Reading & Literacy Video

How Everyday Objects Can Strengthen Phonemic Awareness

By Lauren Santucci — March 27, 2025 2:17
Students at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School use mirrors to see themselves sounding out words for phonemic awareness during literary instruction in Concern, N.C., on March 19, 2025.

Phonemic awareness—being able to recognize and manipulate the sounds in English—is a critical early literacy skill. But you don’t need fancy, pricey commercial materials to help kids master it, says Liz Schriver, an assistant principal in Concord, N.C., who utilized phonemic awareness kits during her time as a teacher.

In this video, she shares how everyday items can be used to create the kits and support students learning how to recognize distinct sounds and move their mouths to emulate them.

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Lauren Santucci is a video producer for Education Week.

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