If you’re helping your child learn to read, you’ve probably heard about phonics—but have you heard of phonemic awareness?
So what is phonemic awareness? Well, it is one of the 5 Pillars of Reading and is considered the most foundational skill a child needs to become a confident, skilled reader.
Today, I’m eager to share more about this essential skill. I’ll explain what phonemic awareness is (and what it’s not!) and help you understand why it is so important for early reading success. Finally, I’ll leave you with fun and ways to help build phonemic awareness at home.
What is Phonemic Awareness?
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, recognize, and play with individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
A child with strong phonemic awareness can:
✔️ Recognize words that begin with the same sound (“Cat and car both start with /k/!”)
✔️ Blend sounds to form a word (“/b/ /a/ /t/ makes bat!“)
✔️ Break a word into separate sounds (“Dog has three sounds: /d/ /o/ /g/.”)
✔️ Change sounds in words to make new words (“Say cat, now change the /c/ to /h/. What’s the new word?” (hat))Phonemic awareness is an oral skill—your child does not need to see or write letters to practice it!
How is Phonemic Awareness Different from Phonics?
Phonemic awareness is not the same as phonics. The two do work together but are not the same.
🎧 Phonemic Awareness is about sounds only. It is an oral skill that a child can do it with their eyes closed! For example, a child practicing phonemic awareness might hear the word dog and break it into /d/ /o/ /g/.
Phonics is when we connect sounds to written letters (visual + auditory skill). A child practicing phonics would see the word dog, match each sound to its letter, and read the word.
Why is Phonemic Awareness So Important?
Decades of research show that phonemic awareness is one of the best predictors of future reading success.
A child with strong phonemic awareness will have an easier time learning phonics, decoding words, and becoming a fluent reader.
Without phonemic awareness, reading can feel frustrating. A child might struggle to sound out words, guess at words, or feel overwhelmed when learning to read.
Ways to Build Phonemic Awareness at Home
The best part? You don’t need worksheets or flashcards! Phonemic awareness can be practiced anywhere—during car rides, at bath time, or while cooking dinner.
1. Play “I Spy” with Sounds
“I spy something that starts with /b/!” (ball, banana, book)
“I spy something that ends with /t/!” (hat, cat, boat)
2. Blend Sounds Together
Say a word slowly, sound by sound (“/c/ /a/ /t/”). Ask your child to guess the word!
3. Segment Words into Sounds
Say a short word (“dog”) and ask your child to break it into its sounds (“/d/ /o/ /g/”).
4. Change a Sound, Make a New Word
“Say ‘map.’ Now change the /m/ to /t/. What’s the new word?” (tap!)
5. Clap the Syllables
Ask your child to clap the syllables in their name or favorite foods (“ap-ple” = 2 claps!).
6. Read Books with Rhymes & Alliteration
Books like Brown Bear, Brown Bear or Chicka Chicka Boom Boom naturally build phonemic awareness through playful language. You can also sing nursery rhymes or silly songs—rhyme and rhythm make sounds easier to hear!
Phonemic awareness is one of the most powerful skills your child needs in order to read. By playing with sounds in everyday moments, you’re helping them build the foundation they need to become a strong, confident reader!
✨ Which phonemic awareness activity are you excited to try? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear from you!