Phonemic Awareness

Definition 

This is the first and most basic of the principles of reading.  Each distinct sound that we make when we read is considered a phoneme. The sounds in the work rat are /r/ /a/ /t/ rrr  aaa (short a) tttt.  Phonemic awareness is the ability to decipher or discriminate between these sounds.  This skill is necessary for students to learn to read by using phonetic structuring.

Students that are phonemically aware are able to isolate, identify, categorize, blend, segment, delete, add and substitute phonemes (Ellery, 2005).  Phonemic awareness is so important that "A student's awareness of phonemes has been shown through extensive research to hold singular predictive power, accounting for as much as 50% of the difference in their reading proficiency at the end of first grade" (Ellery, p. 23, 2005).

Teaching Phonemic Awareness

Some students are strong in auditory skills and can pick up the subtle differences in words.  Other children struggle when learning to differentiate between different sounds in words. Many will confuse /b/ with /v/ for example.  The sounds of short /i/ and /e/ are very similar and must be heard repeatedly in the classroom.  The most important technique that can be used in a classroom to help students with phonemic awareness is language.  Classroom need to have a lot of auditory language sources in the classroom.  Clear crisp music with words and sounds, audio books, toys that talk, reading aloud by teachers, parents, students of all grades, community leaders and especially administrators.  When a principal takes the time to read to a class, they learn that they are important and that reading is important. Video record people reading poems, rhymes, books, letters, and jokes and make them available to play again and again. Just make sure that their copyright has expired.

Use Rhyme

Consistently  have student use rhyme in the classroom.  Start at calendar time.  Today is Monday.  Can anyone think of a word that rhymes with Mon?  Do not discredit nonsense words if they rhyme.  Simply state what they are and that it does rhyme.  Tell rhymes and read books with rhymes.  Show students how to change a letter or two and make a new word from the old.  Use cute slides with the ending sound permanent on one side and a sliding strip that changes the first one or two consonants.  Here is an example at abc teach.com http://www.abcteach.com/directory/childhood/reading/word_slides/ .  Here are some more ideas for using rhymes from the book Creating Strategic Readers, Techniques for Developing Competency in Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension by Valerie Ellery. 

Teacher Questioning

Does your rhyming word at the end of the sentence make sense?  Why or Why not?How do you know that your words rhyme?

Draw what rhymes with _____.  How did you know what to draw?

How are these two words alike?

What sounds do you hear at the end of these two words: ____ and ____?

What part of the word makes the rhyme?

Do rhymes always have to make sense? Explain your answer.

Say a word that sounds like _____

Which two words rhyme? (choose from 3)  Why did you pick these two words? 

Techniques 

Use a rhyming jar : This is an early to emergent reading level activity.  You will need a jar, rhyming sentences on strips of paper, chart paper. Write rhyming sentences on strips of paper; leaving out the final rhyming word. ( Example: I have a new cat.  I will name him ____).  Place strips in jar.  Every day, pull a strip from the jar and read it aloud, emphasizing the first rhyming word. by whispering it.  This first word becomes the rhyme of the day.  Do not read the rhyming word at the end of the sentence.  Have students work in pairs  to generate rhyming words to complete the sentence.  Questions for students can include #1 above.  Have the students act throughout the day as detectives looking for other oral and written words that rhyme with the word of the day.  Questions can include #2 above.  Add the discovered rhyming words to a posted class-generated list.  Adaptations:  (1) Categorize large lists.  (2) Have students create the rhyming sentence strips to place in the jar (Ellery, 2005). 

Websites for Phonemic Awareness Activities

Name of Website	Link
Reading Resource.net	http://www.readingresource.net/phonemicawarenessactivities.html
Patti's Electronic Classroom	http://teams.lacoe.edu/documentation/classrooms/patti/k-1/activities/phonemic.html
Phonological Awareness. org	http://phonologicalawareness.org/6.html
Free Reading - An open source free reading intervention program	·         http://www.freereading.net/index.php?title=Phoneme_identification_with_sound-it-out_chips ·         http://www.freereading.net/index.php?title=Phoneme_substitution_%28with_letters%29 ·         http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/instructor/playsounds.htm
Scholastic Teacher (#3 is an assessment that is for more advanced students	·         http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/profbooks/whichlett.pdf ·         http://www2.scholastic.com/content/collateral_resources/pdf/r/reading_bestpractices_phonics_nonsensewordtest.pdf
LD Online (Great in-depth article about phonemic awareness)	http://www.ldonline.org/article/6254
The EFL Playhouse	http://www.proteacher.com/redirect.php?goto=634
Core Knowledge	http://www.coreknowledge.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/lesson_plans/362/PHONEMIC%20AWARENESS%20APPROACH%20TO%20READING.pdf
Literature for Literacy Tele-collaborative Project	http://www.literatureforliterature.ecsd.net/index.htm
The National Core Knowledge® Coordinator of Colorado	http://www.ckcolorado.org/units/Kindergarten/K_FunwithPhonemicAwareness.pdf
In the Classroom - Phoneme Segmentation	http://www.sdcoe.net/score/Phonics_Link/lessons/segmentation.html
Phonemic Activities for the Preschool or Elementary Classroom	http://www.readingrockets.org/article/377
Phonemic Songs PBS	http://pbskids.org/lions/videos/
Sask Ed's Phonemic Awareness Activities	http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/ela/e_literacy/awareness.html
Sound Muncher Songs and Ideas	http://www.marcias-lesson-links.com/Muncher%20Monsters.html
Phonemic Awareness Assessment	http://www.pps.k12.or.us/curriculum/literacy/video/assessments/k-phonemic.pdf
Starfall Movie for /sh/	http://www.starfall.com/n/skills/sh/load.htm?f
Starfall Movie for /wh/	http://www.starfall.com/n/skills/wh/load.htm?f
Starfall Movie for /th/	http://www.starfall.com/n/skills/th/load.htm?f
Starfall Movie for /ch/	http://www.starfall.com/n/skills/ch/load.htm?f
Elmo Rhymes	http://pbskids.org/sesame/elmosworld/index.html
Reggie the Rhyming Rhino	http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bll/reggie/home/index.htm
starfall sounds	http://www.starfall.com/n/level-k/index/load.htm?f
Phonemic Awareness Activities for the Classroom	http://classroom.jc-schools.net/read/Phonemic.htm
Phonemic Awareness Cards	http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/PDF/G2-3/2-3PA_2.pdf
Internet 4 Classrooms	http://www.internet4classrooms.com/kplus_phonics.htm
IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPING PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS SKILLS	www.doe.virginia.gov/.../ideas_activities_develop_phonological.pdf
How Now Brown Cow- Reading Rockets	http://www.readingrockets.org/article/388
Building Phonemic Awareness With Phoneme Isolation (Lesson Plan)	http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/building-phonemic-awareness-with-120.html
A Rhyme a week	http://curry.virginia.edu/go/wil/rimes_and_rhymes.htm
Song that Build Phonemic awareness (pay site)	http://www.songsforteaching.com/phonemicawareness.htm
Tongue Twisters	http://www.auburn.edu/~murraba/twisters.html
Clifford Interactive sound game	http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/flash/phonics/index.htm
George Mason University – Literacy at home and school	http://mason.gmu.edu/~cwallac7/TAP/TEST/literacy/2.html
List of Interactive sites for whiteboard use	http://www.plattscsd.org/oak/smartboard/phonemic.htm
COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY RESOURCE FOR KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS (Great Resource for Learning about phonemic awareness)	http://www.etacuisenaire.com/pdf/kindergarten/chapter_2.pdf
Early Literacy- Phonemic Awareness	http://www.earlyliterature.ecsd.net/phonemic%20phonic%20awareness.htm
Mr. Wee and Boo – Phonemic Awareness activities	http://mrweeandboo.com/phonemic-awareness-activities/
Phonemic Awareness is Child’s Play Young Children on the Web Article	http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200901/BTJPhonologicalAwareness.pdf

About Worksheets

Phonemic awareness cannot be measures with a worksheet.  Students learn to compensate and visualize the difference between sounds but they may not be able to discriminate auditorily.  Some worksheets may be able to be converted into activities that will work if the instructions are recorded on a tape recorder and the student hears the sound as part of the activity.  Students who seem to be struggling more than most may have a learning disability or a slight hearing disorder.  If you feel this is possible, speak with the supervisor over you to see what the procedures are to refer the child for disability testing as well as a hearing specialist.

Some Great Teacher Reference Books

Ellery, Valerie (2005) Creating Strategic Readers, Techniques for Developing Competency in Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension.  International Reading Association, Inc.

ISBN – 0-87207-561-3

This book is a great resource for teaching beginning reading.  Each Technique has a description of its purpose, level, ELL technique (yes or no), Multiple Intelligence, and Materials.  It includes assessments, activities, instruction, and resource pages for students and teachers.

Spalding, R. (1986).  The Writing Road to Reading.  Quill, William Marrow.  ISBN – 0-688-06634-8

If you are not familiar with phonics, this book will teach you all you need to know and more.  Phonics are broken down into rules, teaching spelling and phonic rules in a writing based curriculum.  Even if you do not use it to teach, it is a great reference for understanding phonics and spelling rules.