Which early skill predicts superior reading ability in later years, in addition to discriminating letters?

Phonemic awareness is considered a foundational skill that significantly predicts superior reading ability in later years. This skill involves the ability to recognize and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Research indicates that children who develop strong phonemic awareness are better equipped to decode words when they start to read, as they can sound out words based on their understanding of the sounds that make up those words.

Phonemic awareness supports the development of other essential reading skills, such as decoding and spelling, which are critical as children advance in their literacy journey. It lays the groundwork for understanding the relationship between sounds and letters, which further aids in the development of reading fluency and comprehension.

In contrast, while vocabulary development, fluency in speech, and understanding the alphabetic principle are all important aspects of literacy, they build upon the foundational skill of phonemic awareness. For example, while vocabulary is crucial for overall comprehension, a child needs to be able to decode words effectively to access and learn new vocabulary. Similarly, fluency in speech supports verbal communication but does not specifically focus on the decoding skills necessary for reading, and the alphabetic principle relates to understanding letter-sound correspondences, which is fundamentally rooted in phonemic awareness. Therefore, phonemic awareness