What phase of word reading are students likely beginning to transition to if they can point accurately to words and have developed sound-symbol associations?

The best choice in this scenario is that students are likely beginning to transition to the full alphabet phase of word reading. At this stage, students are not only able to point accurately to words but have also developed sound-symbol associations, which indicates a deeper understanding of how letters correspond to sounds in words.

In the full alphabetic phase, students can decode words using their knowledge of letter-sound relationships, demonstrating a more complete grasp of the alphabetic principle compared to earlier phases. This capability indicates they are moving beyond simple recognition of a few letters and sounds and are starting to understand how to combine these elements to read words in a more fluid manner.

In other phases, such as the partial alphabetic phase, students might only grasp a limited number of letter-sound connections, which would not allow for accurate word pointing or sound-symbol associations to the extent described. Transitioning from the partial to the full phase marks a significant development in their reading skills.