In a nutshell, Phonological Awareness is understanding the sounds of our language. It includes skills such as breaking words up into individual sounds and blending sounds back together in order to “sound words out.”
It does DOES NOT require any knowledge of letters (meaning, a child does not need to be reading or recognizing letters at all). Young children even toddlers can complete phonological awareness drills completely in the dark – which is what I would do with my own children when they were little.
So, what exactly are the skills your child needs?
- They must be able to break words into individual sounds
- They must be able to blend individual sounds back together to create a word
- They must be able to manipulate sounds in our language through tasks such as rhyme identification and rhyme production
- They must be able to change the beginning or ending sounds of words
“Why does it matter?”
Research shows that effective instruction in phonological awareness is paramount before phonics instruction can begin. These skills have proven to be the foundations of strong Phonemic Awareness.
- Phonological awareness helps children sound out and chunk words for reading
- Phonological awareness helps children break up words for spelling
At Sensory Learning Services, our tutors teach phonological awareness skills using a research based approach.
Please contact us to find out more.
