Phonological Awareness Group Phonological Awareness Group Alisha Ball Speech Language Pathologist Niagara Literacy Conference 2009
The Target Areas for Early Literacy Development Vocabulary Print Knowledge Phonological Awareness
WHO is the Target Population? Pre-school and early school age (JK) [3.5 years +] Have Poor Phonological Awareness skills Qualify for speech/language services
What do we tell the Parents? What Phonological Awareness (PA) is Link between early PA / literacy development & school success What they can do at home Orientation to age appropriate PA skills
What PA skills are age appropriate? 3.5 years + Rhyme identification / oddity Syllable segmentation/ blending Phoneme identification (in isolation / word initial) Letter-Sound correspondence Gillon,G. (2006) Phonological awareness Intervention: A preventative framework for preschool children with specific speech and language impairments.
How are skills presented? Alliteration (random words) Phoneme Discrimination (minimal pairs) Phoneme Discrimination (isolation) Syllable Blending Syllable Segmentation Rhyme Identification Letter-Sound Correspondence Beginning Sessions Later Sessions
What phoneme targets are selected? Common Phonological Error Patterns Target Sound Minimal pairsPhonological Process Theme s/s-t/ stopping snake f/f-b/ Substitution fish k/k-t/ fronting cow
Session Outline: Theme Based Session Outline: Show & Tell (2 - 5 min.) Story Time (10 min.) Circle Time (15 min.) Table Time – craft (10 min.) Game Time (5 min.) Parent Education ( min.)
It’s Not Just Building Phonological Awareness ! It’s Building: Vocabulary Question Comprehension / Responding Story Prediction Conversational Turn Taking Listening / Attention Literacy Engagement !
What materials are used? What materials are used? Books Games Random Objects (rhyme & alliteration) Letter Cards Picture Cards (rhyme, 1-3 syllable words, minimal pairs) (Caroline Bowen)
Who does What? Parents Read, Read, Read! Sing songs Play with words & rhyme Environmental print exposure Us Story books (“book geography”) Highlight rhyme Play with segmentation and blending Make print meaningful – Talk about letters (target sounds) – Kids print / identify their name – Draw attention to print on therapy materials
Assessment Tools Assessment Tools ASAP: Assessment of Sound Awareness and Production [Ages 3 and up] PALS: Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening [Pre-K & K] TOPEL: Test of Preschool Early Literacy [Ages 3-5] The Phonological Awareness Test 2 [Ages ]