Define phonemic awareness in the context of literacy.

Phonemic awareness is indeed defined as the ability to recognize and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. This foundational skill is crucial for developing reading and spelling abilities. It involves activities such as identifying, segmenting, blending, and manipulating sounds, often without any accompanying print. This skill lays the groundwork for understanding the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and letters (graphemes), which is essential for effective reading and writing. As students gain phonemic awareness, they become more equipped to decode written language, making it a vital component in early literacy development.