Phonemic/Phonological Awareness and Sight Words
Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify and manipulate the separate sounds, or phonemes, that make up words. Words can be broken down into syllables, and syllables can be broken down into separate units of sounds, called phonemes. This is important to reading and reading readiness. This is especially important for children in Kindergarten and first grade.
The following types of activities support children to develop phonemic awareness:
• rhyming
• matching beginning sounds,
• counting syllables
• counting phonemes
Phonological awareness includes phonemic awareness, and an understanding of syllables, onsets and rimes (link), alliteration, rhymes and words. This is especially important for children in first and second grade.
(Click on the visual icon for resources to practice phonemic and phonological awareness below.)