Which skill is a powerful indicator of later reading success?

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words, which is a crucial skill for learning to read. It allows children to connect sounds to letters and words, which is important for reading fluency and comprehension. Comprehension, syntax, and vocabulary are also important for reading success, but they are more dependent on the foundation of phonemic awareness. Without a strong grasp of phonics, children may struggle to understand and use complex sentence structures and vocabulary, making comprehension and syntax less effective. Therefore, while all of these skills play a role in reading success, phonemic awareness is the most crucial indicator of later reading success.