READING TIPS AND NOTES / EXPERT ADVICE

One of the most important concepts to emerge from reading research over the last 10 years is “phonemic awareness.” Many parents and educators have heard about it, but few have a good understanding of what it is and why it matters.

It matters because children who have phonemic awareness are more likely to become good readers.

Phonemic awareness means understanding that speech is made up of individual sounds--phonemes--arranged in a particular sequence. When we pronounce and fluidly blend together the phonemes making up a word, we say a meaningful word. For example, when articulated smoothly and in the proper sequence, the phonemes /k/ - /a/ - /t/ form the word “cat.” Going from individual phonemes to an intelligible word is called phonemic blending.

But readers can go in the opposite direction: Begin with “cat,” then break into its individual phonemes /k/ - /a/ - /t/. Now you have gone from a meaningful word to individual phonemes, which themselves have no intrinsic meaning.

Notice two important points about phonemic awareness.

First, it does not involve print. Phonemic awareness is not phonics. Phonics refers to the sounds that letters represent and how these sounds and letters combine to form words. Phonemic awareness is strictly oral: knowing how to manipulate the sounds in spoken words.

Second, phonemic awareness requires focusing on the sounds of speech, not the meaning. This is surprisingly difficult, because people tend to focus on meaning. Developing phonemic awareness requires attention to meaningless sounds making up spoken words. We are naturally drawn to the meaning of the word “cat” and not to the sounds that make it up. Ask a young child what sounds she hears in “cat,” and she might look at you puzzled. Or she might say “meow.”

Children who have developed phonemic awareness have an easier time learning to read, write and spell than children who have not. Reading requires, among other things, mastering the “alphabetic principle”-- the idea that particular letters stand for particular sounds. Without adequate sensitivity to the sounds making up words, the connection between sounds and letters is usually difficult to make.

Phonemic awareness is no cure-all for our reading ailments. But it does play a role that parents and teachers should understand.

BOOK EVENTS

Monday-Saturday, Glendale: Glendale Public Library, 222 E. Harvard St., will have its Library Grandparents read stories for all ages, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. (818) 548-2030.

Wednesday, Glendale: Glendale Public Library, 222 E. Harvard St., offers Wednesday Wizards, featuring stories and crafts for ages 6 and older, at 3:30 p.m. This week: Native American tales from the Northwest. (818) 548-2030.

Wednesday, Reseda: West Valley Regional Branch, 19036 Vanowen St., Reseda, will present Latin American storyteller Suni Paz at 3 p.m. (818) 345-4393.

Thursday, Reseda: West Valley Regional Branch, 19036 Vanowen St., Reseda, will have a story time and craft for ages 5 and older, at 2 p.m. This week: Imagining the Future. (818) 345-4393.

Friday, Northridge: Franklin the Turtle visits Pajamarama story time at Borders Books & Music, 9301 Tampa Ave., Northridge, at 7 p.m. Paulette Bourgeois’ character will be available for photos after some of the books are read. (818) 886-5443.

Friday, Calabasas: Calabasas Public Library, 26135 Mureau Road, offers a Pumpkin Patch Storytime for 1- to 2-year-olds at 10 a.m. and 3- to 5-year-olds at 11 a.m. (818) 878-9585.

Saturday Glendale: Glendale Public Library, 222 E. Harvard St., offers Once Upon a Time, featuring special programs for ages 4 and older, at 2 p.m. This week: “The Beginning of the Armadillos,” by Rudyard Kipling, along with Wildlife on Wheels. (818) 548-2030.