MindPlay Teacher Academy

Back to Course Library /

Module Summary

This module focuses on explicit, systematic phonics instruction. You will learn to bridge the gap between spoken phonemes and their written graphemes, a process essential for orthographic mapping and fluent reading.

Key Objectives

Master explicit, systematic methods for introducing sound-spelling correspondences.
Differentiate between phonics, phonemic awareness, and phonological awareness.

Module 4 Checklist

Lesson 1.1 Terminology Pre-test

Score: 85%

1. The Fundamentals of Phonics Instructions

2. Moving from Speech Sounds to Print

3. Orthographic Patterns and Spelling Rules

4. Beginning Orthographic Patterns (In Progress)

5. Long Vowel Spelling Patterns

6. More Advanced Orthographic Patterns

7. Sight Words, Irregular Words, and Infrequent Patterns

Lesson 1.1 Terminology Post-test

Lesson 1.2 Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping Pre-test

1. Introduction to Mapping

2. Applying Mapping in the Classroom

3. Identifying Mapping Difficulties

Lesson 1.2 Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping Post-test

00:00

Welcome to Module 4. In this session, we are going to dive deep into phonemic awareness and how it translates to practical classroom activities.

00:15

When students can isolate, blend, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words, they are demonstrating phonemic awareness. This is the cognitive bridge to decoding print.

00:32

Let's look at an example. If I say the word "cat", a student with strong phonemic awareness can tell me there are three distinct sounds: /k/ /a/ /t/. Notice we are talking about sounds, not letters at this stage.

00:58

A common misconception is confusing phonological awareness with phonemic awareness. Phonological awareness is the broad umbrella, encompassing syllables and rhyming. Phonemes are the specific, smallest units of sound.

01:24

Notice the mouth movement in the demonstration. By using mirrors, students can see the physical production of phonemes, making the invisible visible. This multisensory approach is key for early intervention.

01:50

Now, let's transition to orthographic patterns. Once the sound is mastered, we pair it with the grapheme. This is where the magic of reading begins—the permanent storage of word forms.

Comprehensive Reading Course

30% Complete 3/10 Modules

1: Introduction

2: Phonology

3: Reading and Spelling Development

4: Phonics Fundamentals for Reading and Spelling

5: Advanced Phonics

6: Fluency

7: Grammar

8: Vocabulary

9: Reading Comprehension

10: Conclusion