In which stage of Chall's Stages of Reading do students gain phonemic awareness?

Phonemic awareness is a crucial skill in early reading development, primarily occurring in the initial stages of reading instruction. The correct stage in which students gain phonemic awareness is the Pre Reading Stage. During this stage, children begin to develop an understanding of the sounds in spoken language, which is essential for later reading success.

This stage focuses on preparing students for the skills they will need in reading, including recognizing and manipulating sounds, which are foundational components of phonemic awareness. As they engage in activities such as rhyming games and sound matching, they deepen their understanding of how sounds form words, setting the stage for later decoding abilities.

The other stages do not specifically emphasize the development of phonemic awareness to the extent found in the Pre Reading Stage. Additionally, the Developing stage and the Read and Decode Phase typically involve more advanced skills such as fluency and comprehension, while the Construction stage focuses on constructing meaning from text rather than the foundational skills.