Phonological Awareness - The Literacy Connection - Wake County ...

The Literacy Connection at Home 

Project Enlightenment • Wake County Public School System 

Phonological Awareness 

Phonological awareness is a strong predictor of later reading success. Phonological 

awareness refers to the sensitivity to the sounds in speech, no letters, just sounds. This is 

important because in order to be able to sound out words for reading, children need to be 

able to hear the similarities and differences in words. However, phonological awareness 

skills are less likely to develop through incidental exposure (Sulzby and Teale, 1991). 

The preschool years are the perfect time to help children sensitize to sound similarities and 

differences by listening to patterned, predictable texts while enjoying the feel of reading and 

language. 

Phonological awareness develops in stages: 

• Children acquire the ability to hear and focus on sounds in the environment, 

listening. 

• Children notice and recognize the ending sounds of words, rhyming. 

• Children notice and recognize the beginning sounds, alliteration. 

• Children are aware of the concept of syllable, syllables. 

• Children are aware of the beginning sounds and start to think and play with words 

that start with that initial sound, beginning sounds. 

• Children can identify the last sound of their names, ending sounds. 

• Children understand that the sounds of spoken language work together to make 

words, phonemic awareness. 

Phonemic awareness is the ability to manipulate the smallest sounds in speech; a 

type of phonological awareness. 

Phonics is the ability to combine sounds and letters. 

Parents can encourage activities that support the ability to discriminate sounds by: 

• Creating an awareness of the sounds around their environments. For example; 

“Did you hear the dog barking” “What is that sound outside” 

Phonological Awareness • Presenter Information • 1

• Doing activities that focus just on listening. For example, if a parent is tearing 

paper, he or she could say to the child, “Close your eyes and listen. Tell me what 

you think you hear me doing.” 

• Playing word play games or rhyming. Word play teaches children to listen on 

purpose for sounds in language and to pronounce new sounds and words. For 

example, provide the child with two different words and let him find the correct 

one. “Does ‘cat’ or ‘tub’ rhyme with ‘sub’” Nonsense or made up words are 

okay. The important part of this activity is the word play rather than the meaning of 

the word. 

• Playing with the child’s name. Find words that start with the same letter as your 

child’s name. “Wonderful Willie, let’s go outside.” 

• Intentionally pointing out the sounds of a word. For example, a parent can say, 

“We need some bread. Let me write the word ‘bread’ down. Look, I am writing 

‘bread’ on the list. Bread starts with the letter “b” and “b” sounds like [b].” 

Problem Solving for Success 

Using the skill of daily problem solving has a profound effect on how a child feels about 

himself. When we teach problem-solving skills to a young child, his or her energy is used 

to learn and not to fight. 

A good way to start is by talking about the “Give Me Five” activity, the five finger 

solution to resolution. This is a five-step activity that will help parents model, teach and 

support their children in developing and using appropriate problem-solving skills. 

The five steps are: 

1. Cool down. 

2. Identify the problems. 

3. Brainstorm solutions. 

4. Choose a solution. 

5. Try it out! 

Phonological Awareness • Presenter Information •2

Tips for Supporting Families with Children that are English Language 

Learners (ELL) 

• Providing ELL children the opportunity to sing, to recite nursery rhymes, and to 

play with sounds in their native language sets the foundation for easier sound 

discrimination and recognition. In English, when children have fun playing with 

the familiar sounds, they might be willing to experiment with unfamiliar sounds too. 

• When families translate English rhymes into their home language, the words will no 

longer rhyme. 

Tips for Supporting Families with Children with Special Needs 

• Many books, songs, and nursery rhymes utilize concepts of phonological 

awareness. Use them as tools to begin word play – you can even substitute your 

child’s name to capture his or her interest. For example: “Rain, rain, go away. Little 

_________ (your child’s name) wants to play!” 

• In the early stages of oral language development, children often substitute one 

sound for another. For example, they may say “lellow” for “yellow.” Model the 

correct sound without making the error an issue. 

Phonological Awareness • Presenter Information •3




AGENDA 

Welcome 

Learning Objective 

Read Aloud 

Icebreaker: Guess this Sound 

What is Phonological Awareness 

Problem Solving 

Make and Take: Alliteration and Rhyming Cube 

Closing 

Welcome 

• Welcome participants. 

• Introduce presenters and other personnel. 

3 minutes 

• Introduce the facility and cover “housekeeping,” such as location of bathrooms, 

telephones, and vending machines. 

• Establish or review existing ground rules with the participants’ input. 

Learning Objective 

2 minutes 

• Families will understand the importance of phonological awareness in the 

development of reading and writing. 

• Families will understand how they can use problem-solving steps with their 

child. 

Read Aloud 

Feature a book from the list suggested for this session, emphasizing the bookmark, 

“Reading and Word Sounds.” Demonstrate a model read-aloud. 

5 minutes 

Phonological Awareness • Workshop Agenda • 4

Guess this Sound 

5 minutes 

Gather a collection of items that make identifiable sounds: such as, a pair of scissors and 

paper, beans in a cup, water in a cup. Hide the items from the participants. Examples of 

ways to hide them are: 1) place items on a table and cover them with a colored cloth, or 2) 

place items on a table and place a piece of poster board as a barrier in front of them to 

obstruct the view. Ask participants to listen and guess what sound they hear as you use the 

hidden objects: e.g., cutting paper, pouring water, or shaking beans in a cup, etc. From this 

activity, participants will understand that they can do activities like this at home to help 

children focus on listening. 

Listening to sounds is the first skill children need to have in order for them 

to learn how to differentiate sounds in speech. 

What Is Phonological Awareness 

5 minutes 

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear sounds in speech. In order to 

be able to sound out words for reading, children need to hear the 

similarities and differences in words and to know that letters are connected 

to sounds they represent. 

For example: 

• [d] in “daddy” is the same [d] as the sound in “dog”. 

• “Rose” and “nose” don’t begin with the same sound but have the 

same 

ending sounds. The same ending sound is what makes them rhyme. 

• [d] sound is represented by the letter D. 

Handout 1 – Listen Up! 

Distribute and review handout. 


10 minutes 

Let’s do a fun activity to get us started thinking about games we can do to 

expose children to phonological awareness. Alliteration is a phonological 

activity. Alliteration occurs when words start with the same sound, like 

Peter Piper. For this game, get a partner. Think of a word that positively 

describes your child that begins with the same sound of your child’s name. 

For example: 

Joyful Jen 

Healthy Heidi 

Terrific Terisha 

Tremendous Tulia 


Take turns sharing your alliteration for your child’s name. Allow three 

minutes. 

This is one way to draw your child’s attention to the initial sound of a 

word that starts with the same letter as your child’s name. Remember, the 

focus is on the sound and not necessarily letter identification. You might be 

using a word in which the first letter is silent. 

When children use their name to acquire specific skills, they feel proud and 

good about themselves and their accomplishment. When children feel good 

about themselves, they can learn anything. 

Being able to solve problems fosters positive self-esteem and encourages a 

positive attitude toward learning. So, the ability to problem solve whether 

during a game or during a misunderstanding with a playmate, is a beneficial 

lifelong skill. 

Handout 2 – Give Me Five! 

Distribute and review the handout. Here are the steps to follow with your child. 

Hold out your hand and point to each finger as you go through each step of 

the process. 

1. Cool down: Stop and take a deep breath. 

2. Identify the problem: Find out and state the real problem. 

3. Brainstorm solutions: Think of some possible solutions and for 

each 

solution think about: 

• It is safe 

• How might people feel 

• Is it fair 

• Will it work 

4. Choose a solution: Agree on the best solution. 

5. Try it out! Apply the solution and ask if it is working. It may need 

revising. 

If so, you can go through the “Give Me Five” steps again. When 

the process is successful, share a “high five” with your child. 


Presenter Tip 

If you have a variety of languages in your group, be aware that words that rhyme in 

English will not rhyme in other languages. Two sets of pictures have been provided 

for the rhyming cube. One is for English rhyming words, and the other is in 

Spanish. If you have other languages spoken, consult with a translator for 

appropriate pictures for the rhyming cube. 

Alliteration and Rhyming Cube 

20 minutes 

This activity presents a fun game to recognize words that sound the 

same at the beginning (alliteration) and/or the end (rhyming). 

Allow time for participants to create the cube. Encourage participants to practice different 

ways they can play with the cube with their family. 

Closing 

5 minutes 

Review the main points of the workshop: 

• Phonological awareness is a listening skill that is a major predictor 

for reading success. 

• Playing word games helps children pay attention to the sounds in 

the words. 

• The ability to solve problems fosters self-esteem and encourages a 

positive attitude toward learning. The use of problem-solving 

skills like, the process of “Give Me Five,” will enhance a child’s 

ability to solve problems in an appropriate manner and are skills 

that will last him or her a lifetime. 

Encourage parents to come to the next workshop. Give time, date and place. 

Distribute and collect evaluations. 





Suggested Books 

Brown Bear, Brown Bear* by Bill Martin Jr. 

Five Little Monkeys* by Eileen Christelow 

Is Your Mama a Llama* by Steven Kellogg 

Miss Mary Mack by Mary Ann Hoberman 

One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root 

Silly Sally by Audrey Wood 

Tomie’s Little Mother Goose by Tomie DePaolo 

Tumble Bumble by Felicia Bond 

Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar by Bonnie Lass and Philemon Sturges 

Additional Books in Spanish 

Arroz con Leche by Lulu Delacre 

Los Cinco Patitos by Pamela Paparone 

*Available in Spanish 

Phonological Knowledge • Suggested Book • 8



Alliteration/Rhyming Cube 

Materials 

• One pre-cut cube pattern from cardstock or file 

folder per participant 

• One set of eight pictures (English or Spanish) per 

participant 

• Tape, one roll for every two participants 

• Glue stick, one stick for every two participants 

• Scissors, one pair for every two participants 

• Color markers, a variety for each table to share 

Directions 

Activity 

• Fold cube pattern to create a cube and tape the edges. 

• Color the pictures and cut them out. 

• Glue the pictures onto the cube. 

• Present the cube to your child. 

• Explain that the cube is really a rhyming game. 

• Encourage your child to review the cards and name them if possible. 

• Review the names of the pictures with your child by pointing at each picture on 

the cube. 

• Explain that the cube can be rolled or gently tossed. 

• When the cube comes to a stop, the child can state the name of the picture on 

top of the cube and then state a rhyming word such as “book” then “cook.” 

• Take turns rolling the cube and stating rhyming words. 

Additional Activities- 

• Provide the child with two different words and let him find out the correct one. 

Example: Ask the child, “Does ‘cat’ or ‘tub’ rhyme with ‘sub’” 

• If the child uses a nonsense or made-up word, it is okay. The important part of 

this activity is the word play rather than the meaning of the word. 

• Change the game from rhyming to alliteration. When the cube is rolled, ask the 

child to name the picture and say a word that starts with the same sound as the 

picture. For example: the picture is of a book, so the response might be baby, box, or 

banana. 

Phonological Awareness • Make and Take Instructions • Rhyming Cube



El Cubo que Rima 

Materiales 

• Un cubo de cartón ya cortado por participante 

• Un juego con ocho dibujos (Ingles o Español) por 

participante 

• Un rollo de teipe por cada dos participantes 

• Una barrita de goma de pegar por cada dos participantes 

• Una tijera para cada dos participantes 

• Varios marcadores para cada mesa 

Instrucciones 

• Arme el cubo 

• Coloree los dibujos y corte cada dibujo 

• Pegue cada dibujo en cada lado del cubo 

Actividad 

• Enseñe el cubo a su niño 

• Explíquele que el cubo es un juego para rimar 

• Anime a que su niño revise los dibujos y los nombre. 

• Nombre los dibujos con su niño mientras apunta a cada uno de los dibujos. 

• Explique que el cubo se puede lanzar suavemente 

• Cuando el cubo se pare su niño dice el nombre del dibujo que esta en la parte de arriba 

y luego que busque una palabra que rime con la misma. Por ejemplo: si el dibujo 

señala la palabra “niña” su niño puede decir “piña” como la palabra que rima. 

• Tomen turnos lanzando el dado y buscando las palabras que riman. 

Actividades adicionales 

• Déle dos palabras diferentes para que su niño escoja la que rima. Por ejemplo: el adulto 

dice, “Veo que te salió “Gato”. Dime “Gato” rima con “Casa” o “Pato” 

• Si su niño tiene que conseguir la palabra, puede inventar alguna. Lo que importa es el 

sonido no el significado. 

• También puede permitir que su niño busque palabras que suenan igual al comienzo. 

Esto es llamado aliteración. Por ejemplo: perro, pasa, poco. 

• Cambie el juego de rima por aliteración. Cuando lance el cubo, pregúntele a su niño 

que le diga el nombre del dibujo en el cubo y que busque una palabra que comience con 

el mismo sonido. Por ejemplo: Si el dibujo es: “mesa” la respuesta podría ser “ 

mecha, mega, mango, mano” 

Phonological Awareness • Spanish Make and Take Instructions • Rhyming Cube



Phonological Awareness • Make and Take Instructions • Rhyming Cube Pictures

Rhyming Cube Pattern 

1. Cut out cube pattern. 

2. Cut along slits that are labeled "Cut slits here". 

Do not cut along the dotted lines. 

3 

4. 

5 

Glue pictures along the six sides of the cube. 

Fold cube along dotted lines. 

Tape cube in order to secure the ends. 

Cut slit here. 

.t Cut sfit here. 

Cut slit here.



Listen Up! 

Hear Rhyming Sounds and Letter Sounds 

Phonological Awareness- When children 

hear the different sounds in speech, it lays the 

foundation for reading. In addition to using 

language to communicate, children can 

notice that words are made of sounds, 

rhythms, rhymes and syllables. Once your child 

is familiar with the sounds of language, he or 

she will then be able to make the association 

between letters and sounds. 

You can help your preschool child learn to listen to words by having fun with: 

Alliteration - Words that have the same beginning sound. 

• Emphasize the beginning sounds as you say the words so your child will 

notice that the sounds are the same. Say, “Did you hear these sounds 

Both words start with the same sound.” 

Example: 

“Big Boy” or “Helping Hand” 

Rhyming Words - Words that have the same ending sounds. 

• Say nursery rhymes together. After your child knows a rhyme well, pause 

and let your child fill in the word. Talk about the words that rhyme. Try this 

one on a rainy day! 

Example: 

“Rain, rain, go away, 

Come again another day, 

Little Johnny wants to play.” 

• Sing songs to help your child learn words, and hear sounds and rhymes. 

Try this one together and act out the motions. 

Example: “I’m a little teapot, short and stout, 

Here is my handle and here is my spout. 

When I get all steamed up, hear me shout- 

Tip me over and pour me out!” 

Phonological Awareness • Handout 1 • Listen Up! • 1

Syllables - The units of sounds in a word. 

• Notice the parts of the words as you say them. 

• Compare your family names. Say a name slowly and clap when you hear 

each part. For example: ‘Jon/a/than’ has three syllables. Which family 

member’s name is longest or shortest 

Phonological Awareness • Handout 1 • Listen Up! • 2



¡Escucha! 

Escucha los sonidos que riman y los sonidos de las letras 

Discriminación fonológica- Cuando su 

niño escucha los diferentes sonidos en el 

lenguaje esto crea la fundación para la 

lectura. Además de utilizar las palabras para 

comunicarse, su niño empieza a entender 

que las palabras están formadas por un 

grupo de sonidos, ritmos, rimas y sílabas. Una 

vez que su niño se familiarice con los sonidos 

del lenguaje, él o ella serán capaces de 

asociar las letras con sus sonidos. 

Ayude a que su niño en edad preescolar escuche las palabras mientras se 

divierte- 

Sonidos iniciales (Aliteración) – Palabras que suenan igual al comienzo. 

• Trate de usar palabras que comienzan con la misma letra. Enfatice los 

sonidos iniciales para que su niño note que los sonidos son iguales. 

Ejemplo: “Bianca Bella” o “Rosa Risueña” 

Palabras que riman- Palabras que suenan igual al final. 

• Son palabras que suena igual al final. Rimen y canten juntos. Después 

que su niño se aprenda la rima deje que él termine la frase por usted. 

Hable acerca de que las palabras riman. Intente esta rima durante un día 

lluvioso. 

Ejemplo: “Tip, top 

Tip, top 

La lluvia ya empezó. 

Clip, clop 

Clip, clop 

La lluvia ya arreció.” 

• El cantar canciones ayuda a que su niño aprenda las palabras, escuche 

los sonidos y pueda rimar. Intente esto juntos mientras se mueven. 

Ejemplo: “Sana, sana colita de rana. 

Si no sanas hoy, sanarás mañana. 

Sana, sana colita de rana. 

Ten un besito para hoy y mañana.” 

Phonological Awareness • Spanish Handout 1 • Listen Up! • 1

Sílabas- Unidades de sonido en una palabra. 

• Note que tan extensa es cada palabra al dividir la palabra mientras 

aplaude. 

• Compare los nombres de su familia. Diga el nombre de alguien y 

aplauda cada vez que divida la palabra. Por ejemplo: ‘Al/fre/do’ Tiene 

tres sílabas. ¿Qué nombres en la familia son los más largos y los más 

cortos 

Phonological Awareness • Spanish Handout 1 • Listen Up! • 2



“Give Me Five!” A Solution to Resolution 

Help your child learn to problem solve by using a hand for thinking and 

talking rather than acting aggressively. When in need of a resolution, you 

and your child can each hold up a hand and go through the resolution 

process by pointing to each finger and following each step. 

2. Identify the problem. 

3. Brainstorm solutions. 

4. Choose a solution. 

1. Cool down. 

5. Try it out! 

Once the process is complete, and a successful resolution 

has occurred, celebrate with a high five! 

Phonological Awareness • Handout 2 • Give Me Five!



“¡Dame Los Cinco!” 

Solución de cinco dedos para una resolución! 

Ayude a que su niño pueda resolver problemas de una manera sencilla al 

usar los deditos de su mano en vez de pelear. Cuando necesite resolver 

un problema, usted y su niño levantarán la mano y hablarán de cada 

paso a seguir para resolver el problema. 

3. Busca soluciones. 

2. Identifica el problema. 

4. Escoje una solución. 

1. Tranquilízate. 

5. Pon en 

práctica un de 

las soluciones! 

¡Una vez que este proceso termine con resultado existo, 

celebre chocando las manos! 

Phonological Awareness • Spanish Handout 2 • Give Me Five!

Read aloud to your child 

e v e r y d a y . 

It’s the best thing a family can do 

to support success in reading! 









Tips for a Great Read-Aloud Time 

Snuggle up! Put your arm 

a round your child. 

❖ 

Let your child select a book. 

❖ 

Make sure your child can 

see the book. 

❖ 

Read slowly and with expre s s i o n . 

❖ 

Talk about the picture s . 

❖ 

When finished, ask your child “What 

did you like best about this book” 

❖ 

Have fun! 

❖ 

The next day, ask your child to tell you 

about the book you read last night. 




❖ 


❖ 


see the book. 

❖ 


❖ 


❖ 



❖ 

Have fun! 

❖ 


about the book you read last night. 




❖ 


❖ 


see the book. 

❖ 


❖ 


❖ 



❖ 

Have fun! 

❖ 


about the book you read last night.

R e a d i n g 

a n d 

word sounds 

R e a d i n g 

a n d 

word sounds 

R e a d i n g 

a n d 

word sounds 

The first step in hearing word and letter 

sounds is developing listening skills. 

Speak slowly and clearly when you 

read to help your child hear the 

d i ffering sounds. When you read books 

that rhyme, you have the chance to 

help them learn about sounds. 

R h y m i n g : 

• After reading a book that has 

rhyming words, say, “I heard a lot of 

rhyming words when we read that 

book. Let’s go back and find word s 

that rhyme. I see “Jill” and “hill.” They 

end in the same sound. That makes 

them rhyme. What else could 

rhyme with Jill and hill” (mill, till, dill) 

“Those are silly sounds!” 

• If you have read a rhyming word 

book several times to your child, try 

leaving a rhyming word blank for 

your child to fill in, like . . . 

Little Boy Blue, come blow your 

horn, the sheeps in the meadow 

the cow’s in the _____. 

Your child would fill in “corn.” Yo u 

would say, “Horn and corn are 

rhyming words. They end with the 

same sound. They rh y m e . ” 




























same sound. They rh y m e . ” 




























same sound. They rh y m e . ”

Lea en voz alta a su niño(a) 

todos los días. 

¡Este es la mejor actividad que un 

miembro de la familia puede hacer 

para apoyar el éxito en la escuela! 

Consejos para que su lectura 

en voz alta sea exitosa. 

Acurrúquesele, ponga su brazo 

a l rededor de su niño(a). 

❖ 

Deje que su niño(a) seleccione el libro . 

❖ 

Este seguro que su niño(a) puede 

ver cada página del libro . 

❖ 

Lea lentamente y con expre s i o n e s . 

❖ 

Hable acerca de los dibujos. 

❖ 

Cuándo termine, pre g ú n t e l e 

“ ¿Qué fue lo que más te 

gusto de este libro ” 

❖ 

¡ D i v i é r t a n s e ! 

❖ 

Al día siguiente pre g ú n t e l e 

que le cuente acerca de la historia 

que leyeron la noche anterior. 










❖ 


❖ 



❖ 


❖ 


❖ 




❖ 


❖ 



que leyeron la noche anterior. 










❖ 


❖ 



❖ 


❖ 


❖ 




❖ 


❖ 



que leyeron la noche anterior.

La lectura y 

los sonidos 

de las 

p a l a b r a s 

La lectura y 

los sonidos 

de las 


La lectura y 

los sonidos 

de las 


El primer paso para escuchar los 

sonidos de una palabra y de una 

letra es el desarrollo de la habilidad 

de escuchar. Hable lentamente 

y con claridad cuando 

lea para que ayude a que su 

niño distinga los sonidos. Cuando 

usted lee los libros con rimas, 

usted le da la oportunidad a que 

aprenda acerca de los sonidos. 

R i m a n d o : 

• Después de leer un libro que 

tiene palabras que riman, diga, 

“Escuche muchas palabras que 

riman” Vamos a buscarlas. “Yo 

veo “niña” y Piña” Estas terminan 

con el mismo sonido. ¿Eso es lo 

que hacen que rimen. Qué otras 

palabras riman con niña y piña 

(viña, riña, ciña) esas son palabras 

y sonidos muy cómicas” 

• Si usted ha leído un libro de rimas 

muchas veces a su niño, trate de 

que él consiga la palabra que 

rima. Por ejemplo: 

“aserrín, aserrán 

Los maderos de San Juan 

Los de Juan comen ____ 

“Su niño encontrará la palabra 

“pan” Entonces usted dirá, “Sí 

“pan” rima con Juan y aserrán. 

Estas palabras terminan con el 

mismo sonido. Estas riman.” 

































mismo sonido. Estas riman.” 

































mismo sonido. Estas riman.”




Evaluation 

Please circle the response that best represents your thoughts: 

1. I understand that I can help my child by including rhyming and alliterative words 

playfully in our conversation. 

definitely somewhat not sure 

2. I will use the Rhyming Cube in a planned manner to engage in rhyming and alliteration 

word play with my child. 

often some a little 

3. I will use the “Give Me Five” resolution technique to help my child learn to solve 

problems. 

often some a little 

4. One thing I learned in this session that I will remember and use __________________ 

____________________________________________________________________ . 

5. What could make this session better _______________________________________ . 

Phonological Awareness • English Evaluation



Discriminación de los Sonidos 

Evaluación 

Por favor marque la respuesta que mejor refleja sus opiniones. 

1. Yo entiendo que puedo ayudar de una manera divertida al incluir rimas( palabras que 

terminan con el mismo sonido) y aliteraciones (palabras que comienzan con el mismo 

sonido) en nuestra conversación. 

definitivamente más o menos no estoy seguro 

2. Yo planeo utilizar el cubo para buscar palabras que suenan igual al final (rimas) y al 

comienzo (aliteración). 


3. Yo voy a usar la guía “Dame los cinco” para ayudar a mi niño a que resuelva los 

problemas. 


_____________________________________________________________________ 

4. Una cosa que aprendí en esta sesión es:______________________________________ 

5. Que hubiera podido hacer esta sesión mejor: ________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________ 

Phonological Awareness • Spanish Evaluation

Phonological Awareness - The Literacy Connection - Wake County ...

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