Phonemic Awareness is the ability to HEAR, blend, isolate, substitute, and manipulate the sounds in a spoken word (phonemes!). 

Why is this important?

Lack of Phonemic Awareness skills is the main reason for reading struggles and it is the number one predictor of reading ability!

Most reading problems can be prevented if young learners are trained in letter-sound skills and phonological awareness!

How can you help?

Here are some quick activities to help your child build these vital sound skills (keep these fun, quick, and game-like)! 

👍Important components for learners to practice:

👂Isolating Sounds!

🚥What do you hear at the beginning, middle, end?

1️⃣What is the 1st sound in dog? /d/

2️⃣What is the middle sound in dog? /o/

3️⃣What is the last sound in dog? /g/

👂Ask your child what sound they hear at the beginning or end of ANY word.

🍽Cooking? Use food words!

🚗Driving? Use what you see out the window!

🛒Shopping? Use items you see on the shelves!

👂If your child is having trouble with these listening activities, remind them that sounds are what we hear! Have them close their eyes and listen as you make different sounds (clapping, stomping, whistling, snapping, etc…).

🆓Click here for my FREE rafficLightforCVCwordsorPhonemicAwarenessDrills-1

🚥Blending Phonemes! 

Blending:

/d/ /o/ /g/ = dog

💡Ideas to do at home!

👄What am I saying? Say each sound in a word and have your learner blend the sounds together to “figure” out what you are saying! Ex: /c/ /a/ /t/ = cat

🎉Use fun manipulatives like pop its, Legos, play-doh, toy cars, or any small toy to blend the sounds in words! 

Click here for my FREE Lego Blending Board

🚥Segmenting Phonemes! 

🐶Segmenting: The opposite of blending! 

Dog = /d/ /o/ /g/

👍Ideas to do at home!

🐢Talk like a turtle or robot. Get silly with blending! Give a word to your learner and have them say each sound like a turtle or robot! Ex: cat: /c/ /a/ /t/

🪀Use fun manipulatives like popits, Legos, play-doh, toy cars, or any small toy to count the sounds in words! 

Manipulating Phonemes!

Adding Phonemes:

Say og. Now add /d/ to the beginning.

What word do you get?

dog!

Deleting Phonemes:

Say dog. Now say dog without /d/

og!

Substituting Sounds:

Say dog, now change /d/ to /h/. 

What is the new word?

hog!

Click here for a FREE Phonemic Awareness Sorting of Sounds and Syllables!