What literacy activity would best aid a bilingual student struggling with phonemic awareness?

Focusing on opportunities to play with letter shapes and sounds is particularly effective for a bilingual student struggling with phonemic awareness. This activity allows the student to explore and manipulate the fundamental units of sound in a fun and engaging way. By interacting with the shapes of letters and the corresponding sounds, the student develops a deeper understanding of how phonemes work. This tactile and visual approach can significantly enhance their ability to segment and blend sounds, which are critical skills for reading and writing.

In contrast, while engaging with phonics is beneficial, it often requires a more structured approach than playful letter manipulation may provide. Listening to audiobooks in their first language can certainly support comprehension and vocabulary, but it does not directly address phonemic awareness. Playing word games with others can promote social interaction and language use, but it might not specifically target the foundational skills needed to improve phonemic awareness. Thus, playing with letter shapes and sounds stands out as the most suitable choice for fostering these important skills in a bilingual context.