Adult Literacy - Phonemic Awareness

"Phonemic awareness is the ability to notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds in spoken words. Before [people] learn to read print, they need to become aware of how the sounds in words work." Put Reading First, p. 1

Before anyone can read, they must first learn to speak. Once speech is achieved manipulation of the sounds in words is a precursor to the initial stages of reading. You will hear the word phoneme (pronounced fone - eem). This is the smallest part of sound in a spoken word. Changing just one sound can change the entire meaning of a word and therefore change the entire meaning of a set of words and how they work together to convey meaning. For example: changing the h sound in hot to a p sound, thus changing the word. Another example where meaning is altered in a very drastic way is in using the word or omitting the word "no". Just 2 little phonemes change a sentence drastically. "Phonemic awareness instruction aids reading comprehension
primarily through its influence on word reading." PRF, p.5

Practicing phonemic awareness can be done in many ways. I only like to have my students practice 2 different ways with me. The reason for this is, "Phonemic awareness instruction is most effective when it focuses on only one or two types of phoneme manipulation, rather than several types" PRF, p.6, and the only 2 I focus on are segmenting and blending, because "You can use a variety of teaching methods that contribute to [a person's] success in learning to read. However, teaching one or two types of phoneme manipulation—specifically blending and segmenting phonemes in words—is likely to produce greater benefits to your students’ reading than teaching several types of manipulation." The other types of phonemic awareness skills are still valuable to know how to do, but segmenting and blending will produces the greatest benefits. "Clearly, however, you should provide your students with
instruction that is appropriate for their level of literacy development. If you teach younger children or less able, older readers, your instruction should begin with easier activities, such as having [them] identify and categorize the first phonemes in words." PRF, p.7

So, what is segmenting, and what is blending. Quite simply, segmenting is being able to say all of the sounds in words by them selves. It's easier to start with simple words, like being able to say all of the sounds in cat with a pause between each sound. Blending is being able to put all of those sounds back together without a pause between the sounds. It would do you well to practice this with any word you want to read - to be able to say all the sounds without even seeing the word must be something that you can do before you try and read it. It's important to note that single syllable words are much easier to segment and blend than words with 2 or more syllables. That is because there are more parts to have to segment and blend. It's like have a lot of little words put together to make one larger word. That is the reason why longer, multisyllabic words are much harder to read and to spell. It's best not to frustrate yourself by practicing these harder types of words first. It's best to start with what is easier and then try segmenting and blending these more difficult words.

Remember we are not talking about reading these words yet - remember phonemic awareness is NOT phonics, just manipulating their sounds; however, research says:

"Phonemic awareness instruction makes a stronger contribution to the improvement of reading and spelling when [people] are taught to use letters as they manipulate phonemes than when instruction is limited to phonemes alone. Teaching sounds along with the letters of the alphabet is important because it helps [people]to see how phonemic awareness relates to their reading and writing."

So phonics should eventually be practiced at the same time as phonemic awareness. I believe after one is "Fluent" in segmenting and blending phonemes in isolation. You have another component working its way into the practice of our first 2 reading components: Fluency. Being fluent in phonemic awareness leads to being fluent in phonics, which in turn leads to being fluent in word reading, and then fluency is built in reading phrases, then sentences, and paragraphs with the end result understanding what you are reading. (There are other components that contribute to understanding what is being read - but if you are in the beginning stages of reading we are just trying to manipulate our sounds in speech...or... practicing phonemic awareness.