# data[].attributes.body
describes the way sounds function within a given language and operates at the level of sound systems & abstract sound units.

# data[].attributes.body
is the study of the forms of words, the different patterns of word formation, structure, and meaning.

# data[].attributes.headline
Importance of morphology and phonology for ELLs language development:

# data[].attributes.subject
Importance of morphology and phonology for ELLs language development:

# data[].attributes.body
1. They provide the foundations for learning and being able to produce a second language by navigating grammar and communicating effectively in spoken and written English.

2. Helps ELLs identify the meaning of new words, create and organize sentences correctly, and enhance vocabulary and levels of comprehension.

3. Crucial for ELLs when learning to pronounce vocabulary in English and improving their communication skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Phonemic awareness — the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.

The teacher tells the students of a specific word they are thinking about that rhymes with another object

Students try to guess the word the teacher is thinking about

The teacher then seeks for other terms that rhyme with those words

Students begin to call out other words and practice sounding out specific phonemes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
That's a complicated sounding term, but it's meaning is simple: the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the sounds in spoken language. Phonological awareness is really a group of skills that include a child's ability to:

Identify words that rhyme

Count the number of syllables in a name

Recognize alliteration (words with the same beginning sound)

Segment (break) a sentence into words

Identify the syllables in a word

The most sophisticated phonological awareness skill (and the last to develop) is called phonemic awareness - the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. When playing with the sounds in word, children learn to:

Blend individual sounds to make a word

Stretch out a word into its individual sounds

Swap in a different sound to the beginning, middle, or end of a word to make a new word

Strong phonemic awareness is one of the strongest predictors of later reading success. Children who struggle with reading, including kids with dyslexia, often have trouble with phonemic awareness, but with the right kind of instruction they can be successful. Learn some of the warning signs for dyslexia in this article, Clues to Dyslexia in Early Childhood.

Parents can make a big difference in helping their children become readers by practicing these pre-reading oral skills at home. Try some of the simple rhyming and word sound games described here.

Try these speech sound activities at home

Rhyme time

"I am thinking of an animal that rhymes with big. What's the animal?" Answer: pig. What else rhymes with big? ( dig, fig, wig)

Road trip rhymes

While you're out driving in the car, spot something out the window and ask your child, "what rhymes with tree or car or shop?" Then switch roles and have your child spot something and ask you for a rhyme. This can turn into a game of nonsense rhymes ("What rhymes with tree stump?") but that's great for practicing sounds, too!

Word families

Word families are sets of words that rhyme. Start to build your family by giving your child the first word, for example, cat. Then ask your child to name all the "kids" in the cat family, such as: bat, fat, sat, rat, pat, mat, hat, flat. This will help your child hear patterns in words.

Silly tongue twisters

Sing songs and say silly tongue twisters. These help your child become sensitive to the sounds in words.

Tongue ticklers

Alliteration or "tongue ticklers" - where the sound you're focusing on is repeated over and over again - can be a fun way to provide practice with a speech sound. Try these:

For M: Miss Mouse makes marvelous meatballs!

For S: Silly Sally sings songs about snakes and snails.

For F: Freddy finds fireflies with a flashlight.

Syllable shopping

While at the grocery store, have your child tell you the syllables in different food names. Have them hold up a finger for each word part. Eggplant = egg-plant, two syllables. Pineapple = pine-ap-ple, three syllables. Show your child the sign for each and ask her to say the word.

"I spy" first sounds

Practice beginning sounds with this simple "I spy" game at home, on a walk, or at the grocery store. Choose words with distinctive, easy-to-hear beginning sounds. For example, if you're in the bathroom you can say, "I spy something red that starts with the "s" ssss sound ( soap)."

Sound scavenger hunt

Choose a letter sound, then have your child find things around your house that start with the same sound. "Can you find something in our house that starts with the letter "p" pppppp sound? Picture, pencil, pear "

Which letter sounds do I teach first?

Reading expert Linda Farrell recommends that you begin with teaching the letter names, and then focus on the letter sounds that are closest to their letter names (such as /v/). And here's a great tip for teaching the trickier letter name-letter sound combinations - use arm motions. In this video, Linda demonstrates motions for /x/ and /y/. (From our video series Reading SOS: Expert Answers to Family Questions About Reading.)

Sound games

Practice blending sounds into words. Ask "Can you guess what this word is? m - o - p." Hold each sound longer than normal.

First sounds

When you're reading together with your child, pick a word from the book and say it with emphasis on the first sound. Pick another word and compare them. "Zzz-zookeeper and rrr-rhinoceros. Can you hear what sound zzz-zookeeper starts with? Is it the same as rrr-rhinoceros?

Jump, skip, hop!

Create simple picture cards that you draw or cut out of magazines. Have your child, identify what's in the picture, and then break that word into its individual sounds. For example dog is d-o-g, three sounds (phonemes). Three sounds? You and your child do three jumping jacks, skips, or hops (followed by a high-five). You can also do this game outdoors without the cards, just call out simple words for your child.

Snail talk

Tell your child you're going to communicate in "snail talk" and they need to figure out what you're saying. Take a simple word and stretch it out very slowly (e.g., /fffffllllaaaag/), then ask your child to tell you the word. Switch roles and have your child stretch out a word for you.

"I spy" blending

Here's an easy phoneme blending game you can play while talking a walk. For blending, you can say, "I see a sign that says s-t-o-p" Then your child has to blend the sounds to guess your word - stop. (Remember to say only the sounds in the word - not the letters.) Keep the words short, moving from two to three to four sounds depending on your child's skill level.

Sound counting

Using LEGO bricks, beads, or pennies, say a word and have your child show you how many sounds the word makes. For example, top = t-o-p = three sounds, so your child would place three objects in a row. Then have them tap each object as they say the sound. Remember, your child is just showing you the sounds they hear. So the word bike would be = b-i-k (silent e) = only three sounds.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Activities for Your Kindergartener

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Phonological and phonemic awareness are important pre-reading skills, related to the ability to hear, identify, and play with the sounds in spoken language - including rhymes, syllables, and the smallest units of sound (phonemes). Children with strong phonological awareness skills are ready to become readers.

# data[].attributes.body
To practice a repeated sound and pronunciation of words over and over again.

To talk about the words in each tongue twister that start and end with the same sound.

She sells seashells by the seashore.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tongue twisters are a great way to practice and improve pronunciation and fluency. They can also help to improve accents by using alliteration, which is the repetition of one sound. They're not just for kids, but are also used by actors, politicians, and public speakers who want to sound clear when speaking. Below, you will find some of the most popular English tongue twisters. Say them as quickly as you can. If you can master them, you will be a much more confident speaker.

1. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

2. Betty Botter bought some butter
But she said the butter's bitter
If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter
But a bit of better butter will make my batter better
So 'twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter

3. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much wood
As a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood

4. She sells seashells by the seashore.

5. How can a clam cram in a clean cream can?

6. I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

7. I saw Susie sitting in a shoeshine shop.

8. Susie works in a shoeshine shop. Where she shines she sits, and where she sits she shines.

9. Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't fuzzy, was he?

10. Can you can a can as a canner can can a can?

11. I have got a date at a quarter to eight; I'll see you at the gate, so don't be late.

12. You know New York, you need New York, you know you need unique New York.

13. I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.

14. If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?

15. I thought I thought of thinking of thanking you.

16. I wish to wash my Irish wristwatch.

17. Near an ear, a nearer ear, a nearly eerie ear.

18. Eddie edited it.

19. Willie's really weary.

20. A big black bear sat on a big black rug.

21. Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks.

22. He threw three free throws.

23. Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.

24. So, this is the sushi chef.

25. Four fine fresh fish for you.

26. Wayne went to wales to watch walruses.

27. Six sticky skeletons. (x3)

28. Which witch is which? (x3)

29. Snap crackle pop. (x3)

30. Flash message. (x3)

31. Red Buick, blue Buick. (x3)

32. Red lorry, yellow lorry. (x3)

33. Thin sticks, thick bricks. (x3)

34. Stupid superstition. (x3)

35. Eleven benevolent elephants. (x3)

36. Two tried and true tridents. (x3)

37. Rolling red wagons. (x3)

38. Black back bat. (x3)

39. She sees cheese. (x3)

40. Truly rural. (x3)

41. Good blood, bad blood. (x3)

42. Pre-shrunk silk shirts. (x3)

43. Ed had edited it. (x3)

44. We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

45. Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches?

46. Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.

47. I slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, and on the slitted sheet I sit.

48. A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

49. Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.

50. Of all the vids I've ever viewed, I've never viewed a vid as valued as Alex's engVid vid.

Practice some common tongue twisters with me in these videos:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
50 Tongue Twisters to improve pronunciation in English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tongue twisters are a great way to practice and improve pronunciation and fluency. They can also help to improve accents by using alliteration, which is the repetition of one sound. They're not just for kids, but are also used by actors, politicians, and public speakers who want to sound clear when speaking.

# data[].attributes.body
Phonemic awareness activities for at-home practice:

Phoneme manipulation

Phonemic segmenting and blending

Isolate sounds

Sounding words

Phoneme deletion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Educational Games, Worksheets, and More for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Download, print, or work on activities interactively today!

# data[].attributes.body
Produce the meaning of words with the use of affixes

Students use words in sentences to show meaning

Identify prefixes or suffixes in a word, then the meaning

# data[].attributes.body
is the part of grammar that establishes the word order in sentences. In other words, the arrangement of words and the meaning they convey.

# data[].attributes.body
is the study of linguistic meaning of morphemes, words, phrases, and sentences. Semantics can be divided into lexical and sentential semantics. With lexical, it provides the meaning of words and the relationships among words. Sentential deals with the meaning of syntactic units larger than words, such as clauses and phrases.

# data[].attributes.body
studies how language is used by real people, through speaking and writing and it is highly influenced by cultural and social contexts. It is the branch of linguistics that studies how context influences the interpretation of language, depending on the situation and the speaker's intentions.

# data[].attributes.body
Because the main goal for ELLs is to be proficient in English, language structure is extremely important. Mastering syntax can only facilitate the process to create grammatically correct phrases when writing and speaking and with that, be able to improve their communication skills. By mastering language structure, it promotes academic success, it builds an extensive vocabulary, and it fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Students will be labeling parts of speech and sentence structure. A color will be assigned to each word category (noun, verb, adjective) and students will use the same colors with each sentence. Students will identify the different parts of speech in various sentences, from simple to more complex.

Differentiation:

Sentences can be already color coded and student is to identify the different parts of speech and label each sentence.

# data[].attributes.body
Multisensory activity where students create sentences from mixed-up words. Students cut out words then rearrange them to create well-structured complete sentences. Students then glue the words in boxes in the correct order.

Differentiation:

Part of the sentence is already organized and the student is to fill in the other parts of speech that are missing.

# data[].attributes.body
Students will create simple sentences using the different words given in each chart. Students will use the sentence fragments already provided and fill in the missing parts with the vocabulary in each chart given. All three charts must be used within each sentence.

# data[].attributes.body
Kahoot is an awesome tool where students can work independently at home and also use it in school. This site can be create by the parents and it has many resources for students to practice language structure. For example, parents can search up activities which have to do with identifying the parts of speech in sentences and the online game allows the students to practice the concept at home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

# data[].attributes.body
Citation: LETRS® (2024) Lexia. Available at: https://www.lexialearning.com/letrs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Lexia Learning Systems https://www.lexialearning.com/Assets/img/logo.svg 1984 978-405-6232 info@lexialearning.com 300 Baker Avenue, Suite 320 Concord MA 01742 USA

Lexia ® LETRS ® Professional Learning

The Lexia LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) Suite is comprehensive professional learning designed to provide early childhood and elementary educators and administrators with deep knowledge to be literacy and language experts in the science of reading. Developed by Dr. Louisa Moats and leaders in the field of literacy, Lexia LETRS teaches the skills needed to master the foundational and fundamentals of reading and writing instruction-phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and written language.
Download brochure

Why LETRS?

Research shows that only 35% of students are reading proficiently, but 95% of students CAN learn to read. And while teachers are the most essential factor in student success, only about half of teaching institutions effectively prepare teachers for literacy instruction. Teaching reading requires a deep understanding of the processes and science behind it. LETRS is the professional learning program rooted in the science of reading that empowers teachers.

Transform Your Teaching with The Lexia LETRS® Science of Reading Grant

September 12-December 31, 2023

Learn about how to enter and see content rules and eligibility.

LETRS®

Lexia LETRS provides a professional learning course of study based in the science of reading for elementary educators. The course teaches the how, what, and why of literacy acquisition to improve instructional practice and achieve long-term systemic change in literacy instruction.

LETRS for elementary educators is an investment in teachers' literacy knowledge and professional practice. Teachers gain essential knowledge and skills to master the fundamentals of literacy instruction required to apply and transform student learning.

LETRS® for Early Childhood Educators

LETRS® For Early Childhood Educators professional learning provides deep knowledge of literacy instruction for the youngest learners. The more children know about language and literacy before they begin kindergarten and first grade, the better equipped they are to succeed in literacy learning and beyond.

LETRS® for Administrators

Lexia LETRS® for Administrators is a professional development course designed specifically for school leadership, coaches, principals, and district administrators. The course defines the systems and infrastructures required to successfully implement a literacy initiative aligned to scientifically based research. Built from the research in implementation science and sustainability, school improvement, and shared leadership, the course provides numerous tools-including an analysis of the current systems required for improved literacy outcomes-for guiding an implementation through various stages.

Learn More

Engaged Students

Lexia LETRS provides a professional learning course of study based in the science of reading for elementary educators which teaches the how, what, and why of literacy acquisition to improve instructional practice and impact long-term systemic change in literacy instruction. The more children know about language and literacy before they begin kindergarten and first grade, the better equipped they are to succeed in literacy learning and beyond.

Empowered Educators

Many educators and education leaders are not well prepared to teach reading, or lead those who teach reading. The Lexia LETRS Suite provides science of reading-based professional learning through three different courses of study designed for elementary educators, education leaders, and early childhood educators. Each course of study teaches the how, what, and why of literacy acquisition to educators to improve literacy instruction and positively impact long-term systemic change in literacy outcomes.

Why even trained teachers need support:

Learn More about Empowered Educators

Improved Outcomes

Lexia LETRS empowers educators by going beyond the essential components of literacy. Lexia LETRS gives teachers the skills they need to master how to teach the five essential components of literacy, plus writing, spelling, and oral language.

Lexia LETRS includes five essential elements for literacy success:

Science of reading based

Teaches the content of explicit instruction

Converts research to practice

Enhances educator and leader effectiveness

Transforms instruction

A Cambium Learning® Group Brand

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Professional Learning for Educators Grades Pre-K-5 | Lexia

# data[].attributes.body
Citation: : Language structures (no date) Rooted Linguistics: Serving Teachers of Multilingual Learners. Available at: https://www.valentinaesl.com/blog/category/language-structures

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Serving Multilingual Learners of All Ages

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This article was originally shared on the Seidlitz Blog on April 29, 2020.

Imagine you are a second grade student born in America, and you only speak English. You've attended English schools until now. But your father's job has relocated your family to France, and now you are in a classroom filled with students and a teacher who only speak French (a language you have never spoken). The science teacher hands you a book and signals for you to read it. You open the book and find that it is filled with pictures...no words. First a group of horses. A mare feeding a foal. A colt running wild. Then a group of pigs, chickens, cows, etc. Instantly, you begin to think about the information you know about animals. What they are called, where they live, what they eat, etc.

Though you aren't able to communicate this information in French yet, you are able to follow along with the class and think in English using the schema and background knowledge you have about animals.

Why Use Wordless Picture Books?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This article was originally shared on the Seidlitz Blog on April 29, 2020. Imagine you are a second grade student born in America, and you only speak English. You've attended English schools until now.

# data[].attributes.body
Citation: Anonymous (2023) Language objectives: The key to effective content area instruction for English learners, Colorín Colorado. Available at: https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-objectives-key-effective-content-area-instruction-english-learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Colorín Colorado is the premier national website serving educators and families of English language learners (ELLs) in Grades PreK-12. Colorín Colorado has been providing free research-based information, activities, and advice to parents, schools, and communities around the country for more than a decade.

Learn more about our mission to serve ELLs as well as the team that makes Colorín Colorado possible below.

Colorín Colorado is an educational service of WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation's capital, and receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association.

Our Name

The name "Colorín Colorado" comes from a playful phrase that is often said at the end of stories in Spanish-speaking countries: " ¡Y Colorín Colorado, este cuento se ha acabado!" or " ¡Y Colorín Colorado, este cuento se ha terminado!" (Colorín Colorado, the story has ended!) There's no equivalent in English, but the phrase is similar to "The End" or "...and they lived happily ever after," or "That's all, folks!"

The saying brings back happy childhood memories of storytelling and reading for generations of people from many different countries. Making people smile about reading seemed like a perfect way to introduce our project.

Contact Us

Colorín Colorado
WETA Public Television
2775 S. Quincy St.
Arlington, VA 22206

E-mail: info@colorincolorado.org

Note: Messages sent to Colorín Colorado become the property of WETA Learning Media. We reserve the right to excerpt or reprint comments on our sites in perpetuity at our sole discretion. We do not post last names or email addresses. If you would prefer your comments to be completely anonymous, please let us know in your message.

The Colorín Colorado Team

Partnership with American Federation of Teachers

Colorín Colorado gratefully acknowledges the generous, ongoing support of our founding partner, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). For more than a decade, AFT's support and guidance have been indispensable in enabling us to develop and grow this website.

In addition to its ongoing partnership with the AFT, Colorín Colorado regularly receives input from AFT educators around the country regarding content, best practices, and updates from the ELL field.

Partnership with the National Education Association

Colorín Colorado gratefully acknowledges the support of our newest partner, the National Education Association (NEA).

Sister projects

Colorín Colorado is part of WETA's ambitious portfolio of national websites that address the needs of children at risk. Our education websites, which also include Reading Rockets, Start with a Book, LD OnLine, and AdLit now serve more than one million unique visitors each month and we have won more than 50 national awards.

Frequently Asked Questions
So you're not in Colorado?
No, we are based in Washington, DC. We have lots of friends in Colorado, though!
Can I share materials from Colorín Colorado with parents and colleagues?
Absolutely! We want to make our materials accessible to educators and parents in schools across the country. For more information, see our reprint policy.
How can I receive updates from Colorín Colorado?
You can find out about new resources, updates, and timely information from Colorín Colorado's newsletters and social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube.
Does Colorín Colorado offer courses or certification programs?
No. Colorín Colorado does not offer English classes, professional development courses, or certification programs.

Reprint Policy

You are welcome to print copies of our materials for personal use or educational purposes as long as credit is given to Colorín Colorado and the author(s).

Material from our website may not be sold or used commercially. Permission to publish materials must be granted by the copyright holder.

Because we get our articles from a variety of sources, please check the bottom of the article for special reprint permissions or restrictions from the publisher.

If you have questions, please contact us at info@colorincolorado.org.

Welcome to our international visitors!

We also have a significant audience in Latin America and Spain looking for information about reading and language learning in Spanish, as well as an active audience in English-speaking countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia looking for information to support immigrant students - not to mention our audience around the world looking for information on language learning!

Your donation helps sustain the work we do to support ELLs and their families in schools and communities across the country. Thank you for your support!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Colorín Colorado is the premier national website serving educators and families of English language learners (ELLs) in Grades PreK-12. Colorín Colorado has been providing free research-based information, activities, and advice to parents, schools, and communities around the country for more than a decade.

# data[].attributes.body
Citation: Kagan (no date) Kagan Publishing & Professional Development - KaganOnline.com. Available at: https://www.kaganonline.com/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
kagan publishing teaching catalog teacher resources school supplies music games cooperative learning differentiated instruction educational products esl ell foreign language posters multiple intelligences textbooks math books science literature social studies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kagan's FREE Articles - Kagan Structures for English Language Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read Dr. Spencer Kagans provocative and insightful articles on Kagan Structures and how they have the power to transform education. Cooperative learning, multiple intelligences, the brain, character development, Win-Win Discipline.

# data[].attributes.body
Citation: Ongoing professional development for ESL teachers (2022) YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/live/JpM1_6SXwhU?feature=shared

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
teaching of english as a foreign language

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ongoing Professional Development for ESL Teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Stand Out to Employers and Students AlikeWhether you are new to the TEFL/TESOL field or are a veteran ELT teacher, learning is a lifelong journey that can di...

# data[].attributes.body
Phonology in the Classroom. (n.d.). Linguistics  for Teachers of ELLs. https://linguisticsforteachersofells.weebly.com/phonology-in-the-classroom.html

Reynolds, K., Kenan Dikilitas, & Close, S. (2022). Introduction to TESOL: becoming a language teaching professional. Wiley.

Morphology in the classroom. (n.d.). Linguistics  for Teachers of ELLs. https://linguisticsforteachersofells.weebly.com/morphology-in-the-classroom.html

A World of Language Learners. (2022, January 2). Sentence Structure for MLs. A World of Language Learners. https://www.aworldoflanguagelearners.com/sentence-structure/

Everly, P., & Cai, S. (2020). From wrong word to right word: Equipping ELLs to make correct semantic choices independently. TESOL Journal, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.574