Foundational Reading Skills: Teacher Toolkit by Kristi Byron

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-16 07:56:03 UTC

What is It:

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Concept of print is a child’s understanding of how printed language works. It includes recognizing that print carries meaning, understanding directionality (left to right, top to bottom), and identifying parts of a book like the title, author, and words.

When It Develops:

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Children typically develop print concepts between ages 3–6 (Pre-K to Kindergarten). Mastery is shown by correctly holding books, pointing to words while reading, and understanding that spoken words match printed words.

How to Assess it:

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Marie Clay’s Concepts About Print Test: Observes understanding of book orientation, print tracking, and punctuation.
Read-Aloud Prompts: Ask questions like, “Where do I start reading?”
Checklist During Shared Reading: Note how students interact with text.

How to Teach It:

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Use shared reading with big books. Model book handling, pointing to each word, and discussing text features. Explicitly show that print carries meaning (Holdaway, 1979).

Differentiation Tips:

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For ELs: Use bilingual picture books and emphasize visual cues.
For students with dyslexia: Use books with repetitive, predictable patterns and strong visual supports.

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What is It?

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-16 08:19:03 UTC

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate larger chunks of spoken language such as words, syllables, and rhymes. It includes recognizing sound patterns and dividing spoken sentences into parts.

When It Develops

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-16 08:19:51 UTC

Typically develops between ages 4–6 (Pre-K to 1st grade). Children show mastery by clapping syllables, identifying rhyming words, and separating beginning sounds from the rest of the word (onset-rime).

How to Assess

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-16 08:20:23 UTC

PALS (Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening): Tests rhyming, syllables, and onset-rime.
Heggerty Pre/Post Tests: Gauge sound awareness progression.
Observation: Note student responses during songs or clapping activities.

How to Teach It

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-16 08:22:43 UTC

Use Heggerty Phonemic Awareness routines: daily oral activities like rhyming, syllable blending, and word segmenting. Keep instruction brief, repetitive, and interactive (Heggerty.org).

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Differentiation Tips

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For ELs: Use gestures and visuals for rhyme and syllables.
For students with dyslexia: Focus on oral work first before introducing written words. Use music and movement to reinforce patterns.

What is It?

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-16 08:28:15 UTC

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. This skill is key for learning to read and spell.

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When It Develops

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Typically develops between ages 5–7 (Kindergarten to 2nd grade). Students show progress by isolating, blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes.

How to Assess

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DIBELS Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF): Measures ability to separate sounds.
CTOPP-2: Evaluates phonological processing and sound memory.
Oral Sound Tasks: Ask students to say the beginning, middle, or end sound in a word.

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How to Teach It

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Use Elkonin Boxes: Students push a token into a box for each sound they hear in a word. Builds segmentation and blending skills (Reading Rockets, 2023).

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Differentiation Tips

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For ELs: Use familiar words and real-life objects to teach sound patterns.
For students with dyslexia: Use multisensory activities like tapping, sound mapping, and air writing.

What is it?

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-22 07:34:50 UTC

Letter-naming knowledge is the ability to recognize and name uppercase and lowercase letters. It lays the foundation for learning letter-sound relationships.

When it Develops

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-22 07:37:28 UTC

Develops between ages 4–6 (Pre-K to Kindergarten). Mastery is shown when a child can name letters (in or out of order), match upper/lowercase, and begin connecting sounds.

What is It?

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-22 07:38:22 UTC

Letter-naming knowledge is the ability to recognize and name uppercase and lowercase letters. It lays the foundation for learning letter-sound relationships.

When it Develops

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-22 07:38:56 UTC

Develops between ages 4–6 (Pre-K to Kindergarten). Mastery is shown when a child can name letters (in or out of order), match upper/lowercase, and begin connecting sounds.

How to Assess

kristibyron2013 — 2025-04-22 07:39:19 UTC

DIBELS Letter Naming Fluency (LNF): Timed test of letter recognition.
Alphabet ID Tasks: Flashcards or apps to test letter identification.
Interactive Games (e.g., Starfall): Monitor progress digitally.

How to Teach it

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Use Alphabet Arcs: Students arrange letters in sequence and match them to letter names and sounds. Build repetition with songs and matching games.

Differentiation Tips

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For ELs: Teach letters using alphabet charts in English and the home language.
For students with dyslexia: Use tactile letters (sandpaper, playdough) and link each letter with an image and sound (e.g., “M for monkey”).

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References

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Clay, M. M. (2000). Concepts about print: What have children learned about the way we print language? Heinemann.

Heggerty. (2020). Phonemic awareness curriculum. Literacy Resources, LLC. https://www.heggerty.org

Holdaway, D. (1979). The foundations of literacy. Ashton Scholastic.

Reading Rockets. (n.d.-a). Phonological and phonemic awareness. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-101/reading-and-writing-basics/phonological-and-phonemic-awareness

Reading Rockets. (n.d.-b). Phonological awareness: Instructional and assessment guidelines. Reading Rockets. https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/phonological-and-phonemic-awareness/articles/phonological-awareness-instructional-and

University of Oregon. (n.d.). Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). https://dibels.uoregon.edu

Wagner, R. K., Torgesen, J. K., Rashotte, C. A., Pearson, N. A., & Reynolds, C. R. (2013). Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (2nd ed.) (CTOPP-2). Pro-Ed.