A kindergarten student struggling to identify beginning, middle, and ending sounds in CVC words is demonstrating difficulties with which aspect of language?

The correct answer highlights phonemic awareness, which is the ability to recognize and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words. When a kindergarten student struggles to identify the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, it indicates they have difficulty segmenting these sounds, a fundamental skill associated with phonemic awareness. Developing this skill is essential for literacy, as it lays the groundwork for reading and spelling.

Phonemic awareness focuses specifically on sounds, distinguishing it from broader phonological skills, which include awareness of rhymes and syllables. This distinction explains why phonemic awareness is the most relevant aspect of language concerning the student's identified issues, enabling effective instruction to enhance their reading abilities.