Road School Resources: The Technical Part of Reading

What is Phonological Awareness?

The understanding that speech is composed of

sub-parts --

sentences are comprised of words,

words are comprised of syllables,

syllables are comprised of onsets and rimes,

and

can be further broken down to phonemes.

The girl picked the flower.

flower = flow • er

fl ower (p ower, sh ower)

fl ow er

What are Phonemes?

The vocal gestures from which words are constructed in a language;

the smallest unit of speech that serves to distinguish one utterance from another

(e.g. PAT and FAT are distinguished

by the initial phoneme).

A subset of phonological awareness;

the knowledge that spoken words consist

of a sequence of individual sounds,

and the understanding that phonemes

are rearranged and substituted

to create new words.

There are a finite set of phonemes

which are arranged and rearranged

to create an infinite set of spoken words.

Learn all about phonemes (there are more than 40 speech sounds that may not be obvious to fluent readers and speakers).
Make sure the school's reading program and other materials include skill-building in phonemes, especially in kindergarten and first grade (these skills do not come naturally, but must be taught).
If children are past the age at which phonemic awareness and phonological skill-building are addressed (typically kindergarten through first or second grade), attend to these skills one-on-one or in a small group. Ask your school's reading specialist for help finding a research-based supplemental or intervention program for students in need.
Identify the precise phoneme awareness task on which you wish to focus and select developmentally appropriate activities for engaging children in the task. Activities should be fun and exciting – play with sounds, don't drill them.
Make sure your school's reading program and other materials include systematic instruction in phonics.
Consider teaching phonological and phonemic skills in small groups since students will likely be at different levels of expertise. Remember that some students may need more reinforcement or instruction if they are past the grades at which phonics is addressed by a reading program (first through third grade).

The 44 Phonemes

Wednesday, October 14, 2015