Phonology Moats Ch. 3

Phonetics vs. Phonology  Remember, phonetics is the ability to pronounce individual speech sounds  Phonology is the awareness of the sound patterns and rules by which sounds are combined and spoken  Think about when words “sound foreign.” We have specific sequences and combinations of sounds that make up English words.

Syllables  The phonemes in a word are organized into coarticulated units that always have a vowel sound.  A word always has at least 1 syllable because it always has at least 1 vowel sound.  The number of syllables in a word is equal to the number of vowels in the word.  Closed syllables = lax/short vowels  Open syllables = tense/long vowels

Simple Syllables  Simple Syllables have a vowel that may be preceded and/or followed by a single consonant. StructureExample VI CVme VCeice

Complex Syllables  Complex Syllables have two or more consonants in a cluster before or after a vowel. StructureExample VCCask CCVski CCVCskin CVCCcans CCVCCstops CCCVCscream CCCVCCsqueaks CCVCCCstarts CCCVCCCscrimped

Fun Facts!  Each separate vowel in a syllable is the peak.  When 2 vowel sounds are adjacent (idiot, poetry, idea) there is a syllable break between them (id-i-ot, po-et-ry, i-de-a).  Consonants tend to cluster at the beginning of a stressed syllable rather than at the end of an unstressed syllable (a- str in-gent).  Some consonant sequences can only be adjacent across a syllable break (o n-l y; pum p-k in)

Onsets & Rimes  The internal structure of a syllable consists of onsets and rimes.  Onset: what (if anything) comes before the vowel.  Rime: the vowel and what comes after it.  Words such as egg and itch do not have an onset.  The consonants that follow the peak (vowel in the syllable) are referred to as the coda.

Instructional Implications  So…How do we teach syllables?  Remember, we are talking about the sounds not the letters. Keeping that in mind, how does identifying syllable breaks in spoken words aid in decoding the words in print?

Let’s Analyze Words!  Window = win (cvc)/ dow (cvc)  Onset= w Rime= in/ Onset=d Rime= ow  Porcupine = por(cvc)/ cu(cv)/ pine(cvce)  Onset= p Rime= or/ Onset= c Rime= u/ Onset= p Rime= ine  Elevator =el(vc)/e(schwa)/ va(cv)/tor(cvc)  Rime= el/ Rime= e/ Onset= v Rime= a/ Onset= t Rime= or

Toward Instruction (The fun part!)  Phonological Tasks (Easiest to most difficult)  Blending syllables (Put this word together: bas-ket-ball)  Segmenting syllables (Say the syllables in Hillary)  Rhyme detection (Which words rhyme? ship, that, lip)  Alliteration categorization (Find all the objects that start with /p/; picture sorting)  Blending onset/rime (Put this word together: th-ink)  Alliteration detection Which picture starts with the same sound as pizza?)  Rhyme production (Tell me word that rhymes with top)  Blending phonemes (Put this word together: ch-i-p)  Segmenting onset/rime (Break sat into 2 parts)  Segmenting phonemes (Elkonin boxes)

SCHWA!!!  Fun fact: the schwa is the most commonly spoken vowel in English  The schwa sound occurs when it is not contained in the stressed syllable (we innately know which syllable is stressed in English words: Pho tograph; Pho to graphy  A, I, and O are most often used for the schwa sound ( a bout, def i nition, wag o n)

More Practice  Identify the schwas in the words below.  Are there other forms of these words in which the vowels have a distinct sound?  Example: orthography/orthographic imitateapplicationcomplexity blossomnarrativeexpository aboutcompetentargumentative

Instructional Activities  SEE PAGES FOR PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS AS WELL AS A LOT OF GREAT ACTIVITIES

Phonological Awareness Spelling  Let’s look at the spelling piece again…  Good phoneme awareness/lack of conventional spelling knowledge:  Letter Name  DA= dayKAM= cameFEL= feel  Short Vowel Substitution (articulation)  BAD= bedFES= fishGIT= get  Nasal consonants omitted after vowels (consonant is lost)  JUP= jumpAD= andED= end  Syllabic consonants  LIDL= littleBIGR= biggerOPN= open

Spelling Continued…  Inflections  WAKT= walkedDAWGZ= dogsLITID= lighted  Vowel confusion  SOWN= soonGOWT= goatBOE= boy  Affrication (remember affricates are /ch/ and /j/; they are stops followed by a quick release of air)  CHRA= trayJRAGN= dragon  Flaps (tongue position produces /d/)  LADR= letterWODR= water  Substitute letter names for phonemes  YOH= watchYL= willHRH= church

LAST ONE!  Underdeveloped Phonemic Awareness  Consonant omissions  MIKE= milk  Consonant confusion (articulation)  INEMS= items  Schwa omission  CIMMON= cinnamon  Inflection confusion/omission/substitution  FRIGHTINGLY= frightenedWASHT= washed  Omission, confusion or mis-sequencing of nasals and liquids  CLOREL= color MD= bed  Vowel substitutions (far from correct articulation)  DRONCK= drink

So…  How can spelling give us insight into children’s phonemic awareness?