What is an example of a writing activity that supports phonemic awareness?

Using invented spelling is an effective writing activity that supports phonemic awareness because it encourages young children to experiment with their understanding of sounds and letters. When children engage in invented spelling, they listen to the individual phonemes in words and attempt to represent those sounds with letters. This process directly connects phonemic awareness—the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in spoken language—with writing, as children must think critically about the sounds they hear and how to translate those sounds into written symbols.

Invented spelling allows children to express their thoughts creatively while still developing essential literacy skills. For example, if a child hears the word "cat," they may write "kat" or "katt." This not only shows their grasp of the sounds in the word but also encourages them to think about spelling patterns, which reinforces their understanding of phonemic concepts. As children practice invented spelling, they also build their confidence in writing and literacy acquisition.