What method can educators use to assess a student's phonological awareness?

Assessing a student's phonological awareness can be effectively accomplished through tasks like blending syllables. This method directly evaluates the student’s ability to manipulate sounds, which is a key component of phonological awareness. When students are asked to blend syllables, they demonstrate their understanding of how individual phonemes come together to form words. This skill is foundational for reading and writing since it relates to sound structure in language.

Other activities, while beneficial in different contexts, do not specifically target phonological awareness. For instance, reciting poems by heart may enhance fluency and memorization skills but does not directly assess a student’s ability to analyze sound patterns. Counting pages read can indicate reading practice or engagement, but it does not reflect the student's understanding of phonological elements. Completing grammar worksheets focuses on written language and syntax rather than sound awareness. Overall, blending syllables is the most precise method to assess phonological awareness, making it the optimal choice.