Phonics vs Phonological Awareness: A Guide Informed by the Science of Reading
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School and Classroom Strategies Informed by the Science of Reading
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Among the six key skills needed for literacy development, two are commonly used interchangeably: phonics and phonological awareness. While their names sound similar, they are distinct, and knowing the difference between the two is essential for teachers and administrators who seek to teach using the science of reading.
Read on to discover the difference between phonics and phonological awareness, as well as how they’re connected. Plus, find school and classroom resources for teaching both skills to early elementary learners.
Phonological Awareness and Phonics: Key Differences
Understanding how sounds and letters work together is important when it comes to literacy development. Knowing the difference between phonological awareness vs phonics can help you guide your students with the science of reading as they gain these skills.
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Phonological awareness is a big picture view of how sounds fit together in words. It’s about recognizing and working with different parts of sounds, like syllables, or the beginnings and endings of words.
Phonics involves connecting those same sounds students have been playing with while developing phonological awareness skills to the corresponding letters on a page. Phonics helps students learn how to read and write by showing which letters make which sounds, and how to put those sounds together to form words.
While phonological awareness helps young learners grasp these basic sounds, phonics takes it to the next level by showing how sounds match up with letters. Both of these skills are key to becoming strong readers and spellers, and they work together to give students the tools they need to succeed.
Strategies for Teaching Phonological Awareness Skills
Listening activities are a key resource when it comes to teaching phonological awareness skills in class. Start with listening activities that focus on environmental sounds, music, or oral storytelling. Engage students in discussions about what they hear, fostering an awareness of different sounds in their surroundings.
Rhyming activities can be another fun and effective way to practice phonological awareness. Introduce words that rhyme like “cat” and “mat” or sing nursery rhymes together. This helps children recognize and manipulate the phonological structure of words, emphasizing common sound patterns.
As you sing or recite rhyming poems, teach syllable segmentation by clapping or tapping out syllables in words. Activities like breaking down compound words or identifying syllable count in spoken words enhance syllabic awareness.