The Best Way to Teach Phonological Awareness in Kindergarten (And That Time I Was Drilled by a Curriculum Expert)

A 30 year veteran teacher's experience

I’ll never forget the day when an ELA curriculum officer zeroed in on me with some serious attitude. She kept drilling me with questions, and it all started when she asked, “Do you know what phonological awareness is?”

I explained how I use clapping to break words or clap out syllables in words, which really helps my kindergarteners grasp the concept of sound units. But instead of listening, she just kept drilling me with more questions, as if she thought I didn’t have a clue. She wouldn’t let up, even though I was confident in my methods. The more I explained, the more she pushed, making me doubt myself for a moment. I thought maybe I was getting it wrong.

But deep down, I knew what I was talking about. Phonological awareness is an umbrella term that covers everything from rhyming and syllables to individual sounds (phonemes). My teaching method was based on research and practice in the classroom, yet she acted like I had no idea what I was doing. 

That experience left me feeling really small. Not only did I start to question my own knowledge, but I also began to think: “If this is what being a literacy coach is like—belittling teachers and tearing them down—then maybe I wouldn’t make a great one.” I always believed that my job, whether as a teacher or a potential coach, is to help others grow and support them in the best way I can. This experience felt like the opposite. I didn’t want to be the kind of person who makes others feel small.

However, that uncomfortable encounter is actually what inspired me to write this post. It made me reflect on what phonological awareness truly is and how I teach it effectively in my classroom. Here’s what I’ve learned—both from research and my own experiences in the classroom.

What is Phonological Awareness?

Phonological awareness is a broad term that includes the ability to hear, recognize, and manipulate sounds in spoken language. It covers skills like recognizing rhymes, breaking words into syllables, and, at its most advanced stage, being able to isolate individual sounds in words, or phonemes.

Looking back, I knew that my description was spot on. Research shows that phonological awareness is a critical stepping stone to reading success. Children who develop these skills in kindergarten are better prepared to read and spell down the road .

Why Phonological Awareness Matters

It’s easy to overlook just how important phonological awareness is because it’s all about sounds—things you don’t see on a page. But without it, kids can’t connect spoken language to written words, which is the foundation for reading and spelling.

According to the National Reading Panel, phonological awareness significantly improves children's ability to learn to read, especially when combined with phonics instruction .

How I Now Teach Phonological Awareness

1. Start with the Big Sounds First

In my classroom, I always start with larger, more noticeable sounds, like words, syllables, and rhymes, before moving on to individual sounds (phonemes).Word Awareness: I use simple activities like clapping for each word in a sentence.
Syllable Segmentation: We clap out syllables in words, which is always a fun and engaging activity.
Rhyme Time: We play games where the students have to come up with words that rhyme.

This approach aligns with research, which suggests that starting with larger sound units helps children become comfortable with sound manipulation before tackling the more advanced phoneme level .

2. Work on Phoneme Blending and Segmenting

Once my students are comfortable with the bigger sounds, I introduce blending and segmenting phonemes, which are the individual sounds in words. This is when the magic happens. 

Blending: I say individual sounds like /s/ /u/ /n/, and the students blend them into “sun.”
Segmenting: I say a word, and they break it down into its individual sounds.

Blending and segmenting are two of the strongest predictors of reading success, and research backs this up .

3. Bring in Visual Supports and Hands-On Tools

Young children learn best with visuals and hands-on activities. I use tools like:

Elkonin Boxes: These allow students to push counters into boxes for each sound in a word. It’s a great way to visually represent what they’re hearing.
Sound Walls: In my classroom, I display sound walls showing how to make each sound, which helps students understand both the sounds and how they’re formed.

This multisensory approach is effective for all types of learners and helps reinforce phonological awareness .

4. Make It Fun with Games and Songs

Teaching phonological awareness can be serious business, but I make it fun by incorporating games and songs. 

Rhyming Songs: Singing songs like “The Name Game” makes rhyme practice fun.
Sound Bingo: I call out sounds or rhyming words, and they match them on their Bingo cards.

Research supports using playful methods for teaching phonological awareness because children are more likely to remember what they learn through engaging activities .

5. Daily Practice in Small Groups

I make sure to give my students short, daily practice sessions. Small groups or one-on-one practice really help focus on individual needs.

The National Early Literacy Panel recommends systematic, explicit teaching with frequent opportunities for practice. I’ve seen firsthand how small-group instruction makes a huge difference .

6. Link Phonological Awareness to Phonics

One of the biggest lessons I took away from that encounter with the curriculum officer is the importance of connecting phonological awareness to phonics. After students master sound manipulation, they need to connect those sounds to written letters. 

Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping: I help students map the sounds they hear to the letters that represent them.
Sound Sorting: We sort pictures by the sounds in their names, and then connect them to their written form.

Research supports this combination of phonological awareness and phonics instruction as essential for developing strong readers .

Moving Forward with Confidence

Curriculum experts often swoop down on kindergarten (first year infant) teachers, fueled by the perception that we're in this role because we lack the skills or education to teach higher levels. This assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. I hold a master’s degree in literacy, and I know that teaching young children requires specialized knowledge and a deep understanding of early literacy development. It’s time to challenge and change the outdated view that kindergarten teachers are less capable. We're laying the foundation for all future learning, and that takes expertise.

That day with the ELA officer was tough—it made me question myself and whether I’d be good in a literacy coach role if that meant tearing others down. But it also taught me a valuable lesson. Being a coach, a teacher, or any kind of leader isn’t about belittling others. It’s about lifting them up, helping them grow, and giving them the tools they need to succeed. Now, I feel confident knowing that I’m teaching phonological awareness in a way that not only works but also supports my students in the best way possible.

Sources:

1. National Reading Panel (2000). Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment.
2. Gillon, G.T. (2004). Phonological Awareness: From Research to Practice.
3. National Institute for Literacy (2008). Developing Early Literacy: Report of the National Early Literacy Panel.
4. Snow, C.E., Burns, M.S., & Griffin, P. (1998). Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children.
5. Ehri, L.C., Nunes, S.R., Stahl, S.A., & Willows, D.M. (2001). Systematic Phonics Instruction Helps Children Learn to Read: Evidence from the National Reading Panel’s Meta-Analysis.
6. Torgesen, J. K. (2002). The Prevention of Reading Difficulties.
7. Lonigan, C.J., Schatschneider, C., & Westberg, L. (2008). Impact of Early Literacy Interventions.
8. Adams, M. (1990). Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print.
9. Stanovich, K.E. (1986). Matthew Effects in Reading: Some Consequences of Individual Differences in the Acquisition of Literacy.