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When we picture a child learning to read, we might imagine them matching words with pictures or pointing to sentences on a page. But long before they even get to that stage, a crucial skill needs to be developed first: phonological awareness, which is the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the sounds that make up spoken words. At Turning Pages, we believe that strengthening phonological awareness is one of the best ways to set up learners for success in reading and spelling.

What Is Phonological Awareness?

Phonological awareness is sensitivity to the sound structure of language. This includes:

• Recognizing syllables (“but-ter-fly”)

• Rhyming and alliteration (“cat,” “bat,” “hat”)

• Blending sounds ( /c/ + /a/ + /t/ → “cat” )

• Segmenting sounds ( “stop” → /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/ )

• Deleting or substituting sounds ( “smile” without /s/ → “mile” )

These tasks are all “spoken language” tasks — no letters yet. They help train the ear and brain to notice and play with the sound pieces on which reading and spelling rely.

Why It Matters for Reading

Research shows that phonological awareness is a strong predictor of later reading success. Students who struggle to hear or manipulate sounds often hit walls when they begin sounding out words. With a weak phonological base, learners may also mix up letters, causing them to struggle with spelling or avoid reading altogether. On the other hand, students with strong phonological awareness can more readily map sounds onto letters, decode unfamiliar words, and develop fluent reading.

How Turning Pages Supports This Skill

At Turning Pages, phonological awareness training is one of our core services. We weave these explicit, structured, multisensory tasks into our tutoring because they serve as stepping stones to phonics and decoding. We also offer phonological awareness educator training so teachers can bring these practices into classrooms.

Tips You Can Try Today

• Play rhyme games: “What rhymes with ‘dog’?”

• Clap syllables in words like “to-ma-to”

• Segment sounds in short words (say “cat,” then break it into /c/ /a/ /t/)

• Blend fun (give separate sounds, ask the learner to put them together)

Reading starts to make sense when students develop a strong ear for sounds. This makes reading feel less like a confusing puzzle and more like a skill they can master. That’s the heart of what Turning Pages does: equipping every learner with the tools and confidence to become a successful reader.