Phonological awareness is a crucial aspect of early literacy development, and understanding how children develop these skills can significantly impact their success in learning to read. From the playful babbling of infants to the more structured sound recognition of primary schoolers, the journey of phonological awareness begins early and evolves with age. As children grow, they progressively develop the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the sounds within language—skills that are foundational for reading and spelling. This blog post will explore the stages of phonological awareness development and why these skills are essential for a child’s future reading success.
What is Phonological Awareness?
Phonological awareness is a child’s ability to hear small units of sound and to identify rhyme and alliteration. It is not concerned with the meaning of words but rather the individual sounds in spoken language.
Why is Phonological Awareness Important?
Teaching phonological awareness is important because it is closely related to reading skills. Children who demonstrate strong phonological awareness have an easier time learning to read (Crim et al., 2008). The ability to segment phonemes and identify rhyme and alliteration is a strong indicator of later success in reading and spelling (Crim et al., 2008; Albert Shanker Institute, 2009).
Research shows that skills such as alphabet knowledge, concepts about print, phonological awareness and expressive vocabulary best prepare children for reading success ( Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 2001).
Phonological awareness, specifically, is a very strong predictor of reading success and children are able to start working on these skills even in the beginning of preschool (Lerner, & Lonigan, 2016).
Since these skills are important to reading success later in life, it is important to start children when they are ready to learn because “proficient reading skill is a determinant of quality of life” (Lerner, & Lonigan, 2016).
In fact, adults who usually earn more money per week are more likely to report being in good health (Wood, 2010). Clearly, reading skills are vital for adult living.
The Rhyming Ring-a-Ling activity is featured in the Experience Preschool Friends & Feelings theme.
How Children Develop Phonological Awareness Skills
Infants begin to babble and play with sounds of all kinds, including speech sounds and lip-smacking. When listening to music or nursery rhymes, they will bounce or clap along with the rhythm.
Toddlers imitate sounds and tones. When prompted, toddlers will repeat the last word in familiar rhymes and even begin to suggest a missing rhyming word within a poem or song.
Preschoolers identify words with a similar beginning sound and indicate when two words rhyme or do not rhyme. Advanced preschoolers may also be able to identify words with a similar ending sound or suggest a series of rhyming words when given a base word.
Primary Schoolers count syllables in spoken words and isolate and pronounce the sound of each syllable. They recognize blends, digraphs, letter patterns and simple word families.
Our integrated curriculum system uniquely weaves 35 research-based skills into playful games and discovery projects. The cross-disciplinary model supports a child’s on-going social-emotional, physical, language and cognitive development. See what children learn through play and download the Developmental Continuum of Skills.
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