In early childhood literacy, what does “phonemic awareness” refer to?

Phonemic awareness is a critical component of early childhood literacy, as it specifically refers to the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds, known as phonemes, in spoken words. This skill is foundational for reading development because it enables children to recognize the sounds that make up words, facilitating their ability to decode written text later on.

For instance, if a child can identify that the word "cat" is made up of the sounds /k/, /æ/, and /t/, they are exercising phonemic awareness. This ability allows them to blend these sounds together to read the word and is essential for developing strong reading skills.

In contrast, counting words in a sentence relates more to general literacy skills rather than the specific manipulation of sounds. Understanding story structure encompasses comprehension skills and narrative understanding. Reading fluency involves the smooth and expressive reading of text, which builds upon the skills developed through phonemic awareness but is not equivalent to it. Thus, focusing on phonemic awareness is vital for a strong foundation in literacy development.