PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: THE IMPORTANCE OF STIMULATION FOR THE FUTURE PROCESS LITERACY

Literacy is a crucial element for children’s academic and cognitive development, and phonological awareness is fundamental in this process. This study investigates the importance of stimulating phonological awareness in Early Childhood Education for future literacy success. Through a literature review, we explore how phonological awareness, defined as the ability to understand and manipulate speech sounds, directly influences the learning of reading and writing. Methods such as literature review and analysis of reliable sources such as EBSCO, Google Scholar and Scielo were used to identify best educational practices. The results reveal that early interventions in phonological awareness not only prepare children for literacy, but also significantly improve their reading, text comprehension and spelling skills. Educational strategies that involve rhyming games, word segmentation activities and storytelling are highlighted as effective in engaging students in a playful and interactive way. We conclude that investing in phonological awareness from the earliest years of life is crucial for the full development of children’s linguistic, cognitive and social skills, promoting meaningful and sustainable learning.