The Whole Mama - A Podcast with Jenna Gibbons

#37: Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness, and Phonics – What’s the Difference?

March 16, 2021 Season 1 Episode 37
The Whole Mama - A Podcast with Jenna Gibbons
#37: Phonological Awareness, Phonemic Awareness, and Phonics – What’s the Difference?
Show Notes

What are phonemes?  What is phonemic awareness?  Is it important?  What is phonics?  1How can I help my child read these words?  Is my child behind in reading?  How do I know?

"Help me, Jenna!"

"Research has identified phonemic awareness and letter knowledge as the best two predictors of how well a child will learn to read during the first two years of school (National Reading Panel, 2000). Children who develop strong phonemic awareness skills at an early age are more likely to become fluent readers and better spellers than children who do not."

Phonological Awareness:  The ability to "recognize and manipulate the spoken parts of sentences and words...Phonological awareness is especially important at the earliest stages of reading development — in pre-school, kindergarten, and first grade for typical readers...Phonological awareness refers to a global awareness of sounds in spoken words, as well as the ability to manipulate those sounds."  Examples include rhyming, alliteration, sentence segmenting, syllable blending, and segmenting.

Phonemic Awareness:  The ability to "notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. This includes blending sounds into words, segmenting words into sounds, and deleting and playing with the sounds in spoken words."

Phonics:  The ability to apply the knowledge of letter sounds to decoding unfamiliar printed words.

Phonological awareness refers to oral language and phonics refers to written print

Phonemic Awareness Activities:  

  • Sing nursery rhymes and songs including playful songs
  • Play rhyming games
  • Clap and tap patterns in song, stories, and words
  • Separate words into separate sounds
  • Participate in word play
  • Identify beginning, middle, and ending sounds
  • Blend sounds to make words

Phonics Activities:  

  • Anchor Charts
  • Sound Walls
  • Clip Wheels
  • Magnetic Letters/Cookie Sheet
  • Slap the Letter
  • Pocket Charts
  • Manipulatives to make and move words around
  • Chants
  • Games

Resources:

https://buildingrti.utexas.org/videos/phonological-awareness-five-levels-of-phonological-awareness

https://homeschoolingwithdyslexia.com/teach-phonemic-awareness-kids-dyslexia/

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