- 21 Feb, 2025
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Phonemic Awareness: The Foundation of Reading Success
Welcome back to our series on helping struggling readers! In partnership with the Africa Dyslexia Organisation, we’re breaking down the Science of Reading to equip you with effective strategies for teaching your child to read.
What is Phonemic Awareness?
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. These sounds, called phonemes, are the building blocks of reading. Before children learn to connect letters to sounds (phonics), they must first develop an understanding of spoken sounds.
Why is Phonemic Awareness Important?
Children who develop strong phonemic awareness can:
✅ Recognize sounds in words (e.g., “cat” has /c/, /a/, and /t/)
✅ Blend sounds to form words
✅ Segment words into individual sounds
✅ Manipulate sounds (e.g., changing “bat” to “cat” by replacing /b/ with /c/)
How to Teach Phonemic Awareness
Engaging activities can help children develop this skill:
🎵 Jolly Phonics – A fun, music-based program that uses songs and actions to reinforce sounds.
👀 I Spy – “I spy with my little eye something that starts with the /p/ sound.”
👂 Sound Games – “I hear with my fluffy ears the sound /d/. Can you find an object that starts with this sound?”
🧩 Sound Sorting – Show different pictures and ask your child to group them by their beginning sounds.
By making phonemic awareness fun and interactive, children develop the skills they need to become confident readers.
Stay tuned for the next article, where we’ll explore the next pillar: Phonics! 🚀📚