Arkansas Foundations of Reading Test (FORT)

Which skill is considered the most advanced in phonological awareness development?

1. Recognizing rhyming words

2. Ability to break words into syllables

3. Phonemic awareness

4. Awareness of syllables

The correct answer is: Recognizing rhyming words

The most advanced skill in phonological awareness development is phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness involves the ability to recognize and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. This skill is critical because it allows children to understand how sounds correspond to letters and words, which is essential for reading and spelling. In contrast, recognizing rhyming words involves identifying commonending sounds in words, which is an important foundational skill but not as sophisticated as manipulating individual phonemes. Similarly, breaking words into syllables and awareness of syllables focus on larger sound units rather than the smallest sound units, which limits their complexity compared to phonemic awareness. Developing strong phonemic awareness supports later reading success, as it is closely linked to the ability to decode and spell words.