Phonemic Awareness, Phonics and Decoding

Where to start

Begin with the notes on word recognition strategies for an overview of onset-rime awareness, phonemic awareness and phonics. They describe using patterns in known words to identify unfamiliar words, as well as blending and segmenting phonemes. The notes also cover initial and final consonant clusters, digraphs, and short and long vowels.

Next, explore the mind map Strategy Instruction. It considers what a reader can do when a word is difficult, including looking for a familiar, pronounceable part and comparing an unknown word with a known one.

Compare phonics approaches

The Synthetic Phonics mind map describes identifying sounds, blending them and saying the word. It also covers linking sounds to written letters. The Analytic phonics map starts with whole words and looks at breaking them into syllables and detecting spelling patterns.

These maps offer different starting points for studying phonics instruction. You can compare what each says about words, sounds and written letters, then return to the word recognition notes to see how the approaches sit alongside other strategies.

Use quizzes with the maps

Word Study Term Quiz asks about identifying phonemic awareness and determining whether a child has begun to develop it. Try it after reading the notes, then use the maps to look again at the concepts behind the questions.

Another listed quiz presents a scenario about an emergent reader who reverses letters and numbers in writing. The flashcard deck includes letter combinations such as consonant clusters and digraphs, giving you another format to use alongside the notes.

Explore the unit

Phonemic Awareness, Phonics and Decoding is one section of the Teaching Reading unit in Education and pedagogy (incl. teaching methods, curriculum, educational psychology). Its resources offer a way to study reading instruction through strategies, approaches and classroom questions. Choose a mind map and use it alongside a quiz.