Which sound does this word start with? “map”

Read-Along Word with Scaffolding · ELPAC Kindergarten reading. The correct answer, and the reasoning behind it.

With help from the test examiner, the student gives the letter names and the first letter sound of a word.

The question

Point at the word and say it slowly. Then read this question and the three answers aloud to your child.

Which sound does this word start with?

• Athe /m/ sound, like in moonCorrect answer
• Bthe /p/ sound, like in pig
• Cthe /a/ sound, like in apple

Why “the /m/ sound, like in moon” is correct

This asks for the first sound in a word, not the letter name, which is the skill teachers call phonemic awareness. Say the word slowly and stretch the beginning — mmmmap — so your child can hear that sound on its own. If your child answers with the letter name "em" instead of the sound, that is completely normal at five: accept it, then say "the letter is em, and the sound it makes is /m/" and ask again.

Why the other answers are wrong

• the /p/ sound, like in pig — The /p/ sound is at the end of "map", not the beginning. Ending sounds are often easier for a young child to notice, so this is a common and harmless mix-up.
• the /a/ sound, like in apple — The /a/ sound is the vowel in the middle. Saying the word in slow motion — mmm-aaa-p — helps your child hear that it comes second.

Practice more of this

More reading practice for Kindergarten, or see the ELPAC practice test for kindergarten. For other grades, see free ELPAC practice tests by grade.