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Phonemic Awareness and the Teaching of Reading

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Phonemic Awareness and the Teaching of Reading PHONEMIC AWARENESS and the Teaching of Reading A Position Statement from the Board of Directors of the International Reading Association Much has been written regarding phonemic awareness, phonics, and the failure of schools to teach the basic skills of reading. The Board of Directors offers this position paper in the hope of clarifying some of these issues as they relate to research, policy, and practice. We view research and theory as a resource for educators to make informed instructional decisions. We must use research wisely and be mindful of its limitations and its potential to inform instruction. Why the What is phonemic sudden interest in Isn’t phonemic awareness? phonemic awareness? awareness just a 1990s word for There is no single definition of phonemic The findings regarding phonemic aware- awareness. The term has gained popularity ness are not as new to the field of literacy phonics? in the 1990s as researchers have attempted as some may think, although it is only in to study early-literacy development and recent years that they have gained wide Phonemic awareness is not phonics. reading disability. Phonemic awareness is attention. For over 50 years discussions Phonemic awareness is an understanding typically described as an insight about have continued regarding the relation about spoken language. Children who are oral language and in particular about the between a child’s awareness of the sounds phonemically aware can tell the teacher segmentation of sounds that are used in of spoken words and his or her ability to that bat is the word the teacher is repre- speech communication. Phonemic aware- read. In the 1940s some psychologists senting by saying the three separate sounds ness is characterized in terms of the facility noted that children with reading disabilities in the word. They can tell you all the of the language learner to manipulate the were unable to differentiate the spoken sounds in the spoken word dog. They can sounds of oral speech. A child who pos- word into its sounds and put together the tell you that, if you take the last sound off sesses phonemic awareness can segment sounds of a word. Psychological research cart, you would have car. Phonics, on the sounds in words (for example, pronounce intensified during the 1960s and 1970s. other hand, is knowing the relation just the first sound heard in the word top) Within the reading educational community between specific, printed letters (including and blend strings of isolated sounds togeth- there was research (for example, the “First- combinations of letters) and specific, spo- er to form recognizable word forms. Often, Grade Studies” in 1967) hinting at the im- ken sounds. You are asking children to the term phonemic awareness is used portant relation between sound awareness show their phonics knowledge when you interchangeably with the term phonological and learning to read. ask them which letter makes the first sound awareness. To be precise, phonemic Recent longitudinal studies of reading in bat or dog or the last sound in car or awareness refers to an understanding about acquisition have demonstrated that the ac- cart. The phonemic awareness tasks that the smallest units of sound that make up quisition of phonemic awareness is highly have predicted successful reading are tasks the speech stream: phonemes. predictive of success in learning to read— that demand that children attend to spoken Phonological awareness encompasses larg- in particular in predicting success in learn- language, not tasks that simply ask students er units of sound as well, such as syllables, ing to decode. In fact, phonemic awareness to name letters or tell which letters make onsets, and rimes. We use the term phone- abilities in kindergarten (or in that age which sounds. In fact, if phonemic aware- mic awareness in this document because range) appear to be the best single predic- ness just meant knowledge of letter-sound much of the theoretical and empirical litera- tor of successful reading acquisition. There relations, there would have been no need ture focuses specifically on phonemes. We is converging research evidence to docu- to coin a new term for it. also choose to use this term because of its ment this relation, and few scholars would more common use in the professional liter- dispute this finding. However, there is ature and in professional discussions. considerable disagreement about what the relation means in terms of understanding reading acquisition and what the relation implies for reading instruction. How does phonemic If phonemic Is phonemic awareness work to awareness is the best awareness a single, facilitate reading predictor of success momentary insight? acquisition? in beginning reading, Or, is it best That phonemic awareness predicts reading shouldn’t we put all described as a success is a fact. We can only speculate on our time and effort skill that develops why the strong relation exists. One likely explanation is that phonemic awareness in kindergarten and gradually over time? supports understanding of the alphabetic early reading into Phonemic awareness has been measured principle—an insight that is crucial in read- developing it? using a variety of tasks that appear to tap ing an alphabetic orthography. The logic into an individual’s ability to manipulate of alphabetic print is apparent to learners Most researchers in this area advocate that the sounds of oral language. However, if they know that speech is made up of a we consciously and purposefully attend to some tasks may require a more sophisticat- sequence of sounds (that is, if they are the development of phonemic awareness ed understanding of sound structures than phonemically aware). In learning to read, as a part of a broad instructional program others. For example, rhyming appears they discover that it is those units of sound in reading and writing. Certainly, kinder- much earlier than segmentation abilities for that are represented by the symbols on a garten children should have many oppor- most children. Also, it seems to matter that page. Printed symbols may appear arbitrary tunities to engage in activities that teach children can hear the sounds of a spoken to learners who lack phonemic awareness. them about rhyme, beginning sounds, and word in order, but it is not clear how early syllables. How much time is needed for or late this ability does or should develop. this kind of focused instruction is some- Researchers are still working to identify the thing only the teacher can determine based kinds of tasks and what aspects of phone- on a good understanding of the research mic awareness they might tap. It appears on phonemic awareness and of his or her from the research that the acquisition of students’ needs and abilities. Research phonemic awareness occurs over time and suggests that different children may need develops gradually into more and more so- different amounts and forms of phonemic phisticated levels of control. Some research awareness instruction and experiences. The suggests that there is a diversity of develop- research findings related to phonemic mental paths among children. How much awareness suggest that although it might be control is necessary for the child to discov- necessary it is certainly not sufficient for er the alphabetic principle is still producing good readers. One thing is cer- unclear. There is no research evidence to tain: We cannot give so much attention to suggest that there is any exact sequence of phonemic-awareness instruction that other acquisition of specific sounds in the devel- important aspects of a balanced literacy opment of phonemic awareness, only that curriculum are left out or abandoned. there is increasing control over sounds in general. How can phonemic promote the development of phonemic It has been stressed awareness. These findings also are consis- awareness be taught? tent with continuing research into the that phonemic The answer to this question has both theo- sources of influence on phonemic aware- awareness is an oral retical and practical implications. Theorists ness abilities before students enter school. language skill and interested in determining the causal contri- It is clear that high levels of phonemic bution of phonemic awareness to learning awareness among very young children are that it has nothing to to read have conducted experimental stud- related to home experiences that are filled do with print, letters, ies in which some students are explicitly with interactions with print (such as being or phonics. taught phonemic awareness and some are read to at home, playing letter games and not. Many of the early studies in this genre language play, and having early writing ex- Is this true? focused on treatments that emphasize oral periences). language work only. The findings from It is true that phonemic awareness is an in- these studies suggest phonemic awareness sight about oral language, and that you can can be taught successfully. Do all children assess phonemic awareness through tasks More recently, there have been studies eventually develop that offer no reference to print. However, of phonemic awareness training that com- to suggest that there is no relation between bine and contrast purely oral language ap- phonemic awareness? the development of phonemic awareness proaches to the nurturing of phonemic Shouldn’t we just let and print is misleading. There is evidence awareness abilities, with approaches that them develop this to suggest that the relation between phone- include interaction with print during the mic awareness and learning to read is re- training. These studies suggest that pro- understanding ciprocal: phonemic awareness supports grams that encourage high levels of student naturally? reading acquisition, and reading instruction engagement and interaction with print (for and experiences with print facilitate phone- example, through read-alouds, shared read- Naturally is a word that causes many peo- mic awareness development.
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