Phonological Awareness
Phonological awareness is a broad skill that includes identifying and manipulating sounds in words. It is the foundation of becoming a successful reader. Prerequisites to obtaining phonological awareness skills include good listening, the ability to imitate words and sounds, and a strong vocabulary.
These skills include:
Rhyme: rhyme awareness and construction
Alliteration: Discrimination and production
Sound and Word Discrimination: Hears units of sounds within a sentence, identifies which word is different
Syllabification: Syllable segmenting and blending
Onset and Rime: Blending and segmenting
Phonemic Awareness: Knowledge of letter sound relationship
According to Kelli Johnson, M.A in her article titled Phonological Awareness: What it is and how it works, “Kids who have a strong foundation in phonemic awareness may have an easier time understanding that certain letters stand for specific sounds. They have experience blending sounds into words and taking words apart. And that gives them a head start when it’s time to decode letter sounds, hold them in memory, and blend them into words.”
Some apps to promote phonological awareness skills:
- Simplex Spelling 1, 2, 3 (4.99)
- Word Sounds/Phonemes by Teaching Speech Apps (3.99)
- GAAP App (free)
It is never too early to start working on phonological awareness skills with your child. This can be incorporated at any time such as during play, meal time, and even rides in the car! Give it a try and you and your child can enjoy learning together!
If you have any questions let us know, as Sidekick Therapy Partners has therapists who specialize in Phonological Disorders.
Ally Tatro, M.S. CF-SLP