Phonemic Awareness Instruction for Pre-First Graders

This monograph presents a study of pre-first graders§who participated in a summer program of teaching and§learning featuring phonemic awareness instruction. §Sixty-two children were selected for this§intervention; 40 participated and 22 did not. Daily§instruction in phonemic awareness was an integral§component of the five-week program. Phonemic§awareness pre and post-tests were administered to the§62 children; results were examined. Ten other§reading tests and surveys were administered during§their first and second grade school-years. Results§from these assessments were also examined. The§analysis of student outcomes, on these assessments§and surveys, indicate phonemic awareness proficiency§was significantly improved by participation in the§extended school-year summer program. No other§measure of reading proficiency, as highlighted by the§first and second grade pre and post-tests, revealed a§significant difference between children who attended§the extended school-year program and those§who did not. Implications of these findings are§discussed.