Reading is one of the complex tasks accomplished by students. The question is “How does one get started?”

 

One significant point of learning to read is understand how written language correspond. The English writing system is based on the alphabetic principle that written words are made of letters that have approximate matches with the sounds heard in the words we speak. Therefore, to understand the alphabetic principle, one must recognize the spoken words consist of a sequence of sounds and this is called “Phonemic Awareness”.

 

Phonemic awareness is recognizing sounds within words. It is an understanding that speech is composed of individual sounds called phonemes. Phoneme is the smallest unit of speech that carries a definite meaning when put together.

 

The phonemic awareness task requires children to analyze, manipulate the units of speech rather that focus on meaning.

 

Phonemic awareness could be taught as early a kindergarten and into Grade 1 to continue in Grade 2 and Grade 3 and with those children who remain weak in reading.

By: Maureen B. Alfaro | Teacher I | Dinalupihan Elementary School | Dinalupihan, Bataan