What is Phonemic Awareness? 

Phonemic awareness is "the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds or phonemes in spoken words" (Shanahan 2005, p. 6). It is distinct from "phonological awareness, which encompasses a broader range of sound-related skills" (Shanahan 2005, p. 6). 

Shanahan explains phonemic awareness as "a foundational skill that, when mastered, allows children to decode and spell words effectively" (Shanahan 2005, p. 7). This skill involves breaking words into individual sounds and blending them to form words. "Children with strong phonemic awareness can isolate sounds, blend phonemes to form words, and segment words into their component sounds" (Shanahan 2005, p. 7). These abilities are crucial for developing reading and spelling skills. 

Shanahan emphasizes that "phonemic awareness is auditory and does not involve letters or print; it is solely about sounds in spoken words" (Shanahan 2005, p. 40). Developing this skill builds a bridge to phonics, where sounds are connected to letters. Phonemic awareness also "fosters a child's ability to detect rhymes, identify alliteration, and manipulate sounds within words, which enhances their overall reading proficiency" (Shanahan 2005, p. 7). 

Phonemic awareness activities include "oral segmentation, blending, and manipulation task, which research shows directly impact reading acquisition" (Shanahan, 2005, p. 6). For example, a child practicing phoneme substitution, such as changing the /c/ in 'cat' to /b/ to form 'bat', develops critical skills for decoding unfamiliar words. Shanahan highlights that "explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, particularly in early education, significantly improves reading outcomes" (Shanahan 2005, p. 11). 

Phonemic awareness serves as a foundation for literacy, enabling children to decode new words and build strong spelling skills. "It is a crucial component of reading instruction and a predictor of future reading success, making it essential in early childhood education" (Shanahan 2005, p. 6).

What we know: 

• Phonemic awareness is a strong predictor of reading success. Children with high phonemic awareness are more likely to develop strong decoding skills and become fluent readers. From the notes, "without phonemic awareness, children often struggle with reading despite good visual memory for words" (P. Himmele, Millersville University, ERCH 422 Course Presentation ). 

For example.... 

• Theresa demonstrates phonemic awareness when she can segment the word 'frog' into /f/ /r/ /o/ /g/ and blends those sounds back into the word. This shows she understands that words are made up of distinct sounds. In contrast, Johnny struggles with phonemic awareness; when asked to identify the beginning sound of 'dog', he says 'duh' rather than /d/. This indicates that Johnny needs more support with isolating phonemes. 

Why it matters... 

• Shanahan explains that "without phonemic awareness, children may struggle with decoding unfamiliar words and fall behind in reading fluency" (Shanahan 2005, p. 15). As stated, "A lack of phonemic awareness can lead to difficulties in reading comprehension and spelling" (Shanahan 2005, p. 30). Research further indicates that "children without this skill often develop reading difficulties that persist into later grades" (Shanahan 2005, p. 3). 

How to develop phonemic awareness: 

How to assess phonemic awareness: 

Citation: 

Shanahan, T. (2005). National Reading Panel Report, Learning Point Associates.