Purpose The aims of the study are: - to examine k-3 teacher students' linguistic awareness, and the relationship between their actual and perceived knowledge - if and how students' linguistic awareness will change over ten weeks in a course focusing basic reading and writing instruction Method 100 teacher students participated in a course focusing reading and writing process and teaching of reading and writing. The linguistic awareness-factors only implicitly were included via literature. Initially the students responded to a (pre)test focusing linguistic awareness (eg. phonological and morphological awareness). The students also answered questions about how well they managed the test. At the end of the course the test and the questionnaire was repeated. Results Most of the students show uncertainty in many parts. In the pre-test many students failed to answer issues about syllables, phonemes and vowels sound quality. The post-test showed that far from all students had the familiarity needed to assist and support children in their way to early reading and writing development and their conquest of written language. Pre-test and post-test also showed that the students often were unaware of what they could or could not. Conclusions The study shows that students do not have the skills and familiarity with aspects of linguistic awareness required for stimulating and developing the linguistic components associated with early reading and writing. In the teacher-training program factors above must be explicit. Necessary is to allocate time for students themselves to practice to become familiar with the elements they will teach about.