Importance of "Phonemic Awareness" versus Phonics

[TeachingMyToddlers]

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/nrp/findings.cfm

This is the second time I have randomly run across the importance of teaching “phonemic awareness” but I am still trying to get a grasp on what it entails entirely and what activities are best to teach this.

Anyone else familiar with this idea? Do you implement it in your program? Is it appropriate for babies/toddlers?

Lastly, does it even matter so much to teach PA so explicitly because we are teaching our kids so young?

(We are working our way slowing through the hooked on phonics program to ensure a proper reading foundation is built in addition to our other reading programs, although DD has an extensive sight word vocabulary. I am not sure if HOP addresses PA or not though).

http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/543

[mom2bee]

I dont think Phonemic Awareness, is that important to teach explicitly, as doing Hooked On Phonics and playing other silly little sound games will cover the skill. PA isn’t a SUBJECT, but merely a skill.

You can read this wikipedia article for more a much simpler explanation of what PA is and how it is taught. Knowing that the SOUNDS /k/+/a/+/t/ = cat is a very basic, but very good example of what PA is. Its simply the ability to determine the tiniest sounds in a word or pharse. What sound do you hear at the beginning of the words “pig, paste, pepper, and pony”?

Are these words the same? “pome” “pone” what about “dune and bune?”

PA requires your kid to be able to hear that m and n sound in the first example and realize that the initiale sound of “dune” isn’t the same as in “bune”

The fact that your kids are learning so early, this seems like it would almost definitely be a no-brainer for them.
Its hard to believe that anyone would actually be taught PA, I’m guessing its just there to catch those unfortunate children who aren’t really spoken to at home and to pad the curriculum of public schools because learning to read seems like you’d naturally realize this.

Using HOP is another bonus. As a good phonics program will naturally have PA built into it. As you see from the examples above, its not something you need to buy a seperate kit for. You could just play a sound/say it slow iword game with your kids whenever you want.

Have them determine which sound is NOT in the word you just said.
IE if they know all their letters and sounds, use CVC like cat, dog, hot, etc, words. but four letters in front of them (for example, D O G T and say “Dooooog!” and ask them to show you the letters that they hear in the word DOOOG or witch letter they do NOT hear (in this case, T).

The short answer, is I wouldn’t sweat PA too much, It will develop naturally if you just talk to your kids, but I think it matters even less wth you actively educating your kids from such a young age.

[Tanikit]

I also think if you are reading a lot and speaking a lot that PA will come naturally - I did do a little with my DD before she started reading books and did help some with the basic phinics (cvc blending) - basically I found out if she could hear the beginning sounds - of course she could, but she was then able to tell them to me) and also if she understood what rhyming was - many children who are very young will not be able to give you a word that rhymes with … Basically reading lots of rhyming books does help though (Dr Seuss for one)

I am not entirely sure what the importance of PA is if they are talking correctly - it does not help with spelling at all except for basic words. I would imagine that to speak clearly (usually between ages 2-3) they must have some concept of phonemic awareness even if they are unable to verbalise what they know except by speaking well.

The book “Teach your child to say it right” has many exercises for phonemic awareness some of which I have done with my daughter purely for interest sake. This book is about speech issues but has a chapter on how speech affects literacy and ways to improve both which also helps a lot when it comes to teaching blending which many older children struggle with.

I have found with my DD that in teaching her so young much of the phonics (and also the PA naturally) is incidental - we have only been reading books for a short time and yet without me doing much more than cover up the “ed” or “ing” get her to read the word, then uncover the “ed” or “ing” and read her the full word she is now doing it all by herself and in a very very short time with very few repetitions. There has been no need for me to teach her these endings. The same is happening with much of the phonics including the silent e and how it changes the vowel. It is SO SO much easier to teach a young child who is still learning the rules of grammar and speech, how to read. I wouldn’t bother too much with phonemic awareness - its pretty natural.