As we continue to grow in our knowledge of the importance of Science of Reading in Upper elementary, let’s talk about something that might be flying under the radar but is oh-so-important: phonemic awareness. That might sound like we’re going to far back to the basics, playing with sounds is still a big deal for our older students. One thing to note before we even dive in, is that phonemic awareness in isolation is a thing of the past. The great thing about the Science of Reading is that it is an ever-evolving body of research, where as we know better, we do better. Phonemic awareness must be tied to phonics, and all of the ideas I will give you for implementation will do just that!

The Big Five

First things first, let’s do a quick recap of the National Reading Panel’s Fantastic Five – the elements of literacy that make the reading world go ’round. We’ve got phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Each of these elements is like a piece of the literacy puzzle, and if we want our upper elementary kids to be literacy rockstars, we’ve got to teach them all.

Phonemic Awareness: Not Just for the Little Ones

Now, you might be thinking, “Wait a minute, isn’t phonemic awareness for the itty-bitty ones?” Well, yes, it does kickstart in the early years, but guess what? It’s like the gift that keeps on giving. Even in upper elementary, phonemic awareness is one of the largest predictors of literacy success. 

The Difference in Upper Elementary:

One important note that must be discussed, research does not support a large amount of time being spent on phonemic awareness in a whole group setting in grades 3 and up. What does this mean? It means that phonemic awareness won’t be a large chunk of your whole group literacy block, and on many days, won’t be a piece of it at all. But this doesn’t means that phonemic awareness won’t happen. It is crucial that it is a part of targeted small group instruction for your striving readers. Also, even though the research doesn’t support a large chunk of whole group phonemic awareness, warming up a vocabulary or phonics lesson with it for 3-5 minutes can be helpful. From personal classroom experience using phonemic awareness warm ups for over 8 years in a 4th grade classroom, this type of word study is very beneficial to students and results in literacy growth. 

Why Phonemic Awareness Matters in the Upper Grades:

Research from the National Reading Panel tells us that phonemic awareness in upper elementary is the parallel partner to phonics. It helps our students decode those trickier words, especially multi-syllabic words, as our students continue reading more advanced material. When they can play around with sounds in words, it’s like having a manual for tackling even the most challenging texts.