Examples of Phoneme Manipulation
Here are some examples of the three different types of phoneme manipulation. Within each type, you can vary the specific phoneme that you’re manipulating.
Phoneme Addition
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Initial phoneme: Starting with the word ice, add /n/ to the beginning to make the word: nice.
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Final phoneme: Starting with the word win, add /d/ to the end to make the word: wind.
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Adding a phoneme to make a consonant blend. Starting with the word fat, add /l/ after the /f/ to make the word flat.
Phoneme Deletion
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Initial phoneme: In the word flake, take away /f/ and you get the word lake.
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Final phoneme: In the word belt, take away /t/ and the word you are left with is bell.
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Deleting the second phoneme from a consonant blend. In the word stick, take away /t/ to leave the word sick.
Phoneme Substitution
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Initial phoneme: In the word rat, change the /r/ to a /b/ and you have the word bat.
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Final phoneme: In the word pin, change the /n/ to a /k/ to make the word pick.
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Medial phoneme: In the word hut, change the /u/ to an /o/ and you have the word hot.
To cater to the individual needs of your students, you can vary the level of difficulty within each of these skill sets
Phoneme manipulation can also evolve from simple to more complex words. Students begin with two- or three-sound words (e.g., VC or CVC words) and gradually move on to words with digraphs, blends, r-controlled vowels, etc.
You might have many students ready to work on phoneme manipulation, but you will probably need to differentiate the types of words you use.
Most children master advanced techniques by the end of grade three.
Why Are Phoneme Manipulation Skills Important?
When children understand phoneme manipulation, they will have advanced phonemic awareness. They’ll be able to pick up on sound patterns and be better equipped to learn how to decode words and phonetically write words.
Phoneme Manipulation and the Science of Reading
As we have already discussed, phoneme manipulation is a crucial skill within phonological awareness and is directly tied to a child’s ability to read and write effectively.
Research indicates that being able to hear, identify, and alter phonemes (the smallest units of sound in speech), is foundational to literacy development.
Here’s what the research says:
The best predictor of reading difficulty in kindergarten or first grade is the inability to segment words and syllables into constituent sound units (phonemic awareness). (Lyon, 1995)
The ability to hear and manipulate phonemes plays a causal role in the acquisition of beginning reading skills. (Smith, Simmons, & Kame’enui, 1998)
The effects of training phonological awareness and learning to read are mutually supportive. “Reading and phonemic awareness are mutually reinforcing: Phonemic awareness is necessary for reading, and reading, in turn, improves phonemic awareness still further.” (Shaywitz, 2003)
Research Insights
There’s comprehensive research suggesting phoneme manipulation is a pre-requisite to blending and segmenting and also a predictor of word-level reading proficiency.
However, there is some evidence to suggest that deletion and manipulation of phonemes are skills that develop as a result of learning to read and so can be seen as mutually advantageous to reading skills rather than prerequisites.
Some children find deletion and manipulation of sounds easier when they use manipulatives like letter tiles. This supports the research showing that phonemic awareness training is most effective when combined with phonics.
There’s no doubt focusing on exercises that reinforce phoneme manipulation strengthens the foundation for proficient reading. Ongoing practice and gradual increases in difficulty will yield the best literacy outcomes for your students.
How to Teach Phoneme Manipulation
When I teach phoneme manipulation, I follow the gradual release model.