Is phonological awareness a strong predictor of later reading success?

• A. Only if combined with math skills
• B. Yes; strong phonological awareness in early years predicts decoding and reading success
• C. No; it's irrelevant
• D. It predicts later math success

Answer: (B)

Phonological awareness is recognizing and manipulating sounds in spoken language, like rhymes, syllables, and individual phonemes. This skill is essential for decoding because reading relies on turning those sounds into letters and blending them to form words. When children show strong phonological awareness in the early years, they typically develop decoding skills more quickly, which leads to stronger reading growth over time. So, it’s a strong predictor of later reading success. The other statements miss the connection: math skills aren’t the main predictor for reading, and phonological awareness isn’t irrelevant or a predictor of math outcomes.