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Breaking words into individual phonemes.

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Elkonin Boxes

Implementation: Students place a token in a box for each sound in a word.

Differentiation: Provide picture cues and verbal prompts for ELLs and struggling readers.

Visual/Link: Elkonin Boxes Example

Stretch and Say

Implementation: Students stretch out a word and identify each sound verbally.

Differentiation: Use hand motions for kinesthetic learners; pair students for peer support.

Visual/Link: Use a simple sound chart or whiteboard.

Sound Hunt

Implementation: Students find objects in the classroom containing a target sound.

Differentiation: Provide picture cards for ELLs or students with limited vocabulary.

Visual/Link: Photo of classroom objects or clipart.

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The ability to identify and produce words that rhyme.

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Adding, deleting, or substituting phonemes in words to create new words.

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Activities / Strategies:

1. Rhyme Matching Game

Implementation: Students match picture cards that rhyme (e.g., cat/hat, dog/log).

Differentiation: Provide picture and word labels for ELLs and struggling readers.

Visual/Link: Rhyme Cards Example

2. Rhyme Sorting

Implementation: Students sort words into rhyme families (e.g., -at, -og).

Differentiation: Small groups allow peer support for students who need extra help.

Visual/Link: Clipart of words in rhyme families or online sorting games.

3. Rhyme Hunt During Read-Aloud

Implementation: Pause during a rhyming story (e.g., Cat in the Hat) and ask students to identify rhyming words.

Differentiation: Use gestures or pointing for non-verbal responses; pictures support ELLs.

Visual/Link: Picture of book pages highlighting rhyming words.

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Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, which is essential for reading, decoding, and spelling (National Reading Panel, 2000). Developing these skills early improves literacy outcomes and prevents reading delays (Adams, 1990; Justice et al., 2008). Effective instruction is explicit, systematic, and engaging, progressing from simple to complex skills and adapted for diverse learners, including ELLs and students with learning differences. This toolkit focuses on five essential phonemic awareness skills arranged in order of complexity: Rhyme Recognition, Syllable Segmentation, Phoneme Blending, Phoneme Segmentation, and Phoneme Manipulation. Each skill includes classroom strategies, differentiation ideas, mastery checks, and next steps.

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Sound Swap Game

Implementation: Students change initial, medial, or final sounds in words to make new words.

Differentiation: Use picture cards for support; pair ELLs with peers.

Visual/Link: Clipart of word cards.

Phoneme Deletion Challenge

Implementation: Students remove a sound from a word and say the new word.

Differentiation: Provide manipulatives or visual cues for students who need extra support.

Visual/Link: Use images of objects or letter tiles.

Phoneme Addition

Implementation: Add a sound to a base word to make a new word (e.g., /s/ + at → sat).

Differentiation: Encourage pair work for peer support and scaffolding.

Visual/Link: Clipart or small objects for hands-on manipulation.

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Adams, M. J. (1990). Beginning to read: Thinking and learning about print. MIT Press.

Justice, L. M., Bowles, R. P., & Skibbe, L. E. (2008). Effects of instruction on phonological awareness in young children.

Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 23(4), 471–492.

National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

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Breaking words into syllables by listening and clapping or tapping.

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Combining individual sounds to form a spoken word.

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Mastery Check & Next Steps:

Mastery: Student can segment at least 10 words independently.

Next Step: Move to phoneme blending.

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Mastery Check & Next Steps:

Mastery: Student can independently identify and produce at least 10 rhyming pairs.

Next Step: Move to syllable counting or onset-rime segmentation.

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1. Clap the Syllables

Implementation: Students clap once per syllable as they say a word.

Differentiation: Use visual cards with dots under each syllable; pair stronger readers with ELLs.

Visual/Link: Syllable Clapping Guide

2. Syllable Sorting

Implementation: Students sort words by number of syllables (1, 2, 3).

Differentiation: Provide picture cues; allow verbal or physical responses.

Visual/Link: Images or word cards for sorting.

3. Jump the Syllables

Implementation: Students jump once per syllable in a word.

Differentiation: Adjust movement for physical ability; use smaller motions if needed.

Visual/Link: Optional: classroom photos or clipart showing movement.

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Mastery Check & Next Steps:

Mastery: Student correctly identifies syllables in 10–15 words.

Next Step: Move to phoneme segmentation.

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Sound Hop

Implementation: Teacher says sounds slowly; students hop as they blend them into a word.

Differentiation: Gestures or smaller movements for students with physical limitations.

Visual/Link: Clipart of hopping or sound boards.

Blending Board

Implementation: Sounds written on a board; students slide a marker to blend them into words.

Differentiation: Color-code sounds for visual learners or ELLs.

Visual/Link: Printable blending board examples online.

Blending Stories

Implementation: Teacher tells a story using segmented sounds; students blend to guess words.

Differentiation: Use pictures and repetition; pair students to scaffold.

Visual/Link: Storybooks or visuals highlighting sounds.

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Mastery Check & Next Steps:

Mastery: Student can blend 10–15 three-phoneme words independently.

Next Step: Move to phoneme manipulation.

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Mastery Check & Next Steps:

Mastery: Student can manipulate sounds in at least 10 words successfully.

Next Step: Introduce multisyllabic words or word families for advanced practice.