Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. It’s a critical skill in the development of reading and writing, especially in the early grades. This session is designed for educators working with young learners, from preschool through 4th grade, and will focus on effective strategies to build and strengthen phonemic awareness in the classroom. Participants will explore the five key components of phonemic awareness: rhyming, blending, segmenting, isolating sounds, and manipulating sounds through activities and games. Practical, hands-on activities will be shared that help children develop these skills in an engaging and fun way. Additionally, we will discuss the importance of phonemic awareness as a predictor of later reading success and how it ties into other literacy skills like decoding, spelling, and fluency.
