Early Literacy Skill Spotlight: Phonological Awareness

It's all about sound with this early literacy skill!  Phonological awareness is all about being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds of words.  I think it even goes beyond words and encompasses sound in general including things like animal sounds and sounds like a car horn or doorbell.  Sound is all around us.  With this skill you can have full on dance parties, make up silly songs, and rhyme all of the time!  Play I Spy to find words that rhyme.  Sing songs or nursery rhymes.  Make music a regular part of your day.

Here are some ideas for how to incorporate learning and building this skill into every day activity.

Singing:
Visit your local library and check out some music.  There are so many great children's artists out there.  Songs include children's classics as well as originals, many of which are about every day things that kids can relate to.  Music exposes kids to new words, teaches them sequencing, tells stories, educates, and entertains.  Some of my favorite artists are Laurie Berkner, Eric Litwin, Jim Gill, Hap Palmer, The Learning Station, Greg & Steve, and Sharon, Lois, & Bram.  One CD series to check out is Mother Goose Rocks volumes 1-5.  These are nursery rhymes set to the tunes of pop music and the artists listed for each track are a play on the actual artists.  There is even a DVD that features 20 music videos for these songs.  Check out www.mothergooserocks.com for more info.  I use these songs all the time in my programs.  Not only do they introduce nursery rhymes to kicks, but it does it in a way that adults can appreciate.

Talking:
As you read a book together, clap out the syllables of words.  Break them down and isolate each syllable.

Reading:
There are so many great picture books out there that include rhyming, patterns, repetition, and natural rhythm.  There are also books that are illustrated versions of well known songs.  These are great for building and practicing this skill.  Dr. Seuss is probably one of the most well known children's authors when it comes to books that rhyme.  He is also a great example of rhyming purely for sound and not necessarily rhyming an actual word.  Visit your library and ask your librarian to help point you in the direction of these kinds of books.

Writing:
Write the letters of your child's name and encourage them to copy them.  There are free worksheets that you can find online that have tracing letters, some that you can even customize with your own words or names.  As they are practicing writing the letters, sing them as you write them. 

Playing:
Two words.  Dance party.  Oh man, what a great way to spend time playing with your kids!  My girls love having dance parties with me.  We listen to everything from Laurie Berkner to Lady Gaga!  They are building listening skills, hearing and feeling the rhythm of words, and getting some exercise all at the same time.