Preschool to 1st Grade Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the sounds of the language. It is important because it is the primary predictor of early reading and spelling skills in kindergarten through 2nd grade. Dr. Seuss and Mother Goose are the king and queen of phonemic awareness. You should introduce your children to both of these literary luminaries and continue to make them a part of your read-aloud sessions.
Phonemic awareness is all about hearing sounds and has nothing to do with the printed letters.
Reciting rhymes, producing rhyming words, clapping sounds and syllables, and playing word games are all activities that strengthen phonemic awareness. Phonemic Awareness in Young Children , by Adams, Foorman, Lundberg, and Beeler, is written for classroom teachers, but many parents find it to be a wonderful source of activities to do at home. Place a few common objects into a bag. Invest in at least one or two Mother Goose collections, a book of finger plays and rhymes, and an anthology of children's poetry. Marc Tolon Brown, Play Rhymes.