Phonemic+Awareness

Phonemic awareness is the understanding that words are made up of phonemes or individual units of sound that influence the meaning of the word. For example, the word “drum” is made up of four individual phonemes: /d/ /r/ /u/ /m/. If you change one of these notice how the meaning of the word changes. When /d/ is replaced by /st/ you have “strum”, a verb meaning to run an object (usually one’s fingers) across an object that makes sound. This is very different than “drum”. Phonemic awareness is not only the recognition that words are made up of small sound units it is also the ability to break down, manipulate and blend phonemes. A reader needs to be able to apply her understanding of phonemes in order to begin learning to read. She must be taught to transfer her knowledge of phonemes used in oral language to written language.
 * What is Phonemic Awareness?**

Examples of Phonemic Awareness Skills

 * Sound and Word discrimination: What word doesn't belong with the others: "cat", "mat", "bat", "ran"? "ran"
 * Rhyming: What word rhymes with "cat"? bat
 * Syllable splitting: The onset of "cat" is /k/, the rime is /at/
 * Blending: What word is made up of the sounds /k/ /a/ /t/? "cat"
 * Phonemic segmentation: What are the sounds in "cat"? /k/ /a/ /t/
 * Phoneme deletion: What is "cat" without the /k/? "at"
 * Phoneme manipulation: What word would you have if you changed the /t/ in cat to an /n/? "can"

Teaching Tips: Blending
> **Non-example**: "Listen, my lion puppet likes to talk in a broken way. When he says /b/ - /e/ - /d/ he means bed." > **Non-example**: ".../p/ - /e/ - /n/ - /c/ - /i/ - /l/. Which picture?" (This is a more advanced model that should be used later.) > **Non-example**: Provide only verbal activities. > **Non-example**: Provide instruction and practice at only the easiest levels with all the scaffolds.
 * 1) When children are first learning to blend, use examples with continuous sounds, because the sounds can be stretched and held.**Example**: "Listen, my lion puppet likes to talk in a broken way. When he says /mmm/ - /ooo/ - /mmm/ he means mom."
 * 1) When children are first learning the task, use short words in teaching and practice examples. Use pictures when possible.**Example**: Put down 3 pictures of CVC words and say: "My lion puppet wants one of these pictures. Listen to hear which picture he wants, /sss/ - /uuu/ - /nnn/. Which picture?"
 * 1) When children are first learning the task, use materials that reduce memory load and to represent sounds.**Example**: Use pictures to help children remember the words and to focus their attention. Use a 3-square strip or blocks to represent sounds in a word.
 * 1) As children become successful during initial learning, remove scaffolds by using progressively more difficult examples. As children become successful with more difficult examples, use fewer scaffolds, such as pictures.**Example**: Move from syllable or onset-rime blending to blending with all sounds in a word (phoneme blending). Remove scaffolds, such as pictures. "Listen, /s/ - /t/ - /o/ - /p/. Which picture?" "Listen, /s/ - /t/ - /o/ - /p/. What word?"

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