Identifying, segmenting, and blending are stages of which awareness?

The correct choice is phonological awareness. This concept encompasses the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds in spoken language, which are essential skills for developing reading abilities. Identifying, segmenting, and blending are critical components of phonological awareness.

Identifying involves recognizing individual sounds or phonemes in a word. Segmenting refers to the process of breaking a word down into its constituent sounds, and blending is the skill of combining those sounds to form words. These skills are foundational for young learners as they begin to connect spoken language with written symbols, ultimately supporting their ability to read proficiently.

In contrast, reading awareness primarily focuses on the understanding of the reading process itself rather than the sound structure of language. Linguistic awareness broadly addresses knowledge about language as a whole, including syntax and semantics, rather than specifically the phonological skills. Contextual awareness relates more to understanding how context influences the meaning of words and phrases in reading rather than the sound aspects tied to phonological skills.