Certification Examinations for Oklahoma Educators (CEOE) Practice Exam

What instructional goal is promoted by having preschool children name pictures and produce initial sounds?

1. Developing rich vocabulary

2. Encouraging expressive language

3. Promoting the concept of taking turns

4. Practicing phonemic awareness

The correct answer is: Practicing phonemic awareness

The goal of having preschool children name pictures and produce initial sounds is fundamentally linked to practicing phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness refers to the ability to recognize and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words. When children engage in activities that involve identifying pictures and associating them with their initial sounds, they are honing the skill of hearing and distinguishing sounds in language. This is a critical foundational skill for reading, as it enables children to understand that words are made up of individual sounds, which they will later use when they begin to decode words while reading. In this context, naming pictures connects visual stimuli to auditory processing, reinforcing the relationship between sounds and their corresponding letter representations. As children articulate initial sounds, they become more adept at recognizing phonemes, making steps toward literacy development. Hence, this instructional goal directly contributes to advancing their phonemic awareness, setting a solid groundwork for later reading skills.