The ABCs Aren’t Enough: Let’s Talk Sounds, Stories, and Skills That Stick
Quick Recap of Part 1: The Brainy Side of Reading
We’ve already established one big truth: reading isn’t intuitive. Unlike walking or talking, the brain isn’t pre-wired to make sense of those funky symbols we call letters. Instead, learning to read requires intentional teaching—and it all starts with building a strong foundation.
In Part 1, we talked about how reading is like building a house: you need a solid base made of phonemic awareness (hearing and playing with sounds), vocabulary growth, and print concepts (understanding how books work). Your job isn’t to teach it all overnight but to weave these moments of literacy seamlessly into your daily routine. (I can show you how.)
Why Phonemic Awareness Is the Real MVP
What Is Phonemic Awareness, Anyway?
Phonemic awareness is a the term for a simple (but critical!) skill: the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds in words. Think of it like tuning your child’s brain to recognize the beats and rhythms of language. Without this, learning to read is like trying to ride a bike with flat tires.
Why does it matter so much?Because it’s the stepping stone to phonics, decoding, and everything else that makes reading possible. Without phonemic awareness, letters are just shapes on a page, and words are a jumbled mess of sounds.
Embrace the Magic of Sounds
Have you noticed how kids light up when playing with sounds and words?
They love making up silly rhymes, listening to rhyming stories, or identifying a siren or dog barking while playing. These everyday activities are boosting their phonemic awareness—helping them recognize and manipulate sounds in everyday life.
What if you turned everyday moments into playful sound adventures?
Try making up silly rhymes during breakfast or playing a game of "guess that sound" while waiting in line. By doing this, you're secretly boosting their phonemic awareness—helping them recognize and manipulate sounds in everyday life.
Why does it matter so much?
Because it’s the stepping stone to phonics, decoding, and everything else that makes reading possible. Without phonemic awareness, letters are just shapes on a page, and words are a jumbled mess of sounds.
Does Singing the ABCs Count? (Spoiler: No)
Here’s where a lot of parents (understandably!) get tripped up. You might think, My kid knows the alphabet, so we’re halfway there!
Well, sort of. Knowing the ABCs is great, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Recognizing letter names is NOT the same as knowing the sounds they make.
For example:
Your child might know the letter “C” by sight but not connect it to the /k/ sound in cat.
Or, they might struggle to blend those sounds together into a word.
That’s where phonemic awareness comes in—it helps bridge the gap between letters and language.
How Can You Teach Phonemic Awareness (Without Feeling Like a Drill Sergeant) ?
The good news? You’re already doing it—probably without even realizing it!
We “play” with sounds in our everyday conversations and interactions - when we
baby talk, read books, recite nursery rhymes, animal sounds, or use silly voices. We imitate animal sounds - these all contribute to listening skills and phonemic awareness.
What’s Next? Vocabulary and Storytime Adventures!
Phonemic awareness is just one piece of the puzzle. In Part 3, we’ll dive into how to grow your child’s vocabulary (hint: it’s easier than you think) and use stories to unlock their imagination and comprehension skills.
Your Homework: Play With Sounds
This week, pick a sound-based activity above and try it with your little one. Making up rhymes, sing some nursery songs, and definitely read. You’ll be giving your child a priceless gift: the foundation for reading success.
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