What is Phonological Awareness? Phonological awareness is the ability to pay attention to the sounds in spoken language and know that they are made up of units or chunks of sound. These prereading skills help young children learn how to read and write.
Here are some ways families can support their child’s phonological awareness development at home:
- Read books that rhyme.
- Sing simple songs and lullabies, such as those with repeating initial sounds.
- Clap, tap, jump or stomp one time for each syllable in a word or one time for each word in a sentence or nursery rhyme.
- Play a word game, saying a compound word and asking your child to say the first or second part of the word (e.g., say “sunshine” and encourage responses of “sun” or “shine.”).
Practicing phonological awareness is important because it is one of the strongest predictors of later reading abilities. Using these tips will help your child enter kindergarten ready to start their reading and writing journey.