Which term describes the process of identifying a word by its shape?

The term that describes the process of identifying a word by its shape is visual discrimination. This process involves recognizing words based on their overall form or configuration, enabling readers to quickly identify familiar words without needing to analyze each letter individually. This skill is particularly useful for fluent readers who can glance at a word and immediately recognize it, based on the unique shape that the arrangement of letters creates.

The other choices focus on different aspects of reading and learning. Auditory discrimination involves recognizing and differentiating sounds, particularly in spoken language, which aids in phonemic awareness but does not relate to shape recognition. Configuration clues typically refer to a strategy where readers use the patterns of letters in a word to infer meaning rather than simply recognizing the shape of the word. Guided practice, while essential in instructional settings to help learners develop skills through modeling and feedback, does not specifically address the identification of words by their shape. Thus, visual discrimination is the most accurate and relevant term in this context.