Phonological Awareness

Phonological Awareness Presented by: Ashley Miller-Tazelaar May 16, 2011

Welcome back! Please discuss the following at your table: • Share something you did with your child to help promote his/her literacy learning since our last session. • Did you do anything to promote his/her oral language or concepts of print?

What is Phonological Awareness? Phonological awareness is the understanding of different ways that oral language can be divided into smaller components and manipulated (Chard & Dickson, 1999, p. 2).

Phonological Awareness Includes: • Rhyming • Segmenting sentences into words • Segmenting words into syllables • Blending syllables into words • Segmenting words into onsets and rimes (example: segmenting bag into b-ag) • Blending onsets and rimes into words (example: blending b-ag into bag)

Phonological Awareness Includes…(cont.) • Phonemic Awareness (the understanding that words are made up of individual sounds or phonemes and the ability to manipulate these phonemes either by segmenting, blending, or changing individual phonemes within words to create new words (Chard & Dickson, 1999, p. 2).

Phonological Awareness vs. Phonemic Awareness • Phonological awareness is a broad skill that includes identifying and manipulating units of oral language such as words, syllables, onsets, and rimes (Texas Education Agency, 2001, p. ). • Phonemic awareness is the most sophisticated level of phonological awareness and refers to the specific ability to focus on and manipulate the smallest sounds (phonemes) in words.

Is This the Same as Phonics? • No! While they are related and both are important in learning to read, they are not the same. Children need phonemic awareness in order to benefit from phonics instruction (Armbruster et al., 2001, p.11). • Phonemic awareness focuses on the sounds of spoken language while phonics teaches children the relationships between the letters of written language and the individual sounds of spoken language (Armbruster et al., 2001, p.11).

Why is Phonological Awareness Important? • Phonological awareness is a critical part in learning to read and write because we rely on it for many literacy tasks such as spelling, writing, decoding unfamiliar words while reading, and reading comprehension. • Children who cannot hear and work with the phonemes of spoken words will have a difficult time learning how to relate these phonemes to the graphemes when they see them in written words (Armbruster et al., 2001, p. 1). • Phonological awareness prepares children for later reading instruction, including phonics, word analysis, and spelling (Chard & Dickson, 1999,p. 1).

What Does it All Mean? • If children can separate words into syllables or beats…it will help them break down a word into parts to spell or decode/read it. • If children recognize and generate rhyming words…it will help them use known words to decode new words. • If children recognize and generate words that start or end with the same sound…it will help them learn to associate particular sounds with particular letters. (Bennett-Armistead et al., 2005, p. 92)

What Does it All Mean (cont.)? • If children can blend words into sounds…this will help them be able to sound out unknown words when they are reading. • If children can segment words into sounds…this will help them spell words. For example, they will be able to stretch words out to hear all the sounds (s-l-i-p). • If children can move sounds around to create new words…this will help them use unknown words to figure out new words. For example, if children know the word car, they can use that to help them read the word bar. (Bennett-Armistead et al., 2005, p. 92)

How Can I Support My Child’s Phonological Awareness? Let me help you!

Can You Read This Five Times Fast? Betty and Bob brought back blue balloons from the big bazaar.

Why Tongue Twisters? • Tongue twisters are a fun way to help develop phonological awareness because they help children recognize and generate words that start with the same sound (Bennett-Armistead et al., 2005, p. 92).

Songs, Nursery Rhymes, and Rhyming Poems • Songs, nursery rhymes, and rhyming poems help children build phonological awareness by giving them practice recognizing and generating rhyming words, recognizing and generating words that start or end with the same sound, and moving sounds around to create new words (Bennett-Armistead et al., 2005, p. 93).

The Name Game Ashley! Ashley, Ashley boBashley Banana fannafoFashley Mee my mo Mashley, Ashley! ***Does this bring back childhood memories? Did you know it helps children practice the skill of moving sounds around to create new words, generating words that start with the same sound, and blending sounds into words? ALL THIS WHILE HAVING FUN!!!!!!!!!! 

“Count the Beats!” • This game helps children build skills in separating words into syllables or beats. • Put toys on the floor and help your child sort the toys by the number of beats their names. • This game can be played with any objects. (Bennett-Armistead et al., 2007, p. 98)

Blending Phonemes • Have children listen to you say a sequence of separately spoken phonemes. They must give you the word. • For example: You would say, “What word is /b/ /i/ /g/?” The child would answer, “big!” (Bennett-Armistead, et al., 2005, p. 103)

Segmenting Phonemes • Have children break a word into separate sounds, saying each sound as they tap out or count it. • For example, ask your child, “Tell me the sounds you hear in clap.” Your child should reply, “/c/ /l/ /a/ /p/.” (Bennett-Armistead, et al., 2007, p. 103)

Suggested Books for Building Phonological Awareness • Separating Words into Syllables or Beats: --Silly Sally by Audrey Wood --We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen • Recognizing and/or Generating Rhyming Words: --Duck in the Truck by Jez Alborough --Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss --Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino

Suggested Books (cont.) • Recognizing Words that Start With the Same Sound: --Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw • Moving Sounds Around to Create New Words --Ook the Book and Other Silly Rhymes by Lissa Rovetch --Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook by Shel Silverstein

Questions??? Now’s your chance!  Or feel free to email me later: mill1002@msu.edu

Next week… • HOMEWORK! Next week, please be ready to share what you have done with your child to promote his/her phonological awareness • Next week’s topic is alphabet knowledge!

References Armbruster, B., Lehr, F., Osborn, J., (2001). National institute for literacy: Put reading first. Washington, DC. Bennett-Armistead, V. S., Duke, N. K., Moses, A. M. (2007). Beyond bedtime stories: A parent’s guide to promoting reading, writing, and other literacy skills from birth to 5. New York: Scholastic. Bennett-Armistead, V. S., Duke, N. K., & Moses, A. M. (2005). Literacy and the youngest learner: Best practices for educators of children from birth to 5. New York: Scholastic. Chard, D. J., Dickson, S. V., (1999). Phonological awareness: Instructional and assessment guidelines. Retrieved from www.ldonline.org/article/6254 (n.d.). Phonological and phonemic awareness. Retrieved from www.readingrockets.org/helping/target/ phonologicalphonemic

Phonological Awareness