Arkansas Foundations of Reading Test (FORT)

What is the typical progression of phonological awareness skills?

1. Recognizing rhyming words, producing same initial sound, awareness of syllables, breaking words into syllables, blending and segmenting onset and rime

2. Being able to read simple sentences, recognizing complex words, starting with single syllables, blending syllables

3. Learning letter names, writing complete paragraphs, understanding loud reading

4. Producing vowel sounds, recognizing silent letters, segmenting and blending complex sentences

The correct answer is: Recognizing rhyming words, producing same initial sound, awareness of syllables, breaking words into syllables, blending and segmenting onset and rime

The typical progression of phonological awareness skills begins with basic listening and recognizing sounds in words, then moves towards more complex tasks involving segmentation and blending. Recognizing rhyming words is often the first step, as it involves the ability to hear and identify similar sounds at the end of words. Following this, producing the same initial sound across different words demonstrates a deeper level of sound awareness. As children develop their skills further, they become aware of syllables, which involves recognizing the individual beats in words. This understanding leads to breaking words into syllables, allowing them to identify and manipulate these smaller sound units with greater ease. Finally, blending and segmenting onset and rime refers to working with the initial consonant sound (onset) and the rime (the vowel and any following consonants), providing foundational skills that support reading and writing. This progression is crucial because it reflects the developmental stages of how young children come to understand and manipulate the sounds in their language, which is essential for later reading skills. The other options do not accurately reflect the systematic development of phonological awareness, focusing instead on reading skills or unrelated concepts.