Beyond Labels and Agendas: Research Teachers need to Know about Phonics and Phonological Awareness

This article describes the current findings on phonicsReading instruction that focuses on the alphabetic principle — the systematic, predictable relationship between spoken sounds (phonemes) and written letters (graphemes) — to allow readers to identify or “decode” words. and phonological awarenessA group of skills related to the ability to recognize the parts of spoken words. instruction. It uses a question & answer format to explore 10 common questions that teachers ask about teaching phonics and phonemic awarenessThe ability to notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds in spoken words. . Here are a few key questions addressed in the article: What are phonics and phonemic awareness? Should phonemic awareness be paired with print and taught together? Should phonological awareness be coordinated with phonics instruction? What is the best sequence for teaching phonics?