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Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the individual sounds in spoken words. It is not about letters or print, but about listening closely to the sounds of language. When children learn to identify rhymes, break words into syllables, or blend sounds together to make a word, they are practicing phonemic awareness. This skill acts like a foundation for reading and spelling because once students can notice and work with sounds, it becomes much easier to connect those sounds to letters later on. Think of it as tuning the ear to the music of language so that reading makes sense when it begins.

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Students are given cards or objects with pictures (like cat, hat, dog, log). Their job is to find the “sound partner” that rhymes. Once matched, the group says the words out loud in a fun chant or sings them to a simple tune. This helps children tune their ears to patterns in sounds.

Differentiation- For students who need extra support, provide only two or three cards at a time, color-code the matches, or use real objects instead of pictures. Adding claps, stomps, or taps with each rhyme can also give sensory input that makes it easier to remember.

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Classroom Activity 2: Sound Stretch and Blend 

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Classroom Activity 2: Sound Stretch and Blend 

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The teacher slowly stretches out a word into its sounds (for example, /s/… /u/… /n/). With each sound, students might take a step forward, hop, or clap. When the full word is blended, the class celebrates together by jumping, cheering, or pointing to a matching picture.

Differentiation- Students who have difficulty with hearing or processing sounds can watch picture cards as the teacher stretches the word. Nonverbal students can signal understanding by pointing, using a picture choice board, or giving a simple thumbs-up when they recognize the word.

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Each night before bed, choose a simple word (like “cat”) and see how many rhymes your child can create (hat, bat, mat). Caregivers can model first, then let the child take the lead. This playful routine strengthens phonemic awareness by tuning children’s ears to sound patterns, and it can be adapted by using picture cards or real objects for children with exceptionalities who need extra support.

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Website for Families: Reading Rockets – Phonemic Awareness (www.readingrockets.org)

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Website for Families: Reading Rockets – Phonemic Awareness (www.readingrockets.org)

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Reading Rockets provides parent-friendly articles, videos, and activities focused on early literacy skills, including phonemic awareness. Families can find interactive ideas that fit naturally into daily routines, and the resources offer tips for adapting activities to meet the needs of all learners. This helps children with and without exceptionalities build a strong foundation in listening to and manipulating sounds, which supports both reading readiness and long-term literacy growth.

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Phonics is all about helping children understand how the sounds they hear connect to the letters and words they see. It gives them the tools to recognize that letters are not just symbols on a page but sound markers that can be blended and separated to make sense of language. Instead of memorizing words by sight, children learn to break them apart, listen closely, and then put them back together. This process turns reading into something they can figure out and not just something they are told, which makes it both empowering and meaningful.

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Classroom Activity 1: Phonics Hopscotch 

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Classroom Activity 1: Phonics Hopscotch 

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Draw a hopscotch grid outside or use tape on the classroom floor. Each square has a letter or simple word written inside. Students toss a beanbag, hop to the square it lands on, and then read the letter or word aloud. This blends movement with phonics practice, making it engaging and memorable.

Differentiation: For students with exceptionalities, the grid can be simplified with fewer squares or only letters instead of words. Nonverbal students can point to or touch the correct letter rather than saying it aloud. Adding visuals like picture clues next to the letters can also provide extra support.

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Students use letter tiles or magnetic letters to build simple words, starting with consonant-vowel-consonant words like “cat” or “sun.” The teacher models blending the sounds, and students practice putting the sounds together to read the word.

Differentiation: For students who need extra support, limit the word choices and use color-coded tiles (vowels in one color, consonants in another). Provide picture cues to guide word building, or allow students to physically manipulate larger, textured letters to strengthen engagement.

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At-Home Activity: Letter Sound Treasure Hunt

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At-Home Activity: Letter Sound Treasure Hunt

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Invite your child to search around the house for items that start with a specific letter sound, such as /b/ for book, ball, or blanket. After collecting the items, say the words together, stretching the beginning sound to make the letter-sound connection clear. This playful hunt allows children to connect phonics skills to their daily environment, while children with exceptionalities can be supported by using picture cards, limiting the search to one room, or pairing the activity with visual or tactile cues.

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Website for Families: ABCmouse – Phonics (www.abcmouse.com)

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Website for Families: ABCmouse – Phonics (www.abcmouse.com)

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ABCmouse is a child-friendly website and app with games, songs, and interactive lessons that focus on early reading skills, including phonics. It provides visual, auditory, and hands-on style practice, which allows children to learn in the way that fits them best. For learners with exceptionalities, the program’s step-by-step structure, repetition, and engaging visuals support different needs while keeping learning fun.

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Vocabulary is the knowledge and use of words that shape how we think, read, and communicate. It is not simply about knowing a definition but about understanding how words work in different contexts and using them to make sense of new ideas. A rich vocabulary gives students the power to comprehend text more deeply and to share their own thoughts with greater precision. In many ways, vocabulary acts like a key as it opens the door to higher-level thinking, stronger reading comprehension, and more meaningful conversations both inside and outside the classroom.

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Classroom Activity 1: Vocabulary Word Walk 

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Classroom Activity 1: Vocabulary Word Walk 

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Post new vocabulary words around the classroom or hallway with pictures and simple definitions. Students “walk the room,” stopping at each word to read, say, or draw something that matches it. At the end, they share one word that stood out and why. This movement-based activity keeps energy high while reinforcing word knowledge.

Differentiation: Students who struggle can carry a clipboard with word banks or visuals for support. Learners with motor needs can complete the walk virtually on a tablet with interactive slides. Students who need enrichment can write a short story using two or more of the words.

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Classroom Activity 2: Vocabulary Detective 

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Classroom Activity 2: Vocabulary Detective 

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Give students magnifying glasses (real or paper cutouts) and tell them they are “word detectives.” As they read a short text, they circle or highlight target vocabulary words and then “report” what the word means using a picture, synonym, or short sentence. This encourages active noticing and application of new words.

Differentiation: Students who need support can use pre-highlighted texts or match the word to a picture card. Learners who need more challenge can find synonyms or antonyms, or write a new sentence with the word in a different context.

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When reading a bedtime story, families can pause and pick out one or two new or interesting words. Together, they talk about what the word means and act it out, draw it, or use it in a silly sentence. This makes vocabulary practice fun and interactive while keeping it tied to a familiar family routine. For children with exceptionalities, caregivers can use picture books with strong visuals, provide sentence starters, or focus on just one word per reading session to keep it manageable.

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Website for Families: PBS Kids – Vocabulary Games

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Website for Families: PBS Kids – Vocabulary Games

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PBS Kids offers free online games and videos that introduce vocabulary through characters, stories, and music. The site blends play and learning, which helps children absorb new words in a meaningful way. For learners with exceptionalities, the visual supports, repetition, and interactive elements make the words easier to understand, while stronger learners can explore a wider variety of games and expand their vocabulary further.

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Fluency is the skill of reading words with accuracy, rhythm, and expression so that the text sounds like natural language. It goes beyond speed, emphasizing a steady pace that allows meaning to come through clearly. A fluent reader can move through sentences with ease, using voice and phrasing to show understanding. This ability is important because it frees the mind from focusing only on decoding and instead allows deeper attention to comprehension and interpretation of the text.

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The teacher reads a short passage aloud with clear pacing and expression. Students then “echo” the reading by repeating the same passage in the same way. This helps students hear what fluent reading sounds like and immediately practice it themselves.

Differentiation: For students who need extra support, the teacher can model shorter sentences or even single phrases. Visual cues (like highlighting punctuation) can help students who struggle with expression. More advanced readers can take turns leading the echo for peers or add their own dramatic flair.

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Students practice short poems during the week and then share them in a “Poetry Cafe” setting where the classroom is transformed with soft lighting, pretend microphones, or even a rug stage. Reading poems repeatedly builds rhythm, pacing, and expression in a fun and creative way.

Differentiation: Students who need extra support can work with shorter poems, choral read with a partner, or use picture cues alongside the text. Learners who are ready for more can try reading with different emotions (happy, surprised, sad) to strengthen expressive fluency.

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At-Home Activity: Record and Replay Reading 

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At-Home Activity: Record and Replay Reading 

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Encourage your child to choose a favorite book and read a short passage into a phone or tablet recording app. Together, play it back so they can listen to how they sounded, then read it again to try improving smoothness and expression. This activity helps children monitor their own fluency and motivates them to practice. For learners with exceptionalities, families can begin with just a sentence or two, provide repeated modeling, or celebrate progress with visuals like stickers or checklists.

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Website for Families: Epic! (getepic.com)

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Website for Families: Epic! (getepic.com)

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Epic! offers thousands of digital books, many with audio read-aloud features where children can follow along as the story is narrated. Listening while tracking the text supports fluency by modeling accurate pacing and phrasing. For children with exceptionalities, the built-in visuals, highlighted text, and replay options provide scaffolds for understanding, while advanced readers can explore longer texts and practice reading aloud after hearing the model.

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Comprehension is the process of constructing meaning from text by actively thinking about what is read. It goes beyond identifying words to making connections, asking questions, and drawing conclusions that deepen understanding. When readers comprehend, they bring together the author’s ideas and their own background knowledge to create new insights. This skill is what turns reading into learning and allows students to apply stories and information to their own lives.

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Students act out a story they have read, taking on the roles of different characters or even narrating the events. By performing the plot, they practice recalling details, sequencing events, and showing understanding of character actions and motivations.

Differentiation: For students who need support, props, puppets, or visuals can guide the role-play and reduce memory demands. Students who are shy or nonverbal can participate by holding signs, using gestures, or managing props. More advanced learners can extend the story with their own dialogue or even invent an alternative ending to deepen comprehension.

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During or after a read-aloud, the teacher pauses to ask a guiding question such as, “Why do you think the character did that?” or “What might happen next?” Students think about their answer, share with a partner, and then discuss as a group. This encourages deeper thinking and active engagement with the text.

Differentiation: Students who need support can be given sentence frames (“I think ___ because ___”), picture prompts, or choices between two possible answers. Nonverbal students can respond with gestures, pointing, or communication devices. Students ready for enrichment can create their own higher-level questions to ask their peers.

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Families can keep a small jar filled with simple question prompts like Who was your favorite character? What surprised you in the story? or What might happen if the story continued? After reading together, the child pulls out one or two questions to answer. This playful routine pushes children to think beyond the surface of the text, encouraging deeper comprehension. For children with exceptionalities, parents can pair the questions with picture cues, offer choices between two possible answers, or encourage responses through drawing or gestures instead of only words.

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Website for Families: Into the Book (www.reading.ecb.org)

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Website for Families: Into the Book (www.reading.ecb.org)

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Into the Book is a free, interactive website that focuses on comprehension strategies like summarizing, making connections, visualizing, and inferring. Children explore these skills through engaging activities while parents gain ideas for supporting reading at home. The site is supportive for young learners with and without exceptionalities because it uses visuals, audio narration, and repeated practice, while also offering more challenging tasks for advanced readers.