Developing Phonological and Phonemic Awareness with Pre Readers and Writers

1. Reading Aloud Regularly: Reading to children is one of the most effective ways to expose them to the sounds of language. Choose books with rhymes and alliteration, and emphasize the sounds of words as you read. Encourage children to listen for rhyming words and identify repeated sounds.
2. Segmenting Phonemes: Help children break down words into individual sounds or phonemes. Start with simple words and ask them to identify the separate sounds. For example, with the word “cat,” ask them to say each sound (/k/ – /a/ – /t/) separately and then blend them together to form the word.
3. Blending Phonemes: Practice blending sounds together to create words. You can use letter blocks, magnetic letters, or flashcards with simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Ask children to blend the sounds together to pronounce the word correctly.
4. Discriminating Sounds: Play games that involve sound discrimination. You can ask children to identify which sound is different in a set of words or objects. For example, you could present three objects like a “cat,” “hat,” and “dog” and ask them to point out the one that starts with a different sound.
5. Engaging in Rhyming and Alliteration Activities: Engage in activities that focus on rhyming and alliteration. Sing rhyming songs, read rhyming books, and play games where children generate their own rhyming words and support nonsense word rhymes. Encourage them to come up with alliterative phrases using the same initial sound.
6. Playing Sound Awareness Games: Use sound awareness games to help children identify and isolate specific sounds in their environment. For instance, you can reveal an object and say, “I have a bucket, can you find something that starts with the same sound as bucket?,  and let them search for an item.
7. Using Phonemic Awareness Apps and Games: There are many phonemic awareness apps and games available that make learning interactive and enjoyable. These tools can reinforce the concepts and provide additional practice.
8. Creating Word Families: Help children develop groups of words with the same ending (rime) (e.g., -at family: cat, bat, hat). Children can practice recognizing and generating words within the same word family, which enhances their ability to identify common phonemes.

Be sure to offer children lots of opportunities to practice their skills and  provide them ongoing specific positive feedback for their efforts to keep them motivated. Lastly, remember that chronological ages are very general guidelines and that every child develops literacy skills at their own pace.   Adults in the lives of children know them best and are well-equipped to support their literacy journey as they grow.