Final answer:
Teaching first graders to apply consistent phonics generalizations is the most effective way to support their development of rapid automatic word recognition, as it helps them decode new words using their understanding of how sounds correspond to letters.
Step-by-step explanation:
A teacher can most effectively support first graders' development of rapid automatic word recognition by first teaching students how to apply consistent phonics generalizations in common words. Using phonics, students learn how sounds are related to letters and can use this knowledge to decode words they have not seen before. This is particularly effective at the first-grade level where children are transitioning from the 'one-word' stage of language development to recognizing and learning more complex words.
Phonics instruction provides a foundation for young readers to understand the building blocks of language, which facilitates better word recognition. This approach is more suitable for aiding in word recognition than using context clues, identifying multisyllabic words, or dictionary skills which are more complex strategies that typically come after a basic understanding of word decoding has been established.