Phonemic Awareness...
What it is:
Phonemic awareness is not the same as phonics! Phonemic awareness is a student's ability to hear, identify, differentiate between, and manipulate all of the individual sounds in words. It may seem obvious, but it is important to note that before students can read words, they need to have learned how the sounds in words work. Phonemic Awareness is needed to learn the American alphabet because the letters represent sounds in words (University of Oregon Center on Teaching and Learning, 2013). What the Research Says:
The University of Oregon's Center on Teaching and Learning states, "the best predictor of reading difficulty in Kindergarten or First Grade is the inability to segment words and syllables into sound units. In addition, the ability to hear and manipulate phonemes plays a causal role in the acquisition of beginning reading skills" (University of Oregon Center on Teaching and Learning, 2013). So if students struggle to hear/manipulate sounds, and to blend/segment words, there is a good chance they will have difficulty 'sounding out' words when they begin to read. Do You need more Phonemic Awareness Information???
Here are some more FREE sites with fun games for further practice, and information on helping students be phonemically aware!
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In this video, a reading teacher gives a very complete definition of phonemic awareness. Tech. Solutions for Students who Struggle with Phonemic Awareness:
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