FAQ Friday: Phonological Awareness

Hip hip hooray for Friday!  I hope you've had a good week.  Mine has been pretty stressful, trying to get everything done in the home stretch.  Only 2 more weeks to go!  :)

Friday means FAQ time, so don't forget to send me your questions.

Today's question has to do with reading.  It seems like kids are learning to read at an earlier age these days with the new Common Core standards and student expectations.  That's not to say they can't do it because the average child definitely can.  It's important for parents to start working with their kids at home, even before they are enrolled in school.

 Research has shown that kids who have a good grasp of phonological awareness skills are more likely to have an easier time reading.
When we say phonological awareness, it includes some of the following skills:

• Rhyming
• Word awareness in texts
• Break words into syllables
• Beginning sounds
• Ending sounds

Here are a few ways you can help teach your child these critical skills.

Rhyming

1. Read stories that have rhyming words - Dr. Seuss books are GREAT for this! 
2. Rhyme using songs - Sing songs together and find the words that "match"
3. Play rhyming games - Help the child produce rhyming words by taking turns finding as many words that sound the same (i.e. cat, bat, hat, mat).

Word Awareness

1. Read aloud and interact with the text as you read.  Point to the words as you say them or have the child point to the words.
2. Sing songs that accentuate single words (i.e. Pop! Goes the weasel).
3. Count the number of words in sentences.

Syllables

1. Divide compound words (starfish, cowboy) into the 2 parts
2. I spy syllables - Have the kids find things in the room with a certain number of syllables ("I spy something with 2 syllables")
3. Use blocks or counters to label the syllables in words.

Phonemes (sounds)

1. Point out alliterations in books (i.e. Sally sat so sadly in her seat) - Again Dr. Seuss books!
2. Play word games to find the beginning or ending sound (i.e. See who can find the most things that begin with /t/).
3. Practice tongue twisters

These are just a few things you can do to help.  The more exposure kids have in thinking about words and sounds, the better they will be when learning to read.  

Much of this information came from this article from the VA dept. of education.  Be sure and check it out for more detailed info. 

What do you think?  Any other ideas?