Final answer:
Understanding that words are composed of individual sounds is a crucial literacy development milestone as it lays the foundation for phonemic awareness. This ability is key for children to decode written language, enabling them to spell and read proficiently. By age five, most children have developed this understanding, which signifies a big step towards reading fluency.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Shaywitz, recognizing that spoken words can be deconstructed into individual sounds is a critical milestone in a child's cognitive development, and it indicates they are on the road to reading. Understanding phonemes—the distinct units of sound that distinguish one word from another in a language—is foundational for reading. The process begins with babies discriminating between the sounds of different languages, and by around one year, they start to specialize in the phonemes of their own language environment.
Early language development progresses from one-word utterances, which can carry more meaning than the single word might suggest, to the ability to carry on conversations and recognize letters and words by the age of five. Phonemic awareness allows children to understand that words are composed of sounds which they can manipulate to form new words, setting the stage for spelling and reading proficiency.
Understanding the connection between letters as visual symbols and sounds as auditory information is crucial. This is exemplified by Helen Keller's experience with finger spelling, which provided her with foundational access to language. Ultimately, the recognition of the relationship between letters and sounds enables children to decode the written language, leading them to become successful readers.