CORE UNDERSTANDING 9: Children develop phonemic awareness and knowledge of phonics through a variety of litearcy opportunities.

Debate over early literacy development centers on

1. the place of phonemic awareness
2. the place of phonics

Some research shows PA as an important factor in reading, while other research suggests PA and phonics are necessary but not sufficient for readers.

Policy decisions that influence education waiver with the definition of reading. Is it a process of decoding? or of making meaning? Those who think reading is making meaning feel that too much focus on the parts takes away attention needed for the whole. Those who see reading as decoding point to high performance on standardized tests (KB, 79).

A balance is needed.

Instruction in PA
Explicit instruction may be necessary for some students, but these are general, research based, instructional strategies:

1. Language play: games for rhyming and thinking about structure of words.
   
2. Sociodramatic play: thematic activities to expand integration and extend understanding of language and stories.
3. Reading aloud: models what language sounds like and how one reads.
   
4. Opportunities to help children notice and use letters and words: alphabets, word walls, visual aspects of print.
5. Invented spelling: trying out spelling of words using phonemic awarenss and phonic knolwedge.
6. Dictated Text: reading dictated text helps connect sound to grapheme.
7. Reading for meaning
   
8. Rich text experience

Phonics Instruction--incorporate with reading for meaning!