What does phonological awareness primarily involve?

Phonological awareness primarily involves recognizing and manipulating sounds in spoken language. This foundational literacy skill encompasses a range of abilities, including identifying and working with larger units of sound such as words, syllables, and rhymes, as well as smaller units such as phonemes, which are the individual sounds in words.

Developing phonological awareness is critical for reading development because it supports a child's ability to decode words and comprehend text. Children who possess strong phonological awareness skills are typically better equipped to read, as they can hear the sounds that make up words and manipulate these sounds to form new words or recognize familiar ones. This skill is different from simply identifying letters in written language, understanding word meanings, or reading fluency, as it focuses specifically on the auditory aspect of language.