Phonological and

PhonemicAwareness

This publication is based on K-2 Teacher Reading Academies, ©2002 University of Texas System and the Texas Education Agency, which has been reprinted and modified with their permission.

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Alphabetic Principle

Phonological Awareness

Phonemes

Phonemic Awareness

Survey of Knowledge

Phonics

Onset

Rime

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

A broad term which includes phonemic awareness

In addition to phonemes, phonological awareness activities can involve work with: rhymes, syllables and discrete onset and rimes

Phonological Awareness

Phonemic awareness specifically focuses on individual sounds (known as phonemes) in words.

The phoneme level of phonological awareness is the most critical for learning to read.

Phonological awareness refers to the general understanding of the sound structure of words and sentences.

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Phonological Awareness Continuum

Blending phonemes into words, segmenting words into individual phonemes, and manipulating phonemes in spoken wordsBlending and segmenting the initial consonant or consonant cluster (onset) and the vowel and consonant sounds spoken after it (rime)

Blending syllables to say words or segmenting spoken words into

syllablesSegmenting sentences into spoken words

Producing groups of words that begin with the same initial sound

Matching the ending sounds of words

ExamplesDescription

Type

PHONEMES

ONSETS AND RIMES

SYLLABLES

SENTENCE SEGMENTATION

ALLITERATION

RHYME

/k/ /a/ /t//sh/ /i/ /p//s/ /t/ /o/ /p/

/m/ /ice//sh/ /ake/

/mag/ /net//pa/ /per/

The dog ran away. 1 2 3 4

ten tiny tadpoles

cat, hat, bat, sat

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Is the match between ending sounds of words

Rhyming, Alliteration, and Sentence Segmentation

Sentence Segmentation

Rhyme

Helps students to understand that sentences are composed of separate words that are spoken in a particular order to convey meaning

Alliteration

Focuses attention on initial phonemes

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Syllable Blending and Segmentation

Blending syllables together to form words and segmenting words into syllables

Syllables

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Onset-Rime Blending and Segmentation

Onsets

Rimes

and

Onset: initial consonant or consonants of the word

Rime: vowel and consonants that follow the onset

In the word cat, the /k/ is the onset and the —at is the rime.

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Say It and Move It

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Components of Effective Reading Instruction

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

What We Know from Research

Phonemic awareness instruction improves students’ understanding of how the words in spoken language are represented in print

Phonemic awareness instruction helps all young students learn to read

Phonemic awareness instruction is most effective when students learn to use letters to represent phonemes

Phonemic awareness instruction also helps preschoolers, and early primary students.

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Put Reading First

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Grouping for Instruction

Teach phonemic awareness in small groups.

Small-group instruction may be more effective because students benefit from listening to their peers and having more opportunities to participate.

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Explicit, Systematic Phonemic Awareness

Instruction

Focus on types of phonemic awareness most closely associated with beginning reading and spelling achievement by linking phonemes to print

Explicitly teach phonemic awareness, and regularly schedule instruction

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Explicit, Systematic Phonemic Awareness Instruction (cont.)

During a lesson, target only one type of phonemic awareness, such as blending phonemes or segmenting words into phonemes

Begin with easier activities and progress to more difficult ones

Model each activity

As soon as possible, help students make the connection between letters and sounds to read and spell words

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Consider Diversity: Limited English Proficient

Students

Capitalize on native language ability

Teach blending, segmenting, and manipulating individual phonemes and syllables

Accept oral approximations

Focus on words students already know

Kentucky Reading First Summer Institute 2004: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Remember . . .

Phonemic awareness “ . . . provides children with essential foundational knowledge in the alphabetic system. It is one necessary instructional component within a complete and integrated reading program.”

—National Reading Panel, 2000, p. 8

“Adding well-thought-out phonemic awareness instruction to a beginning reading program . . . is very likely to help your students learn to read and spell.”

—National Institute for Literacy, 2001, p. 9