Topic 3 Discussion Question 1

What is the difference between phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics?
How do these concepts build upon each other? Provide two examples that show the
progression of these literacy concepts.
Phonological awareness deals with oral language and the learner’s ability to identify and
manipulate spoken words. This could look like rhyming words, clapping out syllables, and
recognizing words that begin the same. Phonemic awareness is a learner’s ability to work with
individual sounds in spoken words. This includes blending sounds into words, breaking words
up into individual sounds, and eliminating and playing with sounds in oral language. Phonics
refers to letter sounds and an ability to use that knowledge in decoding words that are
unfamiliar. These components of language all vary from each other but are crucial when
understanding speech and turning oral language into written language. Having the ability to
listen to oral language, break down those words into individual sounds, recognize what letter
represents those individual sounds, and then write those letters to create new words are all
building blocks in literacy. All these components build onto one another to create successful
readers and writers.
A student is given letter cards and asked to build words within a given amount of time.
Students use phonics and phonemic awareness to manipulate letter sounds into as many words
as they can.
Students are placed in small groups; they are asked to recite as many rhyming words as they
can within a one-minute window. Group members follow along and write down the rhyming
words they hear. This allows the oral presenter to work on their phonological awareness, while
letting the group work on phonemic awareness (Reading Rockets).
Reference
Reading Rockets. (n.d.). Phonological and Phonemic Awareness: Introduction.
https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading101-course/modules/phonological-and-
phonemic-awareness-introduction

Topic 3 Discussion Question 2

What are concepts of print and why are they important in teaching reading? Identify and
describe three recommended strategies for developing concepts of print.
The concept of print is the understanding that written language, printed speech, and written
expression, all mean something, and it is all related to spoken word. Learners understand that
books contain letters and words and how a book works. Learners understand that books have
titles, pages must be turned, and where to locate the front and back covers of a book. Students
understand how to read sentences on a page from left to right and that print is organized in a
certain way. Students start to understand that words on a page form sentences and that those
sentences relate with one another to tell a story. Teaching students the alphabet is a great
beginning strategy to print awareness and its importance in literacy. When students can identify
letters, they can recognize that these are used in writing. Reading aloud to students is a great
strategy to teach print awareness as the teacher is modeling how to read books, identifying
important components of the books, allow students to help turn the pages of the book, and model
by using your finger to read from left to right on the page. You can also have students point to
the first word on the page and begin pointing out periods and exclamation points to incite their
curiosity. Writing class stories is another great strategy to use in the classroom to help with print
awareness. Teachers could allow students to dictate sentences and model how to write them on
the smart board to show how text is written from left to write and can extend this activity by
allowing the students to illustrate the page(s) (Reading Rockets).

Reference
Reading Rockets. (n.d.). Print Awareness: In Practice.

https://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading101-course/modules/print-awareness/

print-awareness-practice