ParaPro Assesment Practice Exam

What does it mean to have phonemic awareness?

1. To understand the meanings of words

2. To read with good speed

3. To hear and manipulate sounds in spoken language

4. To write with correct grammar

The correct answer is: To hear and manipulate sounds in spoken language

Having phonemic awareness involves the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds, or phonemes, in spoken words. This skill is fundamental to developing reading and writing abilities because it helps learners understand that words are composed of sounds. For instance, if a child can break the word "cat" into the sounds /k/, /æ/, and /t/, they are demonstrating phonemic awareness. It is a pivotal part of phonological awareness, which includes a broader range of sound-related skills, but specifically focuses on the smallest units of sound. Phonemic awareness doesn’t encompass understanding word meanings, reading speed, or writing grammar, which are all important language skills in their own rights but serve different functions in language development and literacy. Thus, the emphasis on manipulating sounds directly relates to how children learn to decode words and improve their reading skills.