Phonological & Phonemic Awareness
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness is an essential component of early literacy. Key skills that children need to acquire in this area include: orally discriminate and identify sounds; understand and identify rhymes; segment syllables in spoken words; visually discriminate and identify letters and sounds; understand that written words are made up of individual letters and sounds, and that sentences are made up of words.
Songs and Chants
Songs and chants, sometimes accompanied by song charts, are used daily so children hear and enjoy playing with words and sounds in words. Songs and chants, like the AlphaChants resources, engage children in playing with initial sounds, syllables, and rhymes.
Learning About Sounds and Alphabet Letter Symbols
Learning about sounds and alphabet letter symbols is a critical skill that is taught through word play games, songs, and manipulative materials such as sandpaper letters, and the I Spy game. Children learn the sounds associated with letters, letter names, eventually connecting sounds and symbols.
Word Knowledge and Invented Spelling
Word knowledge and invented spelling are supported as children learn how to recognize and play with their names and the names of their peers, exploring environmental print around the classroom, manipulating song charts (e.g. by circling or substituting key words), playing with key vocabulary related to ongoing projects, and eventually using invented spelling to write messages, signs, and labels to classmates, friends and family.