It is the ability to recognize and comprehend at the word level.

• A. Phonemic awareness
• B. Discourse
• C. Integration
• D. Needs analysis

Answer: (A)

This item tests phonemic awareness—the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words. Recognizing and comprehending at the word level relies on this skill because understanding how sounds map to letters allows readers to decode and form words, which is the foundation for recognizing words quickly and grasping meaning as they read. When learners can segment and blend phonemes, they can decode unfamiliar words more efficiently, supporting fluent reading and comprehension.

Discourse involves understanding language beyond single words, such as sentences and connected text. Integration is about combining different literacy skills, and needs analysis focuses on identifying learners’ learning requirements. These concepts are not about the word-level sound structures that phonemic awareness targets.