Which of the following best defines phonemic awareness?

Phonemic awareness is fundamentally the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds, or phonemes, in spoken words. This skill is crucial for young learners as it lays the groundwork for effective reading and writing. Being phonemically aware allows children to recognize how sounds are connected to the letters that represent them, enabling them to decode words while reading and to encode words when writing.

This ability is distinct from other literacy skills, such as silent reading fluency or comprehension of written texts, which involve understanding and interpreting written language rather than auditory processing of sounds. Similarly, manipulating visual symbols pertains more to the broader skill of literacy development rather than the specific auditory focus of phonemic awareness. Thus, the defining feature of phonemic awareness is its emphasis on the sound structure of language, making C the best choice to define this vital skill.