Phonics and Phonemic Awareness: What’s the Difference?
A strong foundation in early literacy is key to reading success, and early childhood educators play a huge role in building that foundation.
Two terms you’ll often hear in the context of early literacy are “phonemic awareness” and “phonics.” Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and play with the individual sounds (phonemes) that make up spoken words. Phonics, on the other hand, is all about connecting those sounds to the letters that represent them.
This article will dive into the definitions of phonics and phonemic awareness, highlight their key differences, and explore how they’re used in practice. We’ll also tackle some common misconceptions and provide actionable strategies for educators looking to boost early literacy skills.
What is phonemic awareness? The foundation of reading
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and play with the individual sounds (called phonemes) in spoken words. It’s all about sound and doesn’t involve connecting sounds to written letters.
Think of phonemic awareness as one part of a larger set of skills known as phonological awareness, which includes working with larger chunks of sound like syllables and rhymes. As Wiley Blevins, an expert in literacy, puts it, “All phonemic awareness work is a type of phonological awareness, but not all phonological awareness tasks are phoneme-level tasks.”
What does phonemic awareness look like in action? Here are a few examples:
- Phoneme isolation: This is when you can pick out individual sounds in a word. For example, what’s the first sound you hear in the word “fun?” (/f/)
- Phoneme blending: This is when you can put individual sounds together to make a word. For example, what word do these sounds make: /d/ /oo/ /m/? (doom)
- Phoneme segmentation: This is when you can break a word down into its individual sounds. For example, what are the sounds in “ship?” (/sh/ /i/ /p/)
- Phoneme deletion: This is when you can take a sound away from a word. For example, what’s “block” without the /b/? (lock)
Understanding Phonics: Connecting Sounds to Letters
Phonics is about understanding the relationship between the sounds we hear (phonemes) and the letters we see (graphemes). It’s all about connecting spoken sounds with written symbols.
Think of phonics as a bridge that helps kids learn to decode words when they’re reading and encode them when they’re writing.
Examples of Phonics Skills
Here are some examples of what phonics skills look like in action:
- Letter-sound correspondence: Knowing what sounds go with each letter. For example, understanding that the letter “a” typically makes the short “a” sound, like in “apple.”
- Blending sounds to read words: Using your knowledge of letter sounds to sound out words. So, when you see the word “cat,” you blend the /c/, /ă/, and /t/ sounds together to read the word.
- Segmenting words to spell: This is the opposite of blending. It’s breaking down a word into its individual sounds and then writing the letters that match those sounds. For instance, when spelling “dog,” you’d identify the /d/, /o/, and /g/ sounds and then write “d-o-g.”
- Recognizing common spelling patterns: This involves understanding that certain letter combinations often make specific sounds. A good example is knowing that “ck” usually makes the /k/ sound at the end of a word, as in “clock” or “duck.”
Phonemic awareness and phonics: Key differences and how they connect
Phonemic awareness and phonics are often taught together, but they aren’t the same thing.
Here’s how they differ:
- Auditory vs. visual. Phonemic awareness relies completely on sound. Phonics connects sounds to letters, so it involves visual cues.
- Skills development. Kids usually develop phonemic awareness before they start learning phonics. They need to be able to hear and play with sounds before they can connect those sounds to the letters that represent them.
Although they’re different, phonemic awareness and phonics are closely related. Working on one skill helps develop the other.
One way to integrate phonemic awareness and phonics is to use tools like Elkonin boxes and word chains, which give children a visual way to represent and play with the sounds in words.
Writing activities are also helpful. When kids write, they’re solidifying the connection between sounds and letters.
Practical Strategies for Implementing Phonics and Phonemic Awareness in the Classroom
So, how can teachers put phonics and phonemic awareness into practice?
Phonemic Awareness Activities
For phonemic awareness, think fun and engaging. Songs, rhymes, and games are your friends. Rhyming games, clapping out syllables, and figuring out the first sounds in words are all great activities.
Another cool trick? Use a child’s name to introduce sound-symbol relationships. It makes the learning experience personal and more meaningful for them.
Phonics Instruction Techniques
When it comes to phonics instruction, be systematic and explicit. Introduce letter-sound correspondences in a logical order, building on what they’ve already learned. And practice, practice, practice!
Decodable texts are super helpful. They let kids practice their phonics skills by reading words that only contain the letter-sound relationships they’ve been taught.
And remember, it’s not just about decoding! Always emphasize what the words mean. You want kids to understand what they’re reading, not just sound it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are CVC words phonics or phonemic awareness?
CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words are primarily associated with phonics, although they do require some phonemic awareness. While understanding the sounds within the word (phonemic awareness) is essential, the act of decoding the letters and blending them together to read the word is a phonics skill.
What are the 5 levels of phonemic awareness in order?
The five levels of phonemic awareness typically progress in difficulty: 1. Rhyming (recognizing words that rhyme). 2. Alliteration (identifying words that start with the same sound). 3. Sentence segmentation (breaking sentences into individual words). 4. Syllable blending and segmenting (combining and separating syllables in words). 5. Phoneme manipulation (blending, segmenting, adding, deleting, and substituting individual sounds in words).
What do you teach first, phonics or phonemic awareness?
Phonemic awareness should be taught before phonics. Phonemic awareness is the foundation upon which phonics skills are built. Students need to be able to hear and manipulate the individual sounds in words before they can connect those sounds to letters.
What is the difference between phonemic awareness and phonics?
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. It’s all about sound. Phonics, on the other hand, is the understanding of the relationship between sounds (phonemes) and the letters that represent them (graphemes). Phonics connects sounds to print.
Putting It All Together
To recap, phonemic awareness centers on the sounds in spoken words, while phonics connects those sounds to the letters we use to write them down. Both are crucial if you want to become a strong reader.
That’s why it’s essential for early childhood educators to receive training in the science of reading. When they are well-prepared to teach early literacy skills, children get the best possible start. Ongoing professional development focused on the evidence base for reading instruction is vital for teachers at every grade level.
Giving children a solid foundation in phonemic awareness and phonics gives them the skills they need to succeed, not only in reading but also in every area of their lives.