Phonemes

Phonemes

What is it?

Any of the abstract units of the phonetic system of a language that correspond to a set of similar speech sounds (such as the velar \k\ of cool and the palatal \k\ of keel) which are perceived to be a single distinctive sound in the language.

(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phoneme)

Why is it important?

Phonemes are the building blocks of words; it's basically impossible to be capable of reading and writing without knowing what phonemes are. An understanding of phonemes is a great (and necessary) skill for a child to have because they recognize that letters have their own sounds and that these sounds can change depending on where the letters are at in the word. By having this skill, children can approach unknown words with prior knowledge that can aid them in sounding the word out and discovering what it is. This same idea can go for writing as well; phonemes make learning how to read and write much easier and can gauge where a student is at developmentally (in terms of phonics).