Letting children match words without someone to correct them is helpful.

Letting children match words without someone to correct them may hinder their learning process, as they can reinforce incorrect associations. Without guidance, children may develop misunderstandings or miss opportunities for correction that can solidify their grasp of vocabulary and spelling. Effective literacy instruction typically includes feedback and support to help children build accurate connections between words and their meanings.

By involving adults or more knowledgeable peers in the process, children can receive immediate feedback on their attempts, which helps them understand their mistakes and learn the correct representations of words. This type of guided practice is essential, especially in early literacy development, where proper spelling and understanding of word meanings can significantly impact their overall language skills.