Which of the following best describes a phonemic awareness skill?

The best description of a phonemic awareness skill is recognizing the sounds of letters and their combinations. Phonemic awareness involves the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken language. This foundational skill is crucial for developing reading and spelling abilities, as it helps children understand how sounds correspond to letters and how to blend those sounds together to form words.

Other aspects, such as writing the alphabet in order or sounding out letters while reading, are related skills but do not directly capture the essence of phonemic awareness. They involve the application of phonemic understanding rather than the recognition of sounds themselves. Additionally, understanding the meaning of words pertains to vocabulary and comprehension, which are different from the phonemic awareness skills focused purely on sound recognition.