letters correctly, and recognizing words visually are all important skills related to literacy and language development, but they do not necessarily demonstrate mastery of spelling in the context of constructing sentences. Mastery in spelling is specifically tied to the ability to encode language accurately in a written format.