When children sound out a word to try and figure what it is an example of?

When children sound out a word to try and figure out what it is, they are demonstrating phonemic awareness. This is a foundational literacy skill that involves understanding that spoken words are made up of individual sounds (phonemes).

Here's how it works:

1. Identifying sounds: The child breaks down the word into its individual sounds.

2. Matching sounds to letters: The child then connects these sounds to the corresponding letters in the word.

3. Blending sounds: The child blends the sounds together to create the whole word.

By practicing this process, children develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between sounds and letters, which ultimately helps them decode words and become fluent readers.