Phonological Awareness and School Success

August 12, 2026

Understanding Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness refers to a child’s ability to recognise and work with the sounds in spoken language. It involves understanding that words can be broken down into smaller sound units and being able to identify and manipulate those sounds.

For example, a child may learn that cat and hat rhyme, recognise the syllables in a longer word, identify the first sound in sun, or combine individual sounds to form a complete word.

Phonological awareness is different from simply knowing the alphabet. A child may be able to name many letters but still find it difficult to identify the sounds within spoken words. Developing these sound-based skills provides an important foundation for learning how spoken language connects with written language.

As children progress through school, phonological awareness supports reading, spelling, word recognition, and written language. Strong foundations can make it easier for children to approach new words and literacy tasks with greater confidence.

Why This Matters in Dubai’s Multicultural Context

Dubai is a highly multicultural environment where many children grow up hearing and using more than one language. A child may speak one language with family members, learn primarily in English at school, and hear Arabic or another language in the wider community.

Growing up with multiple languages does not automatically cause phonological awareness difficulties or speech and language delays. However, a child’s complete language background should be considered when looking at their communication and literacy development.

Children may encounter different sounds, vocabulary systems, and language structures across the languages they hear. This makes it important for parents and educators to consider the child’s overall communication skills rather than looking at one language in isolation.

If a child is consistently struggling with sound awareness, reading, spelling, or classroom literacy activities, a professional assessment can help determine whether the difficulties are related to phonological awareness or another area of communication and learning.

5 Important Phonological Awareness Skills That Support School Success

1. Recognising Rhyming Words

One of the early phonological awareness skills children develop is the ability to recognise rhyming words. Children begin to notice that words such as cat, hat, and mat have similar ending sounds.

Rhyming activities help children pay attention to the sounds within words rather than focusing only on what the words mean. Songs, nursery rhymes, and storybooks naturally provide opportunities for children to hear and identify rhyming patterns.

Parents can ask simple questions such as, “Do cat and hat sound the same at the end?” or “Can you think of a word that rhymes with sun?”

Developing awareness of rhyme helps children become more sensitive to the sound patterns of spoken language, which supports later literacy development.

2. Understanding Syllables

Children also need to recognise that words can be divided into syllables. A syllable is a part of a spoken word that contains a beat or sound unit.

For example, apple can be broken into two parts, while banana contains three syllables.

Parents can make syllable practice playful by asking children to clap the parts of familiar words. Children can clap while saying their own name, family members’ names, animals, foods, or favourite toys.

This activity helps children notice the internal structure of words and prepares them for more detailed sound awareness.

3. Identifying Beginning and Ending Sounds

As phonological awareness develops, children begin to pay attention to individual sounds within words. Identifying beginning sounds is an important step.

For example, a child may recognise that ball begins with /b/ and sun begins with /s/.

Children can also gradually learn to identify ending sounds. Parents can ask questions such as, “What sound do you hear at the beginning of moon?” or “What sound do you hear at the end of dog?”

These activities help children listen carefully to the sound structure of words and prepare them to connect spoken sounds with written letters.

4. Blending Sounds Together

Blending is the ability to combine individual sounds to form a complete word. For example, a child may hear /m/ /a/ /p/ and blend these sounds together to say map.

This skill becomes particularly important when children begin reading unfamiliar words. They need to look at the letters, identify the corresponding sounds, and combine those sounds to work out the word.

Children who find blending difficult may struggle to sound out words during early reading. Structured and playful blending activities can help them gradually develop this ability.

5. Segmenting Words Into Individual Sounds

Segmenting is the ability to break a spoken word into its individual sounds. For example, a child may hear dog and identify the sounds /d/ /o/ /g/.

This skill is particularly important for spelling because children need to hear the individual sounds in a word before deciding which letters represent those sounds.

Parents can begin with simple words and encourage children to listen carefully to each sound. As the child’s skills develop, longer and more complex words can gradually be introduced.

Strong segmentation skills can help children become more confident when spelling and writing unfamiliar words.

Real-Life Success Story: A Dubai Family’s Journey

The Challenge

A seven-year-old child living in Dubai was experiencing difficulties with early reading and spelling. Although the child could recognise many individual letters, they struggled to blend sounds together when reading unfamiliar words.

During spelling activities, the child frequently left out sounds or found it difficult to identify all the sounds within a word. Homework became frustrating, and the child began avoiding reading and writing activities.

The parents initially believed that the child simply needed more reading practice. However, despite regular practice, progress remained limited. They decided to seek professional guidance to understand the underlying difficulty.

Our Approach

At SLT by Earncey, a comprehensive speech and language assessment was carried out to understand the child’s communication and early literacy skills.

The assessment looked at phonological awareness skills including rhyming, syllable awareness, beginning sounds, sound identification, blending, and segmenting. The child’s language skills and sound-letter knowledge were also considered.

A personalised therapy programme was then developed. Sessions included structured sound activities, word games, picture-based exercises, blending practice, segmenting activities, and early reading tasks.

The parents were also given simple activities to practise at home so that the child could continue developing these skills in a comfortable and supportive environment.

The Progress

With consistent support, the child gradually became more confident in identifying and manipulating sounds. Blending activities became easier, and the child began approaching unfamiliar words with greater confidence.

Spelling also became more manageable as the child developed a stronger understanding of how words could be broken into individual sounds.

Most importantly, the child’s attitude towards literacy activities began to change. Reading and spelling became less frustrating, and the child became more willing to participate in classroom and home learning activities.

How Speech Therapy Helps Children With Phonological Awareness

1. Comprehensive Communication Assessment

Every child has different strengths and areas of difficulty. Speech and language therapy begins with understanding the child’s individual communication and literacy profile.

The assessment may look at phonological awareness, speech sounds, vocabulary, language comprehension, sound-letter knowledge, early reading, and spelling. This helps identify the specific areas that may be affecting the child’s progress.

2. Individualised Therapy Sessions

Based on the assessment findings, a personalised therapy programme can be created to match the child’s developmental level and learning needs.

Therapy may include rhyming activities, syllable awareness exercises, sound identification, blending, segmenting, and sound-letter activities. Sessions can be delivered through games, stories, pictures, and interactive activities to keep children engaged.

The aim is to help children develop important skills gradually while building confidence in their ability to communicate and learn.

3. Parent Coaching and Home Support

Parents play an important role in reinforcing phonological awareness skills outside therapy sessions.

Speech and language therapists can provide families with practical activities that can be incorporated into everyday routines. Reading together, playing rhyming games, clapping syllables, identifying beginning sounds, and practising simple sound blending can all create opportunities for learning.

Consistent practice at home can help children apply the skills they develop during therapy to everyday reading and writing activities.

Conclusion

Phonological awareness is an important foundation for children’s reading, spelling, and overall school success. Skills such as recognising rhymes, identifying syllables, noticing beginning and ending sounds, blending sounds, and segmenting words help children understand how spoken language is structured.

As children move through school, these skills support their ability to connect sounds with letters, decode unfamiliar words, spell, and develop confidence with literacy. When children experience persistent difficulties in these areas, early identification and appropriate support can make a meaningful difference.

At SLT by Earncey, we understand that every child’s learning journey is unique. Through personalised assessment, structured therapy activities, and parent support, we help children strengthen the communication and literacy foundations they need for successful learning.

If your child is struggling with sounds, early reading, spelling, or other literacy activities, professional guidance can help identify the areas where support may be needed and provide a clear path towards progress.