What is one of the essential components of reading instruction identified by the National Reading Panel?

Phonemic awareness is a fundamental component of reading instruction highlighted by the National Reading Panel because it refers to the ability to recognize and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words. This skill is crucial for developing reading proficiency, as it lays the groundwork for phonics, wherein students learn the relationship between sounds and their corresponding letters or groups of letters. Mastering phonemic awareness enables learners to decode words effectively, which is essential for fluent reading.

Developing phonemic awareness is typically achieved through activities that encourage students to hear and work with sounds, such as rhyming, sound segmentation, and blending. This skill is especially important for early readers, as it directly correlates with their ability to learn to read and ultimately impacts their overall literacy development. The emphasis the National Reading Panel places on phonemic awareness reflects its significance in a comprehensive reading curriculum.