They enter high school with the ability to read only at an elementary school level. For many, the work becomes too difficult and they end up dropping out of high school. For those who go on to graduate, the picture is not much better. These young adults cannot participate fully in a society such as ours, where expectations for reading and writing arise in almost every daily activity. Further, they miss out on the joys of reading and are poorly prepared as parents to help their own children become ready to read.
Phonological sensitivity involves understanding that words are made up of smaller sounds.
Children who have better phonological sensitivity as indicated by their ability to answer questions such as these learn to read quicker and better than children who have trouble with these tasks. Well-developed phonological sensitivity promotes the development of reading because letters in written language correspond to phonemes, e.g., the letter B makes the buh sound. Research with school-age children indicates that most poor readers have poor phonological sensitivity skills. Children's phonological sensitivity begins to develop during the preschool years. Unless children are given help from teachers, parents, or other adults, those with low levels of phonological sensitivity will continue to be delayed in this skill from the late preschool period forward.