Standard 2: Reading Foundations

Students will develop foundational skills for future reading success by working with sounds, letters, and text.

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize, think about, and manipulate sounds in spoken language without using text. 

1.2.PA.6 Students will add, delete, and substitute phonemes in spoken words (e.g., “add /g/ to the beginning of low to say ‘glow;’ “remove the /idge/ from ‘bridge,’ to say ‘br;’ “change the /ar/ in ‘charm’ to /u/ to say ‘chum’). 

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will manipulate sounds in one syllable spoken words:

• Add sounds (/c/ + lip = clip)

• Remove sounds (grip - /g/ = rip)

• Change sounds:

• Change the /d/ in dip to /ch/ to make “chip”

• Change the /n/ in pen to /t/ to make “pet”

• Change the /a/ in cap to /o/ to make “cop”

• Teachers model adding, removing, and changing sounds in words orally or by using manipulatives, Elkonin boxes, or motions.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to practice adding, removing, and changing sounds in words orally or by using manipulatives, Elkonin boxes, or motions in whole group and small groups.

• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback when manipulating sounds in words.

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights 

Phoneme Manipulation Information and Activities(webpage)

Phoneme Substitution (video)

FCRR: Phoneme Manipulation Activities (PDF)

Phoneme Manipulation Activities (webpage) 

• Phoneme manipulation skills typically involve addition, deletion, substitution, or reversal of sounds within a word.

• Phoneme manipulation requires the child to hold the word and directions in memory, make the directed changes, then say the new word.

• This skill requires greater memory, focus, and word structure knowledge.  

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.