This article addresses theoretical issues and possible problems related to the assessment of phonemic awareness. The authors present a definition of phonemic awareness and consider its clinical significance in the acquisition and self-regulation of verbal and written language. The skills involved in assessment, the task procedures used and the response requirements made in current measures of phonemic awareness are identified and discussed. Included is an examination of several commercially available tests as well as tasks used in research studies. The authors caution researchers and practitioners about formulating broad interpretations of what children know about sounds given the variations in descriptions, developmental expectations and functions of phonemic awareness.
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