 |
Phonology
FACT SHEET
Reading is a complex activity. Phonological awareness is at the beginning of learning how to read. Classroom teachers and specialists must collaborate to deliver instruction in phonology and other language skills because:
- Written language problems stem from earlier oral language problems that are often first treated by speech-language specialists.
- Many preschool and kindergarten children with oral language impairment are dismissed from speech therapy caseloads after reaching their targeted oral language goals only to be re-labeled later as reading disabled.
- Increasing numbers of students with mild early oral language problems present reading, writing and spelling problems in second, third and fourth grades when early intervention is not effective.
- Phonological awareness is a critical prerequisite for acquisition of reading and spelling.
Phonological processing is the ability to remember, separate, blend, and manipulate speech sound. It figures prominently in both specific and generalized language disabilities. Phonological processing difficulties include retrieving and using phonological codes in memory, problems storing this information, and deficits in phonological awareness and possibly speech production.
PHONOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES AT THE WORD LEVEL
1. Counting words.
Directions to the student: "We are going to count words. How many words do you hear in this sentence (or it could be a phrase)? Someone has been eating my porridge."
2. Identifying a missing word from a list.
Directions to the student: "Listen to the wards I say: =MY, road, hungry, spoon, mama. Tell me which one I leave out when I say the list again (leave ‘road’ out)”.
PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS ACTIVITIES AT THE SYLLABLE LEVEL
1. Syllable counting
Directions to the student: `We are going to clap syllables. ‘Bean’ has one syllable so we clap once. ‘Beanstalk’ has two syllables so we clap twice, etc."
2. Syllable deletion.
Directions to the student: "We are going to delete or leave out syllables or parts of words Say `beanstalk' and now delete or leave out stalk, etc."
PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS ACTIVITIES AT THE PHONEME LEVEL
1. Initial sound matching
Directions to the student: "Listen to the word 1 say and then guess which ward begins with that sound. Which word begins with ‘b’? Dog, cat, bird, wolf Continue in this way. Note: Give letter sound, not the letter name. Use pictured items if you need to.
2. Blending sounds in monosyllabic words divided into onset-rime beginning with single consonant and rime as ‘h + ot’
Directions to the student: "l am going to say a word very slowly. You put these sounds together to make the ward as c + oat = coat or m + an = man, etc."
LDA Early Childhood Committee
December, 2002
Learning Disabilities Association of America
4156 Library Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15234-1349
Phone (412) 341-1515 Fax (412) 344-0224
www.LDAAmerica.org
© 2004 LDA of America