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Activities like the one above help build children鈥檚 developing听phonological awareness, or the awareness of the sound structure of an alphabetic spoken language (like English and Spanish) and the ability to manipulate it. As a speech-language pathologist and an early childhood educator, we (the authors) focus on the importance of authentic, play-based experiences for fostering preschoolers鈥� language development. In this article, we highlight specific phonological awareness skills, then offer suggested activities to help children听develop them.

Identifying Phonological Awareness Skills

Phonological awareness skills emerge during the early years and continue to develop through elementary school. This means that the lessons and activities introduced by early childhood educators can build a strong foundation for literacy development later on. Specific skills (adapted from听Literacy Learning for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: Key Practices for Educators听by Tanya S. Wright and听colleagues) include:

• Rhyming:听Cheese听and听knees听sound the same at听the end.
• Alliteration:听The words听peanut听and听pasta听start with the听same sound.
• Sentence segmentation:听It is raining听has three听separate words.
• Syllabification:听Butterfly听has three听syllables (bu-tter-fly).
• Onset-rime blending and segmentation:听The听onset听is the beginning consonant or blend (two consonants) of a word. The听rime听is the rest of the word. The /m/ sound can be blended听with the rime /ap/ to make听map听(blending); the onset /t/ can be separated from the rime /op/ in the word听top听(segmentation).
• Phonemic awareness:听Attending to the smallest units of sound (phonemes), such as the phonemes /h/, /o/, and /p/ within the word听hop,听or blending the sounds /t/, /i/, and /p/ to make the听word听tip.

(鈥淜ey Terms,鈥� below, offers definitions for related yet different elements of sound and letter learning associated with an alphabetic language.)

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Introducing Phonological Awareness Activities

Because preschoolers learn best through a combination of planned and spontaneous learning experiences, effective phonological awareness instruction incorporates some planned small- and/or large-group instruction as well as learning opportunities like the one in the opening vignette. It鈥檚 important to include children鈥檚 home languages and other aspects of their social and cultural contexts when planning these activities. Consider incorporating words in a child鈥檚 home language, using a nursery rhyme or familiar story that is important to the family鈥檚 culture, and sharing fingerplays that families can use in their听home languages.

Remember that children do not need to master one skill before moving on to another; rather, teachers can introduce these concepts at the same time. Following are some ideas for playful activities that teachers can incorporate throughout the learning day that integrate movement, songs, books, and听creative expressions.

• Embed rhymes to help develop听rhyming听skills. For example, recite 鈥淗umpty Dumpty鈥� as children build with blocks or play in the kitchen. Say 鈥淧at-A-Cake鈥� as children play with clay. Send children on a rhyme search: ask them to find something that rhymes with 鈥渃ook鈥� (鈥渂ook鈥�), 鈥渞ink鈥� (鈥渟ink鈥�), and 鈥渂oar鈥� (鈥渄oor鈥�). Or use a rhyming word instead of a child鈥檚 name to call on them (as in the opening vignette). There are a variety of engaging rhyming books to read aloud with children, such as听Families, Families, Families, by Suzanne Lang,听Frog on a Log?, by Kes Gray, and听Billy Bloo Is Stuck in Goo, by Jennifer Hamburg. Also consider tapping into favorite rhyme and rhyming books from children鈥檚 homes听or communities.
• Read books rich in听alliteration.听Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party, by James and Kimberly Dean,听The Worrywarts, by Pamela Duncan Edwards, and听Old MacDonald Had a Dragon, by Ken Baker, are some of our favorites. Along with stopping to note and play with the alliteration in these texts, practice this skill by adding a word before a child鈥檚 name that starts with the same sound (Jumping Jada,听Charming Charles).
• Practice听sentence segmentation听by counting the words in familiar sentences. For example, tell the children 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to get our coats,鈥� counting the six words with your fingers as听you speak.
• Introduce movement into听syllabification听by clapping, hopping, or stomping each syllable. Bring in musical instruments (drums, tambourines, rhythm sticks), and ask children to hit them for听each syllable.
• Use your hands or objects (magnetic tiles, puzzle pieces, blocks, or pieces of playdough) to illustrate听onset-rime听blending and segmenting. For blending, face the children and hold out your right hand (by itself or holding an object) as you say the onset, then your left hand (with or without an object) as you say the rime. Move your hands or the objects together as you say the whole word. When practicing segmenting, begin with your hands or the objects together, then move them apart as you segment the word into its onset and听its rime.
• Build听phonemic awareness听skills by calling children鈥檚 attention to the smallest unit of sounds in familiar words, such as pointing out two names that start with the same sound or telling the children, 鈥淚t鈥檚 cold outside. We will all need to wear something on our heads that starts听with /h/.鈥�

Conclusion

Phonological awareness is critical for children鈥檚 literacy development. As these skills develop in the preschool years, we should incorporate them into our daily practices. Word play that includes movement and manipulatives will help you target phonological awareness in developmentally appropriate ways that are also playful听and joyful.

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