Phonological Awareness: The Pre-Reading Skill Every Parent Should Know

Long before children read their first word, they start noticing how spoken words sound: that "cat" and "hat" rhyme, that "baseball" has two parts, that "ball" and "bear" start the same way. That noticing has a name, phonological awareness, and it's one of the building blocks of reading. Here's what it is, how it develops, and how you can build it through play you're probably already doing.

What is phonological awareness?

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) defines phonological awareness as "the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds of spoken words." It describes it as an umbrella term that covers basic levels of sound awareness, such as rhyming, alliteration, and the syllables within words, as well as more advanced levels, such as identifying the beginning and ending sounds within words.^[1]

The key word is spoken. Phonological awareness is about listening to and playing with sounds, not about letters on a page. Nemours Children's Health describes it as "a specialized type of listening skill that is necessary for children to learn to read."^[2]

Phonological awareness vs. phonemic awareness vs. phonics

These terms sound alike, but they aren't quite the same thing:

• Phonological awareness is the broad skill of noticing and working with the sound parts of spoken words, from rhymes and syllables down to single sounds.^[1]
• Phonemic awareness is the most detailed level: hearing the individual sounds in a word, such as knowing that "bat" is made of b – a – t.^[2] Phonemes are "the smallest units composing spoken language," according to the National Reading Panel, which gives the example that "go" and "she" each have two phonemes.^[4]
• Phonics is different again. The National Reading Panel describes phonics instruction as teaching children "how to use letter-sound relations to read or spell words," and notes that children can practice manipulating sounds in speech without any letters at all.^[4]

The skills, from easier to harder

Children usually work from larger, easier-to-hear sound units toward smaller ones. Nemours lists these key skills:^[2]

IES likewise describes a developmental path in which children move from the basic levels (rhyming, alliteration, syllables) to more advanced levels, like identifying the beginning and ending sounds within words.^[1]

At what age does phonological awareness develop?

According to Nemours, a child's emerging phonological awareness "starts with enjoyment of stories, poems and songs that have rhyming or alliteration." Starting around age 3 or 4, children begin to show more skill at playing with words by changing sounds or syllables, and that's the point where Nemours suggests activities that focus directly on breaking apart and blending word parts.^[2]

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) includes two phonological awareness skills in its milestones for children 4 to 5 years old: blending word parts, like "cup + cake = cupcake," and identifying some rhyming words, like "cat" and "hat."^[3] ASHA also reminds parents that "each child develops uniquely," and that children may meet some milestones earlier or later than others.^[3]

Why does phonological awareness matter for reading?

To sound out a new word, a child has to connect letters to the sounds they stand for, and that's much easier when they can already hear those sounds in spoken words. The National Reading Panel put it this way: to use letter-sound information, "children need phonemic awareness." They need to blend sounds together to decode words and break spoken words into sounds to write them.^[4]

The research on instruction points the same way. After a meta-analysis of the studies that met its criteria, the National Reading Panel concluded that teaching phonemic awareness "significantly improves their reading more than instruction that lacks any attention to PA," and that children of varying abilities improved.^[4] IES notes that developing phonological awareness is "an essential step in learning to read."^[1]

ASHA also describes strong links between spoken and written language, including "the role of phonological awareness in decoding." It reports that in preschool and kindergarten, children at risk for reading disorders are likely to have difficulty with phonological awareness and phonics.^[5]

Simple ways to build phonological awareness at home

None of this needs worksheets. Suggestions from Nemours and Understood.org fit easily into ordinary days:^{[2, 7]}

• Read rhyming books and nursery rhymes. Nemours calls stories, poems, and nursery rhymes with rhyme and alliteration a great way to introduce phonological awareness.^[2] Understood.org suggests asking your child to pick out the rhyming words.^[7]
• Clap the beats. Clap, tap, or stomp once for each syllable in a word, or once for each word in a nursery rhyme.^{[2, 7]}
• Start with compound words. Nemours suggests familiar words like cupcake, football, and toothbrush, with real objects or pictures as reminders.^[2]
• Use names. Play with names that rhyme (Pam/Sam) or start with the same sound (Bill/Betsy).^[2]
• Play "I spy" with sounds. Understood.org notes that guessing games like "I spy" can work on almost any phonological skill.^[7] You might try "I spy something that starts with /m/."
• Sing. According to Understood.org, singing "is a great way to get kids rhyming."^[7]

Keep it light and short, and follow your child's interest. For more ideas, see our home activities page.

When is it worth asking a professional?

Many children pick up rhyming and sound play easily; others need more practice. ASHA lists "learning words to songs and rhymes" and "matching sounds to letters" among the signs that a child may have a learning disability, and it recommends getting help "as early as possible."^[6] If your child is well into the preschool or kindergarten years and still finds rhyming, clapping syllables, or hearing first sounds very hard, or if they've had speech or language delays, that's a good reason to ask their teacher or a speech-language pathologist (SLP). An SLP can look at how your child listens, speaks, reads, and writes.^[6] You can learn more about reading and literacy support or read about how SLPs help children with dyslexia.

The bottom line

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and play with the sounds in spoken words, and research ties it closely to learning to read. Rhymes, clapping games, silly songs, and "I spy" are simple ways to practice together. If you're unsure whether your child's sound skills are on track, a conversation with a speech-language pathologist can help you understand where they are and what might help next.

Speech Me Therapy

Pediatric Speech-Language Therapy · Phoenix, AZ

Articles from Speech Me Therapy, a pediatric speech-language therapy practice in North Phoenix serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, and families across Arizona by telehealth. Our posts summarize published guidance from professional and public health organizations; sources are listed at the end of every article.