We published this article in 2015 with tips on promoting phonological awareness in children. Considering the pervasive use of masks over the last 2 years to help control the pandemic, this may be an area that requires extra attention as children develop their language and reading skills. Learn more about how to support phonological awareness below!
It sounds like a mouthful, but it’s not hard and it’s very important to your child’s development. Phonological awareness is hearing and understanding the different sounds and patterns of spoken language. It is being sensitive to the different ways oral language can be broken down into individual parts, for instance, separate sounds and syllables.
Many parents worry about whether or not their child will be “ready” for kindergarten. A good test is how well they can discern the smallest unit of sound, the phoneme. “Phonemic awareness is the most potent predictor of success in learning to read. It is more highly related to reading than tests of general intelligence, reading readiness, and listening comprehension.” (Stanovich, 1986, 1994).
Children begin by listening to sounds in the environment and eventually become aware that language is made up of words that are grouped together. Through playful activities we can teach children to be aware of beginning and ending sounds in words. Songs and stories provide wonderful opportunities for a child to be exposed to rhyming words and alliteration. (Alliteration is repetition of an initial sound in two or more words of a phrase.)
Preschool children love to clap the words of a sentence or the syllables in their names. They enjoy playing with words. For example, if you sing, “Dow, dow, dow your boat, gently down the stream,” more than likely your preschool child will say, “No! That’s not right! It’s row.”
On the blog we have posted more information on phonological awareness and some ways you can encourage your child’s curiosity and experimentation with language. After children have a good understanding of the sounds of language, they are ready for phonics, which is connecting printed symbols to their corresponding sounds. Have fun watching your child master these various skills!
