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kindergarten teacher helping students make the sounds in words

Phonemic Awareness: An Introduction

Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify, hear, and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words. Manipulating the sounds in words includes blending, stretching, or otherwise changing words.

kindergarten teacher helping students make the sounds in words

Phonemic Awareness: Watch & Learn

These short video clips give you the chance to watch and learn effective phonemic awareness activities. Many of the video clips are from Reading Rockets’ PBS television series Launching Young Readers.
Phonemic Awareness in Young Children

Phonemic Awareness in Young Children

Research shows that the very notion that spoken language is made up of sequences of little sounds does not come naturally or easily to human beings. The small units of speech that correspond to letters of an alphabetic writing system are called phonemes. Thus, the awareness that language is composed of these small sounds is termed phonemic awareness.

Elementary boy in yellow plaid shirt taking a test

Phonic Elements: Assessment

An informal assessment of phonic elements, including what the assessment measures, when is should be assessed, examples of questions, and the age or grade at which the assessment should be mastered.

First grader at board reading 3-letter words for teacher

Phonics Instruction

Phonics instruction is a way of teaching reading that stresses the acquisition of letter-sound correspondences and their use in reading and spelling.

Phonics Instruction: the Value of a Multi-sensory Approach

Phonics Instruction: the Value of a Multi-sensory Approach

Teaching experience supports a multi-sensory instruction approach in the early grades to improve phonemic awareness, phonics, and reading comprehension skills. Multi-sensory instruction combines listening, speaking, reading, and a tactile or kinesthetic activity. 

Phonics: Introduction

Phonics: Introduction

The goal of phonics instruction is to help children learn the alphabetic principle — the idea that letters represent the sounds of spoken language — and that there is an organized, logical, and predictable relationship between written letters and spoken sounds.

First grader at board reading 3-letter words for teacher

Phonics: Watch & Learn

These six short video clips give you the chance to watch and learn effective phonics activities. The video clips are from Reading Rockets’ PBS television series Launching Young Readers.
Elementary boy in yellow plaid shirt taking a test

Phonological Awareness Assessment

An informal assessment phonological awareness, including what the assessment measures, when is should be assessed, examples of questions, and the age or grade at which the assessment should be mastered.
Phonological Instruction for Older Students

Phonological Instruction for Older Students

Additional and explicit instruction in phonological awareness is a critical component in helping fourth grade readers who struggle with phonological deficits. The exercises can be used as a warm-up prior to reading, spelling, or vocabulary instruction.

preschool teacher with two kids working on colors and shapes

Physical and Mental Well-Being

How can you help your baby or toddler to learn and to get ready for school? Here are some ways to make sure young children’s physical and social needs are met.

Physical  Structure in the School Setting

Physical Structure in the School Setting

An organized classroom with defined areas and spaces can help students with autism in anticipating what is expected and to predict what will be happening during the instructional day. Get tips on how to create defined learning spaces and reduce distractions in your classroom.

Picture This! Using Mental Imagery While Reading

Picture This! Using Mental Imagery While Reading

One way to help a child comprehend what he is reading is to encourage him to visualize parts of the story in his mind. These “mind movies” help clarify information, increase understanding, and can include any of the five senses. Try these practices below when reading with your child.

Picturebooks and Emotional Literacy

Picturebooks and Emotional Literacy

One potential way of fostering empathy in young children is through picturebooks. Learn about empathy, theory of mind, the development of emotional intelligence, and the role of picturebooks in the classroom.

Planning for Successful Transitions Across Grade Levels

Planning for Successful Transitions Across Grade Levels

The transition from one grade to the next can be especially challenging for the student with an autism spectrum disorder. However, these students can more easily make this shift if careful planning and preparation occurs. Get tips for facilitating a smooth transition.

Playing with Words: Riddles

Playing with Words: Riddles

Riddles are an excellent way for kids to learn how to really listen to the sounds of words, understand that some words have more than one meaning, and how to manipulate words. And riddles are fun — a good incentive for thinking about words and reading.

Playing with Word Sounds: Stretch and Shorten

Playing with Word Sounds: Stretch and Shorten

Blending (combining sounds) and segmenting (separating sounds) are phonological awareness skills that are necessary for learning to read. Developing your child’s phonological awareness is an important part of developing your child as a reader. Learn how working on phonological awareness can be fun and easy below.

Poems at Home

Poems at Home

Sharing poetry with kids is a great way to highlight language. Poems offer humor, interesting words, tongue twisters, alliteration, and opportunities for choral reading (reading together). Find out how to plan a lively and fun family poetry jam!

Positive Behavior Strategies: A Guide for Teachers

Positive Behavior Strategies: A Guide for Teachers

Positive behavior strategies (PBS) are research-based approaches to changing challenging student behavior. In this overview, you’ll find out what PBS looks like in the classroom and how to put it into practice. You’ll also learn how families can support PBS at home.

woodcut style illustration of the national capitol building

Position Statement on Student Grade Retention and Social Promotion

In this statement, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) identifies the characteristics of students more likely to be retained and the impact of retention at the secondary school level, late adolescence, and early adulthood. NASP also provides a long list of alternatives to retention and social promotion.
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