What skill is developed when a child can recognize and match beginning sounds in words?

The skill that is developed when a child can recognize and match beginning sounds in words is known as onset recognition. This refers specifically to the ability to identify the initial sounds or phonemes in words, which is essential for developing phonemic awareness. Recognizing and matching initial sounds aids children in understanding that words can be broken down into individual sounds, which will later help them in tasks such as spelling and reading.

While breaking words into syllables involves understanding the parts of words that correspond to vowel sounds, recognizing rhymes focuses more on the ending sounds that are similar across different words. Blending sounds pertains to combining individual phonemes to form a complete word, which is not the same as identifying initial sounds. Therefore, onset recognition is the precise skill being referenced, as it lays the foundation for further literacy skills related to phonetics and word structure.