The most important Struggling Reader Strategies
Struggling reader strategies, success begins with one crucial skill—phonemic awareness. Often overlooked or misunderstood, phonemic awareness forms the foundation for learning to read. But how can we teach it effectively to support every learner, especially those facing challenges? This blog explores research-backed strategies to deepen phonemic awareness instruction, with practical tips educators, reading specialists, and parents can implement immediately.
Understanding Phoneme Awareness vs. Phonological Awareness
First, let’s clarify terminology. “Phonological awareness” is the broad umbrella term encompassing a range of sound structures in spoken words, such as recognizing words, rhymes, and syllables. “Phonemic awareness,” however, focuses specifically on identifying and manipulating individual phonemes (the smallest units of sound) within spoken words.
According to Dr. Susan Brady, a prominent American psychologist and literacy expert who specializes in reading acquisition and reading disabilities, explicit focus on phoneme awareness—rather than broader phonological awareness—is critical for reading success. While rhyming and syllable activities can be effective, the real key to unlocking literacy skills lies in developing phoneme awareness.
“Phonological awareness is the umbrella term…what’s critical for reading is attaining phoneme awareness—awareness of the individual phonemes in spoken words.”
Debunking Myths About Sound Segment Progression
For decades, struggling reader strategies believed that teaching students to recognize larger sound segments first (like syllables or rhymes) was a natural progression to teaching phoneme awareness. However, recent research tells a different story.
Evidence shows that phoneme awareness can—and should—be taught directly, without requiring prior mastery of syllables or rhymes. Starting with syllable awareness may even be counterproductive, confusing students and delaying progress.
Studies cited by Dr. Brady underscore this point, revealing that children taught syllable awareness before phoneme awareness performed worse in literacy skills compared to peers who received no such instruction.
“…the awareness of larger segments necessarily preceding phoneme awareness has really dominated for decades, but learners do not need to become aware of syllables to reach the level of the phoneme.”
This suggests educators should prioritize phoneme awareness over traditional “larger-to-smaller” sound progression models.
The Case for Explicit Phoneme Awareness Instruction in Struggling Reader Strategies
Here’s a key takeaway for educators and parents alike—phoneme awareness rarely develops naturally. It must be taught explicitly as a key aspect of struggling reader strategies.
A landmark study by Jose Morais demonstrated that once students receive explicit phoneme awareness instruction, they make significant gains in reading ability. Similarly, research by Shlomo Benton showed that children who began school developed phoneme awareness, while peers who didn’t attend school failed to do so.
Explicit instruction removes much of the guesswork for struggling readers, equipping them with tools they need to decipher written words.
“…phoneme awareness development usually occurs in the context of learning to read…it does require explicit instruction to develop effectively.”
Integrating Phoneme Awareness with Other Skills for Struggling Reader Strategies
For maximum impact with struggling reader strategies, phoneme awareness activities should integrate with other literacy skills, such as letter knowledge, handwriting, spelling, and early reading. This interconnected approach is supported by the National Reading Panel, which highlights the “reciprocity” between phoneme awareness and phonics.
Here’s how integration can work in practice:
- Writing and Spelling: Once children know a small set of letter-sound correspondences, encourage them to write and spell words. This reinforces their understanding of the alphabetic principle.
- Handwriting: Encourage handwriting practice, as it engages brain regions connected to reading and solidifies neural connections.
- Decodable Texts: Introduce children to decodable texts early on to build their confidence and motivation while strengthening phoneme understanding.
Interactive activities like word chaining (e.g., switching “cat” to “bat” by changing one letter) are particularly effective, as they encourage students to actively engage with sounds and letters.
“Kids do word chaining activities like ‘word ladders’ and ‘word building.’ Tools like Orton-Gillingham and speech-to-print programs also incorporate these powerful techniques.”
How to Approach Advanced Phoneme Awareness Tasks
Advanced phoneme awareness tasks, such as deletion, substitution, and addition, are often used to assess students’ skills. However, Dr. Brady cautions that these activities are not “pure” measures of phoneme awareness.
Why? Because skilled readers naturally tap into their knowledge of spelling when completing these tasks, meaning they may rely more on reading and spelling skills than isolated phoneme awareness. Educators should consider this when designing assessments and supporting struggling readers.
Instead, focus on developmental progression:
- Begin with Initial Phonemes: Teach students to identify and manipulate initial sounds in words (e.g., the “c” in “cat”).
- Move to Final and Medial Phonemes: Once comfortable with initial sounds, help them recognize ending sounds (e.g., the “t” in “cat”) and eventually medial vowels.
- Tackle Blends and Clusters: Advanced learners can practice identifying consonant blends (e.g., “bl” in “black”) or tricky nasal sounds.
Spelling errors can also provide valuable insights into a student’s phoneme awareness development.
“The initial phoneme is the easiest for a child to identify, followed by the final phoneme, and then medial vowels, especially in simple CVC words.”
Practical Struggling Reader Strategies for Teaching Phonemic Awareness
Here are practical strategies to implement in the classroom or at home:
- Explicit Instruction: Use focused activities like segmenting sounds in words or blending phonemes together.
- Interactive Word Chaining: Use manipulatives, like letter tiles or cards, to help students visualize and manipulate sounds.
- Games & Rhymes: Introduce phoneme awareness through playful activities, such as rhyming pairs or “I Spy” using sounds.
- Integrated Literacy Skills: Combine phoneme awareness activities with letter recognition, writing exercises, and decodable texts for a well-rounded approach.
- Frequent Practice: Regularly revisit skills to reinforce learning and prevent regression.
Final Thoughts
Building phonemic awareness is one of the best investments we can make in struggling reader strategies. By providing explicit, research-backed instruction—and integrating it with other literacy skills—we can set all learners up for reading success.
Educators, reading specialists, and parents, your role in implementing evidence-based practices is crucial. Together, we can empower children to unlock the joys of reading and ensure no student is left behind.
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What’s your favorite strategy for promoting phonemic awareness? Share your thoughts in the comments below!