It may seem counterintuitive to play with words and sounds orally to improve writing skills. However, working on phonological awareness can have very positive effects on the acquisition of reading and writing skills.
Phonological awareness is the ability to manipulate the small sounds (phonemes), rhymes, and syllables that make up a word orally.
For example, in the word "bateau" (boat), there are two syllables (ba-teau) and four sounds (b, a, t, o). We emphasize oral syllables, for instance, in the word "table," we say there is one syllable, not two (we don't say "ta-ble" orally).
Why work on it?
Being able to manipulate these different units is essential for learning written language. Reading involves recognizing letters, their sounds, and then merging (blending) the small sounds that make up the word. Conversely, writing involves segmenting (breaking down) the word into syllables orally, then into phonemes, and finally associating these sounds with letters or groups of letters.
How to work on it?
Even before entering school or while your child is learning to read and write, you can engage in fun phonological awareness activities at home.
Some game ideas for home:
Guessing games: The adult separates the word (speaking like a robot, separating syllables by a few seconds), and the child guesses the word. Depending on the child's skill and age, you can also reverse roles. For example, during a car ride, you could have your child guess words seen along the road.
Singing nursery rhymes: Nursery rhymes are an excellent way to work on rhymes, among other things.
Jumping in hoops or between sidewalk lines while separating syllables: During a walk or on the way back from the grocery store, say a word to the child who must jump, separating the syllables.
Silly sentences: The adult, with or without the child's help, draws or selects images with rhyming words. For example: hat, cat, mat, rat, etc. The child must create a sentence including some words from the list. For example: "The cat wears a hat." or "The rat who wears a hat is on the mat"
Desert island game: On a desert island, you can only bring objects that start with a certain sound. Your child can name or bring you objects that start with the chosen sound.
Poor phonological awareness in a child can act as a barrier or obstacle in the acquisition of written language. An remedial teacher or speech therapist are professionals who can identify difficulties in this area, precisely target which elements of phonological awareness need to be worked on, and intervene on these aspects.
To make an appointment, you can go to the "Contact Us" section of this website.
Références:
(1) Ryder, J., Tuner, W. et Greaney, K., (2008). Explicit Instruction in Phonemic Awareness and Phonemically Based Decoding Skills as an Intervention Strategy for Struggling Readers in Whole Langage Classrooms. Reading and writing, 21, p.349-369
(2) National Reading Panel (U.S.) & National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.). (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching children to read : an evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, p.2-96
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