In this blog post, we’re diving into the Phonemic Awareness Continuum, a key concept in teaching reading. Understanding this continuum is essential for systematic instruction in foundational skills and is a topic assessed on teacher certification exams, including Praxis Teaching Reading 5205, the Foundations of Reading Test, and the Science of Teaching Reading.
The Phonemic Awareness Continuum
Students acquire reading skills on a continuum, moving from simple to complex skills. While learning is not always strictly linear, systematic instruction generally follows this progression:
1. Phoneme Isolation (Easiest Skill)
Students identify individual sounds in words. Example: In bat, the first sound is /b/, the last sound is /t/, and the middle sound is /a/.
2. Blending
Students combine individual sounds to form words. Example: /b/ + /a/ + /t/ = bat.
3. Segmenting
Students break words into individual phonemes. Example: bat → /b/ /a/ /t/.
4. Phoneme Addition
Students add a sound to a word. Example: Adding /s/ to top makes stop.
5. Phoneme Deletion
Students remove a sound from a word. Example: Removing /b/ from bat leaves at.
6. Phoneme Substitution (Most Complex Skill)
Students replace one phoneme with another. Example: Changing /b/ in bat to /s/ makes sat.
Phoneme Manipulation (Higher-Level Skills)
The last three skills—addition, deletion, and substitution—are considered phoneme manipulation and require advanced phonemic awareness.
Why This Matters for Teaching and Your Exam
Recognizing where each skill falls on the continuum helps educators provide targeted instruction. On your certification exams, you may be asked to:
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Distinguish between low- and high-level phonemic awareness skills.
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Identify phonemic awareness vs. phonics (phonemic awareness is oral, while phonics involves written words).
Sample Exam Question Breakdown
Question: When students listen to the word "can" and add a /t/ sound at the end, they demonstrate a:
A. Beginning level of phonemic awareness
B. Beginning level of phonics
C. Relatively high level of phonemic awareness
D. Relatively high level of phonics
Answer: Since the skill involves adding a sound, it falls under phoneme addition, which is a relatively high-level phonemic awareness skill. Correct answer: C.
Get the Best Study Materials
To master these concepts, check out our new Foundations of Reading Test prep. We also offer resources for Praxis 5205/5206 and other reading exams.
