Final answer:
The correct answer is D. Splash, skin, provides the best opportunity to emphasize the onset in words because it features consonant blends that can be elongated, aiding children in phonemic awareness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best set of words for stretching out the onset to support children's ability to perceive it is splash, skin. These words allow the teacher to emphasize and elongate the initial consonant sounds, which is beneficial for children's phonetic awareness. The words 'splash' and 'skin' begin with the consonant blends 'spl' and 'sk', respectively, which are ideal for this purpose because the teacher can slowly pronounce each consonant within the blend before reaching the vowel sound. The onset in a word is the consonant or consonant blend that precedes the vowel of the syllable. Having distinct and consonant-rich onsets makes it easier for children to grasp the concept of how words are constructed by separating the initial sounds from the rest of the word (the rime).
When teaching phonemic awareness, onsets and rimes are critical concepts. The onset is the part of the syllable that precedes the vowel, while the rime is the part that includes the vowel and any subsequent consonants within the syllable. For example, in the word 'splash', 'spl' is the onset and 'ash' is the rime.