LETRS Unit 2 Session 1 Check For Understanding

QUESTION:

A student with general phonological awareness can learn to read fluently, even if the student has not yet developed awareness of speech sounds at the phoneme level.

ANSWER:

False.

EXPLANATION:

Phonemic awareness, which is the ability to recognize and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words, is a critical foundation for learning to read fluently.

While general phonological awareness involves recognizing larger sound units like syllables and rhymes, it is phonemic awareness specifically that allows students to decode words by linking individual sounds to letters. Without strong phonemic awareness, students are less likely to develop effective decoding skills, which are essential for reading fluency.

QUESTION:

If a student analyzes the sounds and syllables in a word, it is easier for the student to store the word in semantic memory.

ANSWER:

True

QUESTION:

Read the following list of classroom activities. Select the one that targets phonological awareness only, without attempting to address other language skills.

ANSWER:

b. Ms. Chang says a word and has students repeat it, clap for each syllable, and count the syllables.

EXPLANATION:

Phonological awareness refers to the ability to identify and manipulate the sound structure of spoken words. For instance, recognizing that the word “cat” consists of three distinct sounds: /k/, /æ/, and /t/. An activity that focuses only on this skill would be “Listening to and identifying distinct sounds in words.” In this exercise, students listen to words and identify the specific sounds within them. This could involve recognizing the initial sound (e.g., what sound does “cat” begin with?), the final sound, or the middle sound. These activities target phonological awareness exclusively, without involving reading, writing, or other language skills.

QUESTION:

Which of these skills should not be a direct focus of classroom instruction? (Select all that apply.)

ANSWER:

a. phonological working memory (PWM) c. rapid automatic naming (RAN).

EXPLANATION:

The skills phonological working memory (PWM) and rapid automatic naming (RAN), while important for reading development, should not be the primary focus of classroom instruction. Here’s why:

Phonological Working Memory (PWM) refers to the ability to temporarily hold and manipulate sounds in the mind. While it supports tasks like following multi-step instructions and learning new vocabulary, it is more of a cognitive function than a direct reading skill. Classroom instruction should focus more on phonological awareness and decoding skills, which have a stronger direct impact on reading acquisition.
Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) is the ability to quickly name familiar objects, colors, letters, or numbers. It is linked to reading fluency, but RAN itself is not easily improved through direct instruction. Instead, fluency can be enhanced through repeated reading practice and other strategies that focus on reading accuracy and speed.

Since both PWM and RAN are underlying cognitive abilities that support reading, they may improve indirectly as students develop stronger reading skills. However, they are not skills that should be the direct focus of instruction, as research suggests that phonemic awareness, decoding, and comprehension strategies have a more immediate and actionable impact on reading development.

Do You Know?

During reading, our eyes process each word letter by letter.

QUESTION:

The term coarticulation means the ability to:

ANSWER:

d. say the phonemes within a syllable so that all of the segments are seamlessly joined.

LETRS Unit 2 Session 1 Using the “phon” words in context

QUESTION:

Which of the following words best completes the sentence when inserted into blank 1?

phonological processing
phonological awareness
phoneme
phonemic awareness
phonology
phonetics

ANSWER:

phonology

QUESTION:

Which of the following words best completes the sentence when inserted into blank 3?

ANSWER:

phonemic awareness.

QUESTION:

Which of the following words best completes the sentence when inserted into blank 4?

ANSWER:

phonetics.

QUESTION:

Which of the following words best completes the sentence when inserted into blank 5?

ANSWER:

phoneme.

QUESTION:

Which of the following words best completes the sentence when inserted into blank 6?

ANSWER:

phonological processing.