How can playing with words and sounds benefit young children?

Playing with words and sounds plays a crucial role in developing phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. This skill is foundational for reading and writing, as it helps children understand how letters correspond to sounds. Engaging in activities like rhyming, singing, and engaging in wordplay encourages children to explore and experiment with language, making them more adept at recognizing and producing phonemes. As a result, this active participation enhances their overall literacy development and prepares them for future reading success.