Which component of reading focuses on understanding spoken sounds?

The component of reading that focuses on understanding spoken sounds is phonemic awareness. This skill involves recognizing and manipulating the individual sounds, or phonemes, in spoken words. Phonemic awareness is a critical precursor to reading, as it lays the foundation for decoding words and understanding how sounds in language translate to written symbols.

When children develop phonemic awareness, they learn to hear, identify, and work with the sounds in spoken language, which allows them to understand the relationships between sounds and their corresponding letters in written language. This makes phonemic awareness essential for effective reading development.

In contrast, phonics relates to the connection between sounds and their written forms, while fluency involves reading with speed and accuracy. Comprehension is concerned with understanding and interpreting the meaning of text. These components, while integral to the overall reading process, do not focus specifically on the recognition and manipulation of spoken sounds, which is the essence of phonemic awareness.