New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) Early Childhood Practice Test 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

Phonological awareness encompasses a range of skills related to the sounds of spoken language, and understanding syllables and rhymes is a vital component of this. Specifically, phonological awareness includes the ability to recognize and manipulate different sound units such as words, syllables, onsets and rimes, and individual phonemes.

Recognizing syllables helps children understand the structure of words; for example, knowing that the word "banana" consists of three syllables can assist in their overall language development. Additionally, appreciating rhymes enhances their sensitivity to sounds and can facilitate early reading skills as they become aware of sound patterns.

This choice captures the broad nature of phonological awareness, which is not limited to just hearing phonemes in isolation or grapheme-phoneme mappings. Those skills are more specific aspects of phonemic awareness, while decoding written text pertains to reading skills rather than phonological awareness directly. Therefore, the understanding of syllables and rhymes fundamentally supports a child's ability to read and write by reinforcing their awareness of the sound structures of their language.