What does phonemic awareness refer to?

Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to focus on, hear, identify, and manipulate phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound in spoken language. This skill is foundational for developing reading and writing abilities because it enables learners to break down words into their constituent sounds, facilitating the decoding process when they encounter new words.

For instance, recognizing that the word "cat" consists of three distinct phonemes /k/, /æ/, and /t/ helps children understand how to blend these sounds to read the word aloud. Additionally, phonemic awareness allows learners to engage in tasks such as rhyming, segmenting sounds, and blending sounds, which are critical in early literacy development.

The other options speak to different aspects of literacy skills. The ability to read words fluently pertains to reading speed and expression; understanding written texts involves comprehension; and spelling words correctly relates to orthographic knowledge. While all of these skills are important for overall literacy, they are distinct from the specific skill set encompassed by phonemic awareness.