Phonological Awareness Checklist — 8 Levels (Free PDF)

The eight levels of hearing sounds in words, from counting words to swapping single sounds — all oral, no letters needed.

What’s inside

• An instructions page: work through the levels in order.
• Level 1 Word awareness (age 2–3), Level 2 Syllable awareness (age 3–4: hel-lo, el-e-phant), Level 3 Rhyme, Level 4 Onset-rime.
• Level 5 Phoneme isolation, Level 6 Blending, Level 7 Segmentation, Level 8 Manipulation — each with example activities.

How to use it

1. Start at the level where your child is comfortable.
2. Try the example activities on that page over a few days.
3. Move up when they're easy; step back when they're not.
4. Keep it playful — these are games, not drills.

Watch out for

• These are listening skills; a child doesn't need to know any letters to work through them.
• Level 8 (swapping sounds) is hard even for some 6-year-olds — it's fine to work on reading before it's solid.
• If a level stays hard for weeks, go back one level and make it a game.

Who it’s for

Ages 2–6, before and alongside the first letter sounds.

Where it fits: Stage 0 — Getting Ready

Goes well with

• Phonological Awareness: 8-Level Progression with Ready Activities
• Onset and Rime: The Pre-Phonics Skill That Doubles Decoding Speed
• Lesson: hearing rhyme