Final answer:
Young children with underdeveloped phonological awareness often confuse speech sounds that share features.
Step-by-step explanation:
Young children with underdeveloped phonological awareness often confuse the speech sounds that share features. Phonological awareness refers to the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in words. When children have underdeveloped phonological awareness, they may struggle with distinguishing between similar speech sounds, leading to confusion.
For example, a child with dyslexia may mix up letters within words, leading to letter reversals. They may also skip whole words while reading. This is because dyslexic individuals have difficulty processing letters and sounds, making it challenging for them to learn to read.
Therefore, young children, especially those with dyslexia, who have underdeveloped phonological awareness can struggle with differentiating speech sounds that share similar features.