Is it truly phonemic awareness if you use letters, or is it phonics? Does any of this matter in the grand scheme of things if the goal is to help children become better readers? Should phonemic awareness be taught using letters? Should phonemic awareness be taught without letters?

If you’ve ever found yourself asking any of these questions about phonemic awareness, you’re in good company! First off, let’s define phonemic awareness so we are all on the same page.

What is Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness refers to the understanding that spoken words are made up of individual sounds called phonemes. It is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate these phonemes to distinguish between words, syllables, and sounds in spoken language. This skill is crucial for the development of reading and spelling abilities because it forms the foundation of phonics, where children learn to connect sounds with their corresponding letters or groups of letters. Phonemic awareness is an essential component of early literacy education and a strong predictor of reading success.

For a long time, I always understood phonemic awareness as something you could do with your eyes closed or with the lights off. It was something we MUST DO WITHOUT LETTERS, otherwise it was not considered phonemic awareness.

*Please note, I am an Amazon Associate and this post may contain affiliate links. You can read my full privacy policy and disclosure here.

What Does the Research Say About Teaching Phonemic Awareness Without Letters?

However, when I really started diving into the research and learning about the science of reading and how our brains learn to read, I came across some information that shook me to my core. It contradicted everything I’d ever been taught about phonemic awareness. It was from the National Reading Panel Report and it stated that phonemic awareness instruction was actually MORE effective with letters. What?! Yes, let’s read on and take a look at what they found.

The National Reading Panel (NRP) Report: A Landmark in Evidence-Based Reading Instruction

The National Reading Panel, a landmark study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), stands as a cornerstone of effective reading instruction. Published in 2000, the NRP report synthesized decades of research, identifying five essential components for successful reading acquisition: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Critically, the NRP report highlighted the importance of explicitly teaching phonemic awareness with letters, finding that such instruction resulted in stronger reading outcomes compared to instruction that focused solely on sounds without letters [1].

Bridging the Sound-Symbol Gap: Why Letters Matter in Phonemic Awareness Instruction

Phonemic awareness, the foundation of strong reading skills, focuses on a child’s ability to manipulate the individual sounds in spoken language. While traditionally viewed as an auditory skill, research overwhelmingly supports the use of letters alongside sound manipulation activities. This approach, often referred to as “phonemic awareness with letters,” creates a powerful bridge between the spoken and written word, accelerating literacy development.

When you think about this, it actually makes a lot of sense. We need phonemic awareness in order to manipulate sounds in words and begin the process of decoding and encoding. But phonemic awareness is not the end goal. If children cannot take what they hear and apply it to letter sound correspondence, it’s useless! So it really makes a lot of sense that we need to teach children phonemic awareness with letters in order to see stronger readers and better outcomes.

Why Letters Make a Difference in Phonemic Awareness Instruction

Integrating letters into phonemic awareness activities offers several advantages:

• Connecting Sounds to Symbols: Letters provide a visual representation of the sounds children are manipulating. Seeing the letter “b” while saying the /b/ sound reinforces the association between the spoken and written language.
• Building a Foundation for Phonics: Phonemic awareness with letters primes children for phonics instruction, which explicitly teaches the relationships between letters and sounds. By the time children encounter formal phonics lessons, they already have a foundational understanding of the sound-symbol connection.
• Supporting Early Writing Development: Exposure to letters during phonemic awareness activities fosters an awareness of the alphabetic principle, the understanding that written language represents spoken language. This awareness can naturally extend to early writing attempts.

Bringing Sounds and Letters Together: Practical Activities for Teaching Phonemic Awareness Skills

Here are some examples of how to integrate letters into phonemic awareness instruction:

• Letter Sounds Hunt: Hide magnetic letters around the room. Children identify the letter, then say the corresponding sound and find a word that begins with that sound (e.g., “B” says /b/, “ball”).
• Matching Games: Create cards with pictures and corresponding letter sounds. Children match the picture (e.g., cat) to the card with the beginning sound (/k/). This can be extended to rhyming words or words with specific sounds within them.
• Segmenting with Blocks: Provide children with manipulatives like blocks and letter tiles. Say a word (e.g., “cat”), then have children segment the sounds (/k/ /a/ /t/) and place a block for each sound. Then, have them match the corresponding letter tiles to each block.

Final Thoughts on Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness instruction plays a crucial role in laying the groundwork for successful reading. By strategically integrating letters alongside sound manipulation activities, educators can bridge the gap between spoken and written language, fostering a deeper understanding of the alphabetic principle. The National Reading Panel’s research underscores the effectiveness of this approach, providing a clear path to accelerating children’s literacy development. So, the next time you teach phonemic awareness, remember – letters are powerful tools that can illuminate the path to reading success.