From Sounds to Words

Teacher Question: I’ve been working on phonics instruction with my students, but they just don’t seem to be getting it. Why is that?

A: This is a question I get asked frequently. When phonics isn’t working, the issue is often related to phonological awareness. Phonics instruction requires explicit and systematic teaching of how letters (graphemes) correspond to sounds (phonemes) to decode and spell words. But if this instruction isn’t working, we need to dig deeper to identify any potential gaps in phonological awareness.

What is phonics?

Phonics is a method of teaching reading that focuses on the relationship between graphemes (letters) and phonemes (sounds). It teaches students how to use these relationships to decode (read) and encode (spell) words. Decoding involves transforming written letters (graphemes) into spoken sounds (phonemes) and blending them together to form words. Spelling, on the other hand, requires remembering the phoneme-grapheme relationships and applying them to write words. To be able to do this, a student must first be able to blend and segment sounds.

What is phonemic awareness, and how does it relate to phonics?

 Phonemic awareness refers to a student's ability to recognize and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. It's not about letters yet; it’s about sounds. This awareness is essential for a child’s ability to decode and encode words. Phonemic awareness is the most complex form of phonological awareness and is crucial for developing strong reading skills. A skilled reader recognizes that words are made up of individual sounds, which are then represented by letters or letter combinations in writing.

How can I identify if phonemic awareness is an issue for my student?

 The first step is to assess phonemic awareness through a screener. easyCBM.com offers digital screeners, and many other online resources provide them as well. These assessments should be timed to evaluate how quickly the student can segment sounds. If there is a deficit, follow up with a diagnostic assessment to pinpoint specific areas of difficulty, such as blending or segmenting sounds.

What should I focus on in instruction if there is a phonemic awareness deficit?

If a student has a phonemic awareness deficit, the focus should be on blending and segmenting. Blending (putting sounds together) is directly correlated with reading, while segmenting (breaking words into individual sounds) is directly correlated with spelling. In remediation, time is of the essence, especially with older students or struggling readers. While advanced phonemic awareness skills may be important, when working on remediation, prioritizing skills that directly impact reading and spelling is most effective.

Why should blending and segmenting be prioritized over other phonemic awareness skills?

 In remediation, we need to focus on what will make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time. Blending and segmenting are the most essential skills for reading and spelling. For students who are struggling, working on these core skills will give them the best chance to improve their overall literacy, without wasting time on more complex phonemic awareness tasks that are less immediately impactful.