What is Phonological Awareness?

Phonological awareness involves the ability to recognize and manipulate the sound units in spoken language, including words, syllables, and individual phonemes. When a person understands that spoken words can be broken down into smaller sound parts, they are demonstrating phonological awareness. This skill is crucial for developing reading abilities, as it lays the foundation for decoding words and understanding how sounds correspond to letters.

The other options focus on different aspects of language and literacy. Understanding syntax and grammar rules pertains more to sentence structure and the relationships between words in a language. Recognizing the structure of written language relates to how text is organized visually and conceptually rather than focusing on its sound components. Developing comprehension skills through retelling emphasizes understanding and summarizing content rather than the auditory processing of sounds in speech.