VOA · Early Literacy
Advanced · C1learner speed11:582023-07-03public domain
Early Literacy episodes discuss how children learn to read and write. The topic vocabulary repeats naturally across episodes, which reinforces retention — and the clear, measured delivery suits focused dictation work.
Hit "Start dictation practice" — all 12 minutes are already sliced into sentences, so practice starts immediately. No wait.
Expect longer sentences and richer vocabulary — replay freely, and slow the speed if a sentence runs away from you.
Switch to Dictation mode, type each sentence, and get a word-by-word diff with your accuracy score.
01Spoken language is made up of sounds.
02If students want to read, they must be aware of the sound-language connection.
03Phonological awareness The ability to hear sounds in language and work with them is called phonological awareness.
04Phonological awareness begins with easy skills and moves to more difficult ones.
05It is important to note that the development of these skills may overlap.
06Phonemic awareness The smallest part of the spoken language is called a phoneme.
07A student with phonemic awareness can hear individual sounds and work with them.
08Phonemic awareness also allows students to understand that the sounds of spoken language work together to make words.
09We will talk about phonemic awareness a little later in this article.
10But for now, know that it is the most advanced type of phonological awareness.
11What does phonological awareness look like?
12Students with early phonological awareness can Students with advanced phonological awareness can Blend small sounds into words.
13Hear the same first sounds like toe and tip.
14Hear the same ending sounds like sun and bin.
15Hear the same middle sounds like bag and tag.
16Teaching tips for phonological awareness It is important to know the difference between the name of a letter and the sound of a letter.
17A letter between two slashes shows its sound.
18So, the letter T between two slashes represents the sound t.
19Students should learn each letter by its sound.
20At an early stage, say the sound of the letter, not the letter name.
21This will help students blend words later on.
22For example, when teaching the letter N, say N as in N-net, not N.
23When teaching letter sounds, do not add vowel sounds.
24For example, when saying the letter F, do not say the sound F.
25Just say F.
26Adding the E vowel sound at the beginning of the letter makes it harder to blend the sounds in a word later.
27The most common example is the letter S.
28Simply say S.
29Do not say S.
30Students later may say A school, a scared, a snake, which would be incorrect.
31Teach easier consonants first.
32Some languages lack some sounds, such as F and V.
33Don't teach those to your students first.
34Some consonants are easier to say.
35You can stretch them out, saying them for a longer amount of time.
36They are M, S, F, L, R, N, V, and Z.
37Some consonants and sharply with a puff of air.
38They are a little harder to say.
39They are B, C, D, G, P, T, K, and J.
40Some consonants are simply difficult to say and are less common.
41Teach them last.
42They are H, W, Y, X, Q.
43However, some English sounds do not exist in other languages.
44If students have trouble with some sounds, teach easier ones first.
45Teach short vowel sounds first.
46Long vowel sounds may be easier to say, but short vowel sounds are in many easy words, such as mat and son.
47However, short vowel sounds can be confusing, so first teach them separately, then all together.
48As we said earlier, phonemic awareness is the most advanced type of phonological awareness.
49Students with phonemic awareness can do the following.
50Sound isolation.
51They can hear a single sound in a word and isolate it.
52What is the first sound in bug?
53The first sound in bug is b.
54They can identify and group sounds or phonemes.
55Students can identify sounds that are the same.
56These sounds may come at the beginning, the middle, or the end of words.
57Identifying middle sounds is more advanced than identifying beginning or ending sounds.
58They can break apart sounds, also called segmenting phonemes.
59Segmenting is the ability to break a word into smaller sounds.
60How many sounds in flag?
61F, u, a, g.
62Flag.
63Flag has four sounds.
64They can blend sounds together, also called blending phonemes.
65Blending is the ability to say separate sounds together to make a word.
66What word is this?
67B, a, g.
68Bag.
69Blending and segmenting are the most important phonemic awareness skills.
70These are two phonemic awareness skills most linked to fluency.
71Both segmenting and blending should be practiced regularly.
72They can lose a sound to make new words, also called deletion.
73Pin.
74If I take away the p sound, what do I have left?
75In.
76They can add a sound to make new words, also called addition.
77Flap.
78If I add the f sound to the beginning, what word do I have?
79Flap.
80They can change a sound to make new words, also called substitution.
81If I take away the s in sat and add p, what word do I have?
82Pat.
83Teaching tips for phonemic awareness.
84Use words your students know.
85When doing phonemic awareness activities with your class, use words from a story your students are currently reading.
86It is helpful to use words the students already know.
87Focus on sounds, not the letters.
88The focus of phonemic activities should be on the sounds of words, and not on the letters or spelling.
89However, you can teach phonemic awareness while teaching meaning and pronunciation.
90Identify sounds that are different or the same in the home language in comparison to English.
91Assessment for phonological awareness.
92Students with poor phonemic awareness skills cannot do the following.
93Isolate single sounds in a word.
94Break up or segment single sounds in a word.
95Paper.
96Pay.
97Per.
98Blend sounds into words.
99Add, delete, or substitute sounds.
100Here are some questions for assessing phonological awareness.
101Count words in a spoken sentence.
102How many words are in this sentence?
103You are my friend.
104Four.
105Do they rhyme?
106Do these words rhyme?
107Bit.
108Sit.
109Yes.
110Do the words big and bag rhyme?
111No.
112Syllable blending.
113I am going to say a word in parts.
114Listen.
115O.
116Pen.
117What word did I say?
118Open.
119Open.
120Syllable deletion.
121Say sat without the at.
122S.
123Syllable substitution.
124If I take the s away from sit and replace it with p, what word do I have?
125Pit.
126Use the tips, strategies, and assessment methods that best serve your learners.
127Change them to fit your students and your teaching situation.
128I'm Anna Mateo.
129I'm Anna Mateo.
130And I'm Katie Weaver.
131I'm Katie Weaver.
132I'm Katie Weaver.
133I'm Katie Weaver.
134I'm Katie Weaver.
135I'm Katie Weaver.
136I'm Katie Weaver.
137I'm Katie Weaver.
138I'm Katie Weaver.
// transcribed with Whisper AI — reading it is easy; catching it by ear is the skill
Practice it by ear
