We all know how to read. In fact, you're reading this blog post right now. We read on our phones, on our laptops, and on our e-readers. If we're really old school, we might still even have physical books that we consume. We read street signs and menus, recipes and captions.
We read to learn new things.
But how did we learn to read ...?
And, perhaps more importantly, how do we teach our children this necessary skill?
One of the key terms in literacy instruction these days is phonological awareness. Parents might hear this used during teacher conferences or reading reports. But what does this really mean for your child's reading journey?
Phonological awareness is your child's ability to recognize and play with sounds in words.
It's like having an ear for music, but instead of notes, we're talking about the sounds in spoken language. Before children learn to read, they need to understand that words are made up of smaller sounds that they can identify and manipulate. That means it is a precursor skill for reading and, as research shows, it is predictive of reading success.
Sound skills are crucial for reading success. Before children can connect letters to sounds (i.e. reading), they need to understand that words can be broken down into smaller units of sound. And this makes sense, right? You have to understand that a sandwich is made up of parts -- like bread, butter, and filling -- before you can make one yourself!
The Building Blocks: From Simple to Complex
Phonological awareness skills are the foundation for reading and literacy development. And they build in complexity from preschool through early elementary school.
There are three major categories of skills:
REMEMBER: Every child is different. While we've provided age ranges for different skills, remember that children develop at their own pace. Some master rhyming quickly but take longer with other skills. That's perfectly normal! The age ranges are guidelines, not strict rules.
When Does My Child Need Support?
Having trouble with phonological awareness skills is one of the first signs that your child might need extra support in literacy.
How might this look in real life? Let’s take a look at Ben, for example. Ben is halfway through Kindergarten. These are the skills that kids Ben's age typically have by the middle of the school year:
Ben loves school, but his teachers notice that he has trouble with pre-literacy skills. When his class is asked to think of words that rhyme with cat, Ben struggles to come up with an answer. While his peers might say hat or bat, Ben often responds with words like car. During story time, when the teacher points out that dog and frog sound alike, Ben doesn’t seem to hear the similarity.
These signs suggest that Ben may need more support with hearing rhymes and identifying similar-sounding words.
Let’s look at another example. Vicky is starting first grade. These are the skills that kids Vicky's age typically have by the beginning of the school year:
In September, Vicky's teacher notices she is struggling with early reading tasks. When asked to break down the word dog into individual sounds, Vicky might say d -- og, but struggles to break down the sounds into all three sounds: d - aw - g. During a phonics lesson, her classmates can hear the sounds m -- a -- t and put them together to say mat, but Vicky pauses, unsure how to combine the sounds into a complete word. This pattern indicates that she may need more targeted practice in segmenting and blending sounds.
Don't wait to get help! Research shows that early help is better than waiting to see if they'll "grow out of it." Request a phonological awareness screener if you have any concerns (Schuele & Boudreau 2008).
Get support if you notice any of these signs:
When you decide to seek help, there are several paths available, and you can choose to combine different types of support if needed.
Your child’s school is typically the first stop as they can provide screenings and evaluations at no cost, and may offer specialized reading instruction or speech therapy services during the school day.
Outside of school, private speech therapy or reading tutoring can provide additional focused support and is often the go-to choice when a child doesn't qualify for school services.
Schools typically have specific requirements that must be met for a child to receive support services, while private providers can work with children at any skill level, making them a valuable option for families seeking extra help regardless of their child's current abilities.
Learn more about the difference between private services and school-based services in our blog post about setting!
Helping at Home
What can I do to help my child at home?
The good news is that these skills can be practiced at home with minimal resources in your daily routines. And you don't have to wait until your child is struggling -- instead, you can integrate phonological awareness into your reading activities that you are already doing. Because sounds (and words) are everywhere!
Here are some core principles that can be used for any situation, but especially while reading a book to your child.
TEACH DON'T TEST
It can be easy to turn each book reading session into a quiz with questions like “what sounds does this word start with?” Before we ask the child questions, we first have to make sure that they were taught and exposed to lots of models. This can look like…
Stretching out sounds in words (e.g., "ffffiiiish")
Demonstrating how to blend sounds together (e.g., “f-i-sh makes the word fish”)
Thinking out loud by verbalizing a thought, questions, predictions, etc (e.g. “I wonder…”, ““I hear the sound /k/ in the beginning of the word ‘cat’”)
KNOW YOUR CHILD
Every kid is different and will learn in their own way. Look for clues that tell you what your child needs help with. If your child is struggling, think about why:
START SMALL
Don't jump directly to the end goal. Start with the basic skills before moving on to more complex skills. Think about practicing with familiar or favorite words, using simple words before complicated words (e.g., bat is simpler than rocketship), and choosing words where it‘s easy to stretch out the sounds (e.g., moon is easier to stretch out than tip).
Let's See it in Action!
Amanda and her 5-year-old, Emma, are reading The Cat in the Hat together.
Here's how mom supports Emma during this activity:
Final Thoughts
As parents, we often wonder how to best support our children's learning journey. The truth is, early practice is vital, but keep it fun! Think of it like planting a garden: the earlier we start nurturing these skills, the stronger they'll grow.
Speaking of nurturing, you might be surprised to learn that regular, short sessions work better than long ones. Just like how a plant needs consistent watering rather than occasional flooding, your child will thrive with brief, frequent learning moments. Along the way, make sure to notice and celebrate small improvements -- every new sound mastered or word recognized is a victory worth celebrating.
It's also important to remember that addressing struggles early rather than waiting can make a world of difference. If you notice your child consistently stumbling over certain sounds or avoiding reading activities, that's your cue to give extra support or seek guidance.
Finally, remember to use everyday moments for practice. Whether you're reading street signs during a walk, looking at grocery labels together, or singing silly rhyming songs in the car, these natural learning opportunities often prove more valuable than formal sit-down lessons. Your child's reading journey is a marathon, not a sprint.
Still have questions about phonological awareness? Looking for speech therapy to support your child in this area? Send us an email at info@talktimeboston.com.
Want a bit more structure to your literacy journey? Talk Time Boston strongly recommends the Lovevery Reading Kits, which are play-based, developmentally-appropriate, and research-backed. There are three different levels -- Sounds to Reading, Words to Books, and Advanced Rules to Chapter Books spanning from pre-K skills to skills learned in 1st/2nd grade. That first kit is the one that covers all of the phonological awareness skills including syllabification, initial and final sound isolation, rhyming, blending, and more. Plus, the accompanying books make it easy for your child to feel successful at their reading level as they learn.
Talk Time Boston receives a small commission on qualifying purchases using this link.
Resources:
Schuele CM, Boudreau D. Phonological awareness intervention: beyond the basics. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch. 2008 Jan;39(1):3-20. doi: 10.1044/0161-1461(2008/002). PMID: 18162644.
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