Building strong literacy skills is a complex journey, and educators play an important role in providing students with the tools to become successful readers. One of the most vital aspects of literacy development is phonemic awareness, or the ability to identify and manipulate the individual sounds in a spoken language.
Phonemic awareness is the cornerstone of reading development. It allows children to understand that spoken language consists of distinct sounds (phonemes) blended to form words. For example, the word “cat” has three separate sounds: /k/, /a/ and /t/. This ability to break down spoken words into their individual sounds is a crucial precursor to learning phonics, which focuses on the relationship between these sounds and the written letters that represent them.
Lamar University’s Online M.Ed. in Literacy Program: Empowering Educators
Programs like Lamar University’s online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Literacy provide educators with a deep understanding of phonemic awareness and its role in reading development. Courses like Foundations of Literacy emphasize the history and philosophy behind various approaches to teaching literacy. This program examines research findings on topics such as how young children develop reading skills, the strategies readers use to decode words, reading comprehension, student interest in reading, current literacy teaching methods and how to effectively teach students from diverse backgrounds.
The Multisensory Literacy Learning course looks into the theories and research behind multisensory language learning, exploring how different teaching methods can engage the senses (sight, hearing, touch and movement) for more effective learning. Students not only learn about these concepts but also put them into practice. Through field-based assignments, they design and implement multisensory strategies that target different language components like sounds, word parts, meaning and sentence structure.
The Science of Reading and Phonemic Awareness
Literacy leaders increasingly recognize the importance of phonemic awareness instruction. Organizations like Reading Rockets emphasize the significant body of research that demonstrates the positive impact of phonemic awareness on reading achievement. Studies show that children with strong phonemic awareness skills are more likely to become successful readers and experience fewer reading difficulties.
Research in the science of reading consistently highlights the importance of phonemic awareness. According to My Teaching Cupboard, there are several key points to consider:
- Phonemic awareness predicts reading success. Studies show a correlation between strong phonemic awareness skills in kindergarten and successful reading achievement in later grades.
- Instruction makes a difference. Explicit instruction in phonemic awareness is highly effective in improving reading skills, particularly for children at risk of reading difficulties.
- Benefits extend beyond decoding. Phonemic awareness skills are not just about decoding written words. They also play a role in spelling, vocabulary development and reading comprehension.
Organizations like Literacy Worldwide advocate for the importance of phonemic awareness instruction for all learners, including those from diverse backgrounds. Prioritizing phonemic awareness instruction ensures that all children, regardless of their background, have the foundation they need to achieve literacy success.
Improve the Lives of Students With an Online Advanced Degree in Literacy
Phonemic awareness is not a fad — it’s a fundamental building block for reading development. By providing educators with the knowledge and tools to effectively teach phonemic awareness, programs like Lamar University’s online M.Ed. in Literacy empower them to make a lasting impact on the lives of their students. Children with a strong foundation in phonemic awareness are well on their way to becoming successful and confident readers.
Learn more about Lamar University’s online Master of Education in Literacy program.
