Research-Based Shifts to Strengthen Phonemic Awareness with Marianne Rice

Episode 253

In this episode, we talk with Marianne Rice about key findings from a Tennessee report examining how well early literacy materials align with research on phonemic awareness and early reading instruction. Marianne walks us through five essential practices that can help teachers make the most of their instructional time: 

• focusing on phoneme-level work
• using articulatory gestures
• connecting phonemic awareness to print
• being mindful of instructional time
• prioritizing blending and segmenting.

Throughout the conversation, Marianne shares practical ways teachers can evaluate and adjust their current curriculum without starting from scratch. 

The big takeaway: small instructional shifts, especially connecting sounds to print and focusing on blending and segmenting, can have a big impact on helping students become strong readers and spellers.

Resources

•  Kindergarten and First-Grade HQIM Alignment with Research on Code-Focused Instruction: Tennessee Early Literacy Report (referenced in the episode)
• 5 Focus Areas for Phonemic Awareness (printable)
• 44 Phonemes (video): Learn how to pronounce the 44 phonemes in the English alphabet (from Rollins Center for Language and Literacy)
• Word Chains for Decoding and Encoding Practice: An overview on how to make and use word chains to teach decoding and encoding (from UFLI) 
• What Works Clearinghouse Guide: Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
• Phonemic Awareness: A Meta-Analysis for Planning(need ILA access)  
  
  

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