Phonemic Vs Phonological Awareness

Phonological Awareness is the basic skill to identify and influence the spoken part of the words.

The level of phonological awareness ranges from the simplest to the most complex matters like recognition of syllables, onset-rimes and phonemes. Similarly, Phonemic

Awareness is the innate human ability to recognize and modify the sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.

A student's phonological and phonemic awareness skills predict his/her success or failure during academic life. 

In this context, teachers and parents serve a significant role in helping the children to grow phonemic and phonological skills.

The article will discuss various aspects of Phonemic and Phonological awareness. 

Phonemic Skill – An Introduction

Long before a child learns to read, he/she becomes aware of how sounds in the spoken words function.

From a very early age, the children must understand that sounds and phonemes make words. 

Phonemes are the smallest unit in a spoken word making a difference in the meaning.

For example, you can change the first phoneme in the word ‘Night’ from ‘N’ to ‘R’.

The word becomes ‘Right’ from ‘Night’. Phonemes imply the sound of ‘R’ as /r/ and ‘N’ as /n/.

We can identify the children’s phonemic awareness based on various indications like-

a. Ability to recognize the words beginning with the same sound

b. Ability to isolate and utter the first or last sound of a word

c. Ability to combine different sounds in a word

d. Ability to break a word into different sounds

Ways to develop Phonemic and Phonological Skills

Phonological skill develops through several predictable stages.

Awareness of phonological sense is the fundamental feature of a child.

Therefore, a child gains hold of a strong vocabulary.

After this, the children learn to create basic sentences and use languages to express their feelings and communicate with others. 

Simple to Complex Stages of Phonological Skills 

1. Word Awareness 

Ability to track the words in sentences based on sounds.

2. Response to rhyme and alliterations 

How children are taught to recite rhymes in a playful manner from the rhyme books.

3. Awareness of Syllables

Separating and blending any word into syllables.

4. Manipulation of Onset and Rime

Ability to say a rhyming word based on the understanding of rhyme and to recognize the rhyming word.

5. Phoneme Awareness 

Recognize and match the first, middle and last sounds in a word, blend sounds in words, and manipulate the phonemes by adding or omitting sounds. 

According to several types of research, from the age of 4 to 9, the children go through the developing phases of Phonological skills.

Imitation, recognition, counting, clapping, distinction, creation, deletion, combination, segmentation, substitution, playing with sounds in every aspect come along with this process.

To conclude, the above information has focused on different aspects of phonological and phonemic awareness.

Children learn many facets of language in the initial 4-5 years, helping them in their long run.