Phonological Awareness

Grades K–5

Workshop Question

How

Reflect and Write: Current Knowledge

Directions: Explain your current knowledge of phonological awareness.

Phonological Awareness Before After

The Reading Rope

Language Comprehension (Day, 2020)

Background Knowledge

Vocabulary

Language Structures (Syntax, semantics…)

Readers rely on background knowledge to attend to and make sense of what they are reading. When a reader has background knowledge of a subject to draw on, they are more likely to find the text more interesting, easier to remain focused on, and less taxing on their hard-working brains.

Similar to background knowledge, an extensive and rich vocabulary enables readers to make sense of what they are reading…The richer a reader’s listening and spoken vocabulary, the easier they will find it to read through texts that contain words they have not seen before.

Syntax is the arrangement of words in a phrase or sentence. The English language has patterns and rules to the way we order our words. It also has some flexibility and variety in acceptable patterns, and even then, speakers and writers are allowed some leeway with these patterns…Children acquire varied syntax structures over time, through meaningful exposure to, and discussion of, language being spoken, being read to and presentation in text.

Verbal Reasoning (inference, metaphor…)

…Just as in spoken language, the reader must often look beyond to the words to infer meaning from what is being said, what is not being said, and how it is being said (or not said). A reader must be able to grasp when words are being used literally or figuratively. For instance, a reader must be use verbal reasoning skills to understand that “the supermarket was a zoo” Likely means that the supermarket was like a zoo because it was noisy, chaotic. and crowded and not that it actually was a zoo.

Literary Knowledge (print concepts, stories…)

–A wide exposure to a variety of literary styles gives students a more developed framework on which they can rely as they read more and more for themselves. The same is true for being exposed to a variety of stories, stories with different themes, from different cultures, and for different purposes. When a student can connect something, they are reading to a story/text/theme/purpose they have already internalized, they will be better able to understand and stick with it through challenges.

Word Recognition

Sight Recognition

Phonological Awareness

Decoding

Since some words are irregular or difficult to decode, students can benefit from memorizing those words so they can be recognized by sight.

Students need to be able to identify and manipulate units of oral language, such as words, syllables, onsets, and rimes.

To decode words, students must recognize the letters in the word, associate each letter with its sound, hold these sounds in sequence in memory, blend these sounds together to determine the word, and retrieve the meaning of the word.

Video Viewing Log: Scarborough’s Reading Rope Word Recognition

Ideas that resonate with you Classroom

Questions

Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness Defined

 Phonological awareness is a broad skill that includes identifying and manipulating units of oral language – parts such as words, syllables, and onsets and rimes.

 Phonemic awareness refers to the specific ability to focus on and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.

Phonological Awareness Skill Sequence

Video Viewing Guide

What resonates with you? Classroom applications

Questions

Who are our striving readers?

 Think about your students that are reading below grade level.

 Write down 3 5 characteristics of that student(s).

 Share with a partner. Together, list 3 characteristics in common.

As a table group, share your lists and write down any common characteristics.

 Be prepared to share out.

What does the data say?

Directions: Use these questions to guide your reflection.

 What do you notice in terms of foundational skills?

 Is student ZPD-identified at the discrete skill level?

 Is there anything we can do with this data for our Title students?

 Do you have enough information in front of you?

Examining the Standards

International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Knowledge and Skills Standards

4B.1

4B.2

4B.3

4B.4

4B.5

4B.6

4B.7

Substandard B: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness

Understand rationale for/identify pronounce, clarify, and compare all of the consonant phoneme and all the vowel phonemes of English.

Understand/apply in practice considerations for levels of phonological sensitivity.

Understand/apply in practice considerations for phonemic-awareness difficulties.

Know/apply in practice consideration for the progression of phonemic-awareness skill development, across age and grade.

Know/apply in practice considerations for the general and specific goals of phonemicawareness instruction.

Know/apply in practice considerations for the principles of phonemic awareness instruction: brief, multisensory, conceptual, articulatory, auditory-verbal.

Know/apply in practice considerations for the utility of print and online resources for obtaining information about languages other than English.

Essential Skills of the Academic Standards

Kindergarten Grade 1

• Concept of Spoken Word

• Rhyme

• Syllables

• Onset & Rime

• Phoneme Isolation – initial, medial, final sounds

• Phoneme Addition & Basic Substitution

• Distinguish long/short vowel sounds

• Phoneme Blending

• Phoneme Segmenting

Grade 2

• Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.

• Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.

• Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.

• Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.

• Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences. Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words

 Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes.

 Decode words with common Latin suffixes.

 Decode multisyllable words.

 Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

 Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

 Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

Phonological Awareness Skills Test

Phonological Awareness Skills Test (PAST): Student Record Sheet, Form A Student Grade Date Teacher

Concept of Spoken Word

☐Tom ran home. (3)

☐ I have two pets. (4)

☐ Did you eat lunch? (4)

☐ What are you doing? (4)

☐ Terry loves to play soccer. (5)

☐ Yesterday it rained. (3)

Total out of 6:

Syllable Segmentation

☐ sometime (2)

☐ basket (2)

☐ bedroom (2)

☐ fantastic (3)

☐ maybe (2)

☐ helicopter (4)

Rhyme Recognition

☐ bed-fed

☐ top-hop

☐ run -soap

☐ hand-sand

☐ funny- bunny

☐ girl-giant

Total out of 6:

Syllable Deletion

☐ (down)town

☐ (in)side

☐ for(get)

☐ bas(ket)

☐ af(ter)

☐ (skate)board

Rhyme Completion

☐ fly/sky

☐ straight/eight

☐ bunch/lunch

☐ tall/fall

☐ old/gold

☐ worse/nurse

Total out of 6:

Phoneme Isolation

Initial Sounds

☐ big /b/

☐ land /l/

☐ farm /f/

☐ apple /a/

☐ desk /d/

☐ ship /sh/

Rhyme production

☐ pan:

☐ cake:

☐ hop:

☐ sea:

☐ dark:

☐ candy:

Total out of 6:

Phoneme Isolation

Final Sounds

☐ pick /k/

☐ ran /n/

☐ fill /l/

☐ bug /g/

☐ same /m/

☐ tooth /th/

Syllable Blending

☐ pen – cil

☐ rain – bow

☐ pop – corn

☐ black – board

☐ side – walk

☐ pa – per

Total out of 6:

Phoneme Blending Onset and Rime

☐ /s/ /un/ sun

☐ /p/ /ig/ pig

☐ /b/ /us/ bus

☐ /f/ /ish/ fish

☐ /ch/ /op/ chop

☐ /sp/ /ill/ spill

Total out of 6:

☐ Say it. Now add /f / (fit)

☐ Say ice. Now add /n/ (nice)

☐ Say end. Now add /b/ (bend)

☐ Say ink. Now add /s/ (sink)

☐ Say in. Now add /ch/ (chin)

☐ Say top. Now add /s/ (stop)

Total out of 6:

Phoneme Substitution

Total out of 6:

Phoneme Blending

☐/m/ /e/ me

☐/b/ /e/ /d/ bed

☐/h/ /a/ /t/ hat

☐/m/ /u/ /s/ /t/ must

☐/sh/ /o/ /p/ shop

☐/p/ /l/ /a/ /n/ /t/ plant

Total out of 6:

Phoneme Segmentation

☐ in (2)

☐ at (2)

☐ name (3)

☐ ship (3)

☐ sock (3)

☐ chin (3)

Total out of 6:

☐ Replace first sound in man with /k/ (can)

☐ Replace first sound in pig with /d/ (dig)

☐ Replace first sound in sack with /t/ (tack)

☐ Replace first sound in well with /f/ (fell)

☐ Replace first sound in bed with /r/ (red)

☐ Replace first sound in shop with /ch/ (chop)

Total out of 6:

Total out of 6:

Total out of 6: Adding Phonemes

Phoneme Deletion Final Sounds

☐ ro/s/e/ row

☐ trai/n/ tray

☐ grou/p grew ☐ sea/t sea

☐ ba/k/e/ bay

☐ in/ch in

(t)ape ape

Total out of 6:

Total out of 6:

Total out of 6:

Phonological Awareness Skills Test (PAST): Teacher Directions Sheet, Form A

Concept of Spoken Word: Tell the student you are going to play a game with words and colored chips. Use the sentence “Joey likes cake.” As you say each word of the sentence, push a colored chip forward one chip per word. Then ask the student to do it. Once the student understands the skill, read each sentence to the student and ask him/her to repeat the sentence while pushing forward one chip for each word. Put a check in the box to the right of the sentence if the student performs the skill correctly.

Rhyme Recognition: Tell the student that two words that sound alike at the end are rhyming words, such as hat and sat. Ask if sit and bit rhyme. (yes) Ask if chair and boy rhyme. (no) If the student appears to grasp the skill, do the same for the following pairs of words. Put a check in the box to the right of the pair if the student answers correctly

Rhyme Completion: Tell the child that you are going to say a poem but need help finishing it. Read the following example and ask the child to help you complete the poem with a rhyming word: I like to walk, I like to hike, I like to ride my big blue __________. The child should say the word bike. If the child seems to grasp the skill, do the same for the following items. Put a check in the box to the right of any item the child answers correctly.

Rhyme production: Tell the student that you are going to say a word, and he/she is to tell you a word that rhymes with it. The answer can be a real word or a nonsense word. For example, ask the student to tell you a word that rhymes with sit. Possible answers may include bit, fit, mit, pit, dit, jit, etc. Put a check in the box to the right if the student answers correctly. Write down his/her answers.

Syllable Blending: Tell the student you are going to say a word in a funny way. The job of the student is to put the parts together and say the whole word. Give these examples, pausing between syllables: out - side (outside), ro - bot (robot). Have the student say the sample words normally. If the student grasps the skill, perform the activity with the following words and put a check in the box to the right if the student says the words correctly.

Syllable Segmentation: Tell the student that you are going to say a word and then break it into parts, or syllables. First say rainbow normally. Clap out the two parts in rainbow while saying each part. Then push forward a chip as you say each syllable. Read each of the following words and ask the student to push forward a chip while saying each syllable. It is not necessary to clap the syllables again unless the skill needs to be retaught. Put a check in the box to the right if the student performs the skill correctly.

Syllable Deletion: Tell the student you are going to play a game with words where one part of the word is left out. For example, sunshine without shine is sun. Ask the student to say airline without air. The student should say line. Using the words below, tell the student the syllable to leave off. Use this sentence structure: “Say (down)town without down.” Put a check in the box to the right if the student deletes the correct syllable.

Phoneme Isolation - Initial Sou nds: Tell the student you are going to say a word, and the student is to tell you the first sound of that word. Ask the student what the first sound is in the word top. The student should say /t/. Do the same with the words below and put a check in the box to the right if the student says the first sound correctly.

Phoneme Isolation - Final Sounds: Tell the student you are going to say a word, and the student is to tell you the last sound in the word. Ask the student what the last sound is in the word pot. The student should say /t/. Do the same with the words below and put a check in the box to the right if the student says the sound correctly.

Phoneme Blending - Onset and Rime: Tell the student that you are going to say some words in a funny way. The job of the student is to put the parts together and say each whole word. Use the following examples

by segmenting each word into onset and rime. Then have the child say the whole word blended together: /m/ /op/ is mop; /n/ /est/ is nest. Put a check in the box to the right of any word the child says correctly.

Adding Phonemes: Tell the child that in this game you are going to add a sound to the beginning of a word to make a new word. For example, when /f/ is added to /an/ you get fan. Ask the child to say /at/. Ask what you get when you add /m/. The child should say the word mat. Ask the child to do the same with the rest of the words below. Put a check in the box to the right if the child is able to blend a word correctly.

Phoneme Blending: Tell the student that you are going to separate all the sounds in a word, and he/she is to say the whole word. Perform these examples by segmenting each sound and having the student say the whole word: /s/ /i/ /t/ is sit, and /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/ is stop. Read each word as segments. Put a check in the box to the right if the student says the whole word correctly.

Phoneme Segmentation: Tell the student that you’re going to play a game with all the sounds in the following words. Show the student the three sounds in dime. Push a chip forward for each sound you say /d/ /i/ /m/. Ask the student to try the skill with the word hat. Read each of the following words and ask him/her to push a chip forward for each sound. Put a check in the box to the right if he/she performs the skill correctly.

Phoneme Deletion - Initial Sounds: Tell the student you will be playing a word game where the beginning sound of a word is left off. For example, bed without /b/ is ed. Ask the student to say can without /c/. The answer is an. Read each word and tell the student the beginning sound to leave off. Put a check in the box to the right if the student performs the skill correctly.

Phoneme Deletion - Final Sounds: Tell the student that in this word game, the final sound of a word is left off. For example, goat without /t/ is go. Ask the student to say meat without /t/. The answer is me. Read each word and tell the student the ending sound to leave off. Put a check in the box to the right if the student performs the skill correctly.

Phoneme Substitution: Tell the child you will be playing a very different game with sounds of words. You are going to ask him or her to take off the first sound of a word and replace it with another sound. For example, replace the first sound in pail with /m/. The new word is mail. Ask the child to replace the first sound in top with /h/. The answer is hop. Ask the child to do the same with the rest of these words; if the student answers correctly, put a check in the box to the right.

Phonological Awareness On-Grade-Level Criteria

 By the beginning of the year Second Graders should have all skills completed.

PAST Recording Form

Directions: Write master date to the right of each student’s name and under the feature mastered

Phonological Awareness Skill Sequence Chart

SKILL EXAMPLE TYPICALLY MASTERED

Concept of Spoken Word

Distinguishes words in a sentence.

Rhyme

Rhyme Recognition

I like apples. Identify the words in the sentence. PreK

Does pick rhyme with stick? PreK

Rhyme Completion Complete this rhyme: The bug crawled on the ____. Kindergarten

Rhyme Production

Syllable

Syllable Blending

What word or pretend word rhymes with ball? Kindergarten

What word is made when you put foot and ball together? Kindergarten

Syllable Segmentation Say the two syllables in rainbow. Kindergarten

Syllable Deletion Say outside without side. Kindergarten

Phonemes

Phoneme Isolation of Initial Sounds

Phoneme Isolation of Final Sounds

Phoneme Blending: Onset & Rime

Adding Phonemes

Phoneme Blending: All

Phonemes

Phoneme Segmentation

Phoneme Deletion of Initial Sound

What is the first sound in dot? Kindergarten

What is the last sound in sun? Kindergarten

What is this word? /t/ /op/ Kindergarten

Say /at/. Now add /m/ to the beginning of the word. Kindergarten

What is this word? /p/ /i/ /g/ Grade 1

What are the sounds in /d/ /o/ /t/? Grade 1

Say take without /t/. Grade 1

Phoneme Deletion of Final Sound Say big without /g/. Grade 1

Phoneme Manipulation

Phoneme Substitution of Initial Sound

Replace the first sound in back with /t/. Grade 1

Strategies to Support Phonological Awareness

As we model and participate in some activities that support the phonological skills sequence jot down some of your thinking and ideas.

Concept of Spoken Word

Three Levels of Rhyme

Three Levels of Syllabication

Phoneme Manipulation 1

Phoneme Blending

Phoneme Manipulation 2

Phoneme Segmentation

Phoneme Manipulation 3

Parallel Teaching Strands

Phoneme Blending

Mechanics of Reading

Exposure & Familiarity

 Letter Shapes

 Letter Names

Name Letters

 Out of ABC Sequence

Phonological Awareness

Exposure & Familiarity

 Rhyme

 Syllables

Identify Phonemes

 Initial

 Final Begin Phonics Instruction

Architecture of a Lesson

What academic standard(s) will you be addressing?

What is the content objective and/or learning target(s)?

How will you know students understand the content objective?

How will you measure whether students are meeting the content objective?

How can you gauge what students already know related to the content objective?

How will you activate their relevant knowledge?

Where might you need to augment relevant knowledge?

How will you restate the content objective to students to frame the learning?

How will you model or thinkaloud what it looks like to meet the content objective?

What academic language or vocabulary will you use?

How will you initially guide and engage students in the content as you model?

How will you be checking for understanding as you explicitly teach and model the content?

How does your model adequately prepare students for assuming responsibility for the learning?

What active engagement strategies will you be using?

How will you differentiate these engagement strategies?

How do these strategies directly support students meeting the content objective?

How will you engage students in active listening and active speaking?

What scaffolds might you need to provide for students for paired or independent work?

What formative assessment strategies will you utilize as students actively manipulate the content?

How will you reduce scaffolds, allowing students to apply and extend their learning?

How will student success be measured?

How will you determine whether students have met the content objective?

How will you encourage students to reflect on their own learning?

How will you use assessment data to provide specific feedback to students?

How can students use this lesson to determine their progress toward current learning goals and/or set new learning goals?

How will you use the assessment data you collect to reflect on your own practice and plan next steps in learning?

Notes on the modeled lesson

Next Steps

Identify your next steps for data-informed, systematic, and explicit phonological awareness instruction

References

• Adams, M. J. (2013). ABC foundations for young children: A classroom curriculum Brookes.

• Blevins, W. (2016). A fresh look at phonics: Common causes of failure and 7 ingredients for success. Corwin Literacy.

• (2021). Phonics: Ten important research findings. Wiley Blevins: Author https://bit.ly/3CmI89k

• Halpern, J. (1998). A look at snakes Steck-Vaughn.

• International Dyslexia Association: Ontario. (n.d.) Decodable readers and text passages. https://bit.ly/39edMZS

• Irujo, S. (n.d.) What does research tell us about teaching reading to English language learners? Colorin Colorado https://bit.ly/3Am3qTU

• Japan Association for Language Teaching. (2019). Teacher efficacy, learner agency. JALT Annual Conference.

• Voyager Sopris Learning. (2014, April 28). Author Louisa Moats talks about importance of Sound Structure. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/FaYRVKvuAtA

• Reading Rockets. (n.d.) Phonological and phonemic awareness. https://bit.ly/3ki90Rs

• Scarborough, H. S. (2001). Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities: Evidence, theory, and practice. In S. Neuman & D. Dickinson (Eds.), Handbook for research in early literacy (pp. 97–110). Guilford.

• Reading Rockets. (2019, January 25). What has research taught us about how children learn to read? [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/eg0891-8dKQ

• Sohn, E. (2020). It’s time to stop debating how to teach kids to read and follow the evidence. Science News. https://bit.ly/39ihnpG

• Snyder, E., Witmer, S. E., & Schmitt, H. (2017). English language learners and reading instruction: A review of the literature. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 61(2), 136 145. https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2016.1219301

• Willingham, D. T. (2015). Raising kids who read: What parents and teachers can do. Jossey-Bass.

• Zgonc, Y. (2000). Sounds in action. Stenhous

About Alliance® Professional Development Solutions

Catapult Learning, now celebrating more than 45 years of partnering with schools and districts, delivers research-based and proveneffective professional learning solutions. Our offerings build capacity for teachers and for school and district leaders and help raise and sustain student achievement.

Delivered in a range of durations and intensity of implementation by our nationwide team of experienced PD Specialists, Alliance solutions feature best practices directly informed by our own extensive educational experience.

This workshop is part of our series, aligned to Pedagogy and Curriculum in our Five Strand Design. The design is a holistic, research-based model, represented by the diagram shown right. Each of the five interrelated areas are integral to a learning organization’s ability to promote behaviors that can increase and successfully maintain student achievement.