"Translating cutting-edge research into practical recommendations for assessment and instruction, this book has helped thousands of readers understand the key role of phonological awareness in the development of reading, writing, and spelling. It clearly shows how children's knowledge about the sound structure of spoken language contributes to literacy acquisition. Evidence-based strategies are described for enhancing all learners' phonological awareness and effectively supporting those who are struggling (ages 3-17). The book discusses ways to tailor instruction and intervention for a broad range of students, including English language learners (ELLs) and those with reading or language disorders. Subject Areas/Key Words: phonological awareness, phonological skills, phonemic awareness, phonemes, phonology, phonics, spoken language impairments, oral language, written language, reading development, early literacy development, oracy, speaking, teaching, assessments, interventions, instructional approaches, speech-language pathologists, speech-language pathology, special education, struggling learners, speech problems, speech disorders, learning disabilities, learning disorders, specific language impairments, dyslexia, reading disorders, spelling development, English language learners, at-risk students, speech-language therapists, early childhood education, preschoolers; English as a second language; second-language acquisition; learning multiple languages; metalinguistics; sounds Audience: Reading specialists, teachers, and special educators working with children ages 3-17 (PreK-12); speech-language pathologists; school psychologists"--

This unique resource provides a comprehensive review of current knowledge about phonological awareness, together with practical guidance for helping preschoolers to adolescents acquire needed skills. Up-to-date findings are synthesized on the development of phonological awareness; its role in literacy learning; and how it can be enhanced in students at risk for reading difficulties and those with reading disorders or speech or language impairments. Of particular value to general and special educators and speech-language professionals, the book's clear recommendations for assessment and intervention show how to translate the research into day-to-day teaching and clinical practice.

Purposeful Play for Early Childhood Phonological Awareness provides 70 activities designed to help students detect and manipulate the sounds of language. Whether through singing songs, engaging in role-playing games, or tossing balls of yarn, every activity provides fun ways for children to interact with language and one another while offering explicit support for developing phonological awareness. Use fun, engaging activities, grouped according to phonological skills, that build sequentially and reinforce previously learned skills while introducing new skills. Address how to isolate sounds in words so young children can hear and recognize individual words, syllables, initial sounds, rhymes, and phonemes. Pronunciation guides give explicit instruction so that all sounds are correctly articulated.

Do you find yourself asking: How am I supposed to put assessment, differentiated instruction, and multi-tiered instruction into practice? In this book author Yvette Zgonc gives you a wealth of phonological awareness activities directly tied into the three-tiered model of RTI. At your fingertips you'll find activities for use with the whole class, for small groups not making adequate progress, and for individual students who need the most intensive and explicit instruction. Informed by research on how the brain learns best, these songs, poems, games, and activities will keep students engaged, involved, and having fun because that's when learning is sustained. So whether they're pretending to be superheroes, surgical assistants, baseball pitchers, or just lowly worms, get ready to see your students actually enjoy strengthening their phonological awareness skills. This jam-packed collection will help you to: Engage students with easy-to-do activities that take little or no prep-time; Tailor your instruction to students' individual needs; Assess students' phonological awareness skills (with tests in English & Spanish); Monitor & track student progress, and Integrate works of children's literature into skills-based activities. Whether or not you are following the three-tiered RTI model, this volume will help you to effectively teach and keep track of your students. And that brings you one step closer to the ultimate goal--success for all children.

Experts are raving about this "must-have" resource for primary teachers that includes dozens of fun activities to help children listen to language and play with sounds. Activity cards can be cut out and laminated to create a handy reference file of fun ideas. A wide selection of reproducibles (picture cards, word cards, and manipulatives) is included.