What is phonemic awareness?

Phonemic awareness refers specifically to the skill of hearing, identifying, and manipulating individual sounds, known as phonemes, within spoken words. This foundational skill is crucial for developing reading abilities, as it enables individuals to break down words into their constituent sounds, which is essential for decoding and spelling. For instance, a student with strong phonemic awareness can recognize that the word "cat" consists of three distinct sounds: /k/, /æ/, and /t/. This understanding allows them to blend sounds together to form words, a critical step in the reading process.

The other choices, while related to literacy, describe different skills or abilities. Reading fluency involves reading text smoothly and accurately but doesn't focus on the auditory manipulation of sounds. Creative writing pertains to expression and composition rather than sound awareness. Understanding written text involves comprehension skills, which come into play after the basic sounds and word decoding skills have been acquired. Therefore, the emphasis on hearing, identifying, and manipulating sounds directly aligns with the definition of phonemic awareness.