2. CCAP Directions
As a cumulative assessment, you will develop plans for teaching phonemic awareness in your
classroom, including plans for assessment procedures, analysis, and activities. This CCAP
template will also include one example of a phonemic awareness assessment and analysis on
a student.
Your plans should incorporate at least one of the technology tools explored in this course and
include details for other types of phonemic awareness strengthening activities. See the Course
Details on the home page top section to review the course layout, syllabus, and expectations.
Complete this template as the course progresses. This template is due to your facilitator at the
end of Session Six. At that time, your facilitator will review your CCAP and provide feedback for
you.
Sarah Dvorak
3. Part I: General Information
(Session One)
GRADE: K
LESSON BLOCK LENGTH: 30 minutes
Is Phonemic Awareness currently being addressed in your classroom? If so, how? If you are not currently teaching in a classroom, please fill out this
template as if you are teaching in the classroom of your choice.
Currently, Phonemic Awareness is being addressed in my kindergarten classroom. Each week, students receive direct instruction on a specific
sound. This whole group instruction focuses on practicing the new letter sound and name and reviewing ones previously practiced. Then students
break off into groups that target the specific phonemic awareness skill that they are struggling with. These groups change based on the needs and
skills of each student. Each group is instructed by an interventionist, either the classroom teacher, the Speech-Language Pathologist, or a Reading
Specialist. The focus of each group include: isolating first, last, and middle sounds, segmenting, blending, and rhyming. Interventionists begin their
groups by providing instruction on the specific skill and activity and then the students practice their skills within their small group.
Sarah Dvorak
4. Part II: Phonemic Awareness
(Session One)
Reflect on one of the readings from this session. Some guiding questions could be: Why is phonemic awareness an important step in learning to
read? Do you currently assess student’s phonemic awareness? If not, what are the early indicators that allow you to identify if a student is at risk of
reading difficulty?
When reflecting on the article from the University of Oregon, I realize how important phonemic awareness is in learning to read. According
to the article, phonemic awareness is “essential to learning to read in an alphabetic writing system, because letters represent sounds or phonemes.
Without phonemic awareness, phonics makes little sense.” Therefore, without a solid ability to hear sounds and realize those sounds make up
words, they would have a difficult time making the connection between sounds and the letters that represent them. Without making that
connection, the words in text would have no meaning.
I think one of the most important pieces of information I received from the article was that “there is considerable evidence that the primary
difference between good and poor readers lies in the good reader’s phonological processing ability.” This supports the importance of making sure
that our students have a strong base of phonemic awareness skills early in their schooling. The longer we wait to catch the students that are “falling
behind” their peers, the bigger the gap between good readers and poor readers will become. As the gap widens, the likelihood that they will develop
the reading skills of their peers decreases.
Therefore, it is important to frequently assess students’ phonemic awareness, especially in the younger grades, in order to identify students
at risk of reading difficulty. While the younger students are not reading yet, there are important phonemic awareness skills that need to be
developing in order to eventually be able to read, such as segmenting and blending words and manipulating sounds. Phonemic awareness is crucial
to acquiring the skill of being a “good reader.”
Currently, I assess my students’ phonemic awareness skills using The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS). Students
are progress monitored approximately every two weeks, and receive a benchmark assessment four times per school year. Their progress is
monitored and graphed. Their current phonemic awareness skills are then compared to their “aim line,” or where their skills are expected to be. If
they are falling below their aim line, interventionists can adjust their intervention plans to better meet the student’s needs. By assessing my
students’ ability to segment, blend, and group words based on sounds, and manipulate sounds in words, I can determine if a child is developing the
phonemic awareness skills that are a necessary precursor to reading.
Sarah Dvorak
5. Part III: Linguistic Components
(Session Two)
From the Yopp article, which activities look promising and intriguing? Which ones might be easiest to incorporate into your current curriculum?
Which activities, before assessing your students, do you think would benefit your classroom most? How could the activity address the
standards?
I think that each of these activities look like promising ways to help my students develop their phonemic awareness skills. Based on the
reading from the Yopp article, a variety of skills should be taught in conjunction and throughout instruction when developing phonemic awareness.
I think matching activities would be a great starting point, because it is one of the “easier” skills, but it will help to draw my student’s attention to the
idea that words are made up of individual sounds. As they listen to the words, they have to determine if they begin with the same initial sound. This
will, in turn, help them to better understand how to isolate initial phonemes. The activities focused on segmenting and blending are intriguing for
my students as well. The ability to segment words to decode new words, or blend phonemes together to form a word, and then to make meaning of
that word, are skills that directly relate to developing literacy skills. For the younger students, they can begin to develop the understanding that
words are made up of syllables or phonemes and that you can put syllables or phonemes together to form words. Substitution activities also look
intriguing because students have to really work at listening to words, holding the sounds in their head while manipulating them, and determining a
new word. This seems like it would be a more difficult task for young students.
I think the matching, segmenting, and blending activities might be the easiest to incorporate into the curriculum. They seem to be skills
that can easily be incorporated into songs or playful activities. Based on the Yopp article, phonemic awareness activities should be child
appropriate. They “should be playful and engaging, interactive and social, and should stimulate curiosity and experimentation with language,”
especially for young, kindergarten students. Activities should focus the child’s attention on the sound structure of spoken language. Currently, the
kindergarten students rotate through stations that require them to practice phonemic awareness skills. Songs and activities can easily be
incorporated into these stations, rather than just “drilling” the students. The activities can begin orally, and then using cues, and then chips.
Before assessing my student, I think the blending and segmenting activities would benefit my classroom the most. Kindergarten students
in my school have worked on identifying the first sound in a word, but are not yet consistently blending and segmenting syllables or phonemes.
According to the kindergarten standards, students should be able to “demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds
(phonemes). “ Within the standards, it says that students should be able to “count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables into spoken words”
and “segment and blend onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words.” Therefore, by teaching these skills to the class, they will develop
improved phonemic awareness and be able to understand and participate in group reading lessons.
Sarah Dvorak
6. Part IV: Audio Recording Practice
(Session Two)
If you used an audio recording tool that provides an URL please share it here. If not upload it as an audio file here and in the discussion forum. You
upload the audio file by: Clicking on Insert in the tool bar above, then pick Audio, then Audio from file or record audio. If you use another
recording program or tool try to save as a .wav file you are able to save and share the audio directly in PowerPoint.
Reflect on this practice. How do you imagine audio recordings will help you teach and your students learn about phonemic awareness?
I think audio recordings will help me teach by providing me with a means of assessing my students’ phonemic awareness skills and progress they
make during intervention. By audio recording as I assess my student, I am able to go back and listen to the recording, which will improve my notes
about the student. This will allow my to analyze the recording and data and determine where they student is struggling and what his/her strengths
are. From there I can determine where to begin intervention. I could use recordings to listen back on my student’s recording and compare it to
previous recordings to determine if progress is being made. Finally, by recording myself, I became more aware of how I produce words and sounds.
This will better help me to instruct my students. I think audio recordings can help my students develop more awareness of their own phonemic
awareness skills. By listening to their recordings, they can assess themselves. For example, they can listen to a recording of themselves segmenting
week one vs. week six of intervention and compare, they can practice alongside the recording, or they could compare their skills to mine and
determine if they are they same. They can provide self feedback, as well as develop real ownership of their skills. Audio recordings also allow
students to learn that phonemic awareness encompasses skills that are purely auditory. So by using audio recordings, they have to listen. They can
listen to themselves and become more aware of how they produce sounds and syllables. I also think using recordings may be motivating to them.
What struggles did you or your students face or could face?
I think I could struggle with the multi-tasking that listening to my student, using a recording device, and writing down my student’s responses may
take. I also think that going back and analyzing a recording is another task to add to an already busy day when you work at a school (although I do
realize that it is important to make the time because it is necessary for my students’ success). I think my students may struggle with developing the
ability to sustain their attention on an audio recording for intervention purposes, or for listening as a means of self-reflection.
Sarah Dvorak
7. Part V: Student Assessment
(Session Three)
Which assessment will you be using on your student?
I will be using the Phonemic Awareness Skills Assessment: Kindergarten on my student.
Insert the URL of your audio-recorded assessment with a student here or upload audio file here and in the discussion forum.
Sarah Dvorak
8. Part VI: Analysis
(Session Three)
After completing an assessment on a student or small child, you will reflect on their scores using the appropriate worksheet. Please upload the
worksheets in the discussion forums if possible.
● What stands out to you most?
What stands out to me the most following my assessment is Eli’s difficulty at recognizing rhymes. This is an important skill to have in order for
students to be able to identify familiar syllables in words and also to be able to produce their own rhyming pairs. This helps them to better
understand the sound structure of words and will eventually help them to recognize familiar syllables that they come across when reading. Syllable
awareness is also a precursor to developing phoneme awareness; therefore, it is an important skill for Eli to develop.
● Reflect on the areas of student strength.
Based on this assessment, I can see that Eli is able to identify both uppercase and lowercase letter names, as well as most letter sounds. In each
opportunity, he did substitute “p” for “q” when identifying lowercase letter names and letter sounds and “i” for “l” when identifying letter sounds.
He was not able to identify the letter sound for “sh.” He is able to isolate the initial phoneme in words, blend compound words and syllables, and
segment words into compound words and syllables.
● Reflect on the areas of student weakness.
Eli does have a couple of areas of need in regards to his phonemic awareness skills. He is inconsistent in his ability to recognize rhymes. He
appeared to guess when asked if two words rhymed or was unsure of his responses. He also had difficulty identifying the final sound in words. When
provided with an example, he was able to identify the last sound in the first word given to him. He then began to identify the first sound, followed by
the last sound. Following the first three words, he began identifying the first sound in each word. This analysis tells me that Eli is beginning to
develop the skills of rhyme recognition and identifying final sounds, but continues to need practice solidifying these skills.
Sarah Dvorak
9. Part VII: Strategies
(Session Four)
Include strategies you will use in your classroom here.
● Products and Performances
Rhyming: Students will be able to decide if two words rhyme, given a CVC prompt or short vowel word with a final consonant blend, with at least 90%
accuracy in 2/3 trials.
Final sound: Students will be able to identify the final sound in word, given a CVC prompt, with at least 90% accuracy in 2/3 trials.
● Questions relevant to your lesson
Do the words rhyme?
Do the words end with the same sound?
What is the last sound you hear?
What sound do you hear at the end of the word?
● Instructional Strategies
1. Describe skills of rhyming and isolating final sounds to student
2. Provide examples of rhyming words and final sounds of words
3. Model rhyming and isolation tasks
4. Have child participate in rhyming and isolation tasks
5. Provide visual and verbal supports and feedback when necessary
● Specific Skills to be developed
Rhyme Awareness
Isolating final sounds
Sarah Dvorak
10. Part VII: Strategies, cont.
(Session Four)
Include strategies you will use in your classroom here.
● Activities and procedures
Match the Rhyming Objects:
1. Review rhyming: define, provide examples, have student practice generating rhyming words
2. Introduce activity: present images of objects and explain to student this his job is to find the object on an array of images that rhymes with
the one shown to him and place the matching pair of images together
3. Model and then ask student to complete task
Ending Phonemes Chant:
1. Pull an object out of a bag filled with objects. Ask student to identify object and what sound they hear at the end of the word
2. Begin a chant by slapping knees and clapping hands with the object.
3. Continue with remaining objects in bag
4. Display worksheet. Say each word and ask student what sound he hears at the end of the word and circle the correct letter.
● Extensions and modifications
Rhyming: Begin with CVC words. Once he has mastered this, move on to words with final blends, such as “nts” (ants/plants) and “mp” (lamp/stamp)
Final Sound: Begin with simple words, then use more difficult words or alternate between beginning and ending sounds
● Materials and resources needed
Rhyming: images of 8 pairs of rhyming objects
Final sounds: bag filled with objects
Ending sounds worksheet (link below-page 4)
● Websites used
Reading Rockets
ReadWriteThink
● References
http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/balancedliteracydiet/Recipe/00190/
https://www.prekinders.com/rhyming-match-games/
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/building-phonemic-awareness-with-120.html?tab=4#tabs
http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/EPS/media/Site-Resources/downloads/external/read_write_think/Phonemic_Awareness.pdf
Sarah Dvorak
11. Part VIII: Common Core Standards
(Session Four)
Please list all relevant State Standards here. (Please specify your state and provide state standards website URL)
New Hampshire state standards website: https://www.education.nh.gov/spotlight/ccss/index.htm
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf
Relevant State Standards:
NH.K.R.ERS.1.1 (R:ERS:K:1.1) Demonstrates phonemic awareness and applies phonological knowledge and skills by: Blending and segmenting
syllables and onset-rimes (e.g., cup-cake, s-at) (Local)
NH.K.R.ERS.1.3 (R:ERS:K:1.3) Demonstrates phonemic awareness and applies phonological knowledge and skills by: Isolating phonemes in single
syllable words (e.g., "Tell me the first sound in 'mop';" "tell me the last sound in 'mop) (Local)
NH.K.R.ERS.1.5 (R:ERS:K:1.5) Demonstrates phonemic awareness and applies phonological knowledge and skills by: Recognizing pairs of rhyming
words (Local)
NH.1.R.ERS.1.3 (R:ERS:1:1.3) Demonstrates phonemic awareness and applies phonological knowledge and skills by: Isolating phonemes in single
syllable words (e.g., "Tell me the first sound in 'mop';" "Tell me the last sound in 'mop,'" "Tell me the middle sound in 'mop.'") (Local)
NH.1.R.ERS.1.4 (R:ERS:1:1.4) Demonstrates phonemic awareness and applies phonological knowledge and skills by: Deleting phonemes in one-
syllable words ("What is "crust" without the 'c'?") (Local)
NH.1.R.ERS.1.5 (R:ERS:1:1.5) Demonstrates phonemic awareness and applies phonological knowledge and skills by: Producing pairs of rhyming
words (Local)
NH.1.R.ERS.1.6 (R:ERS:1:1.6) Demonstrates phonemic awareness and applies phonological knowledge and skills by: Counting syllables in 1 to 4-
syllable words (Local)
Sarah Dvorak
12. Part IX: Technology
(Session Five)
Include technology strategies you will use in your classroom here, noting also your access to computers and other required hardware. You may also
consider using your newfound podcasting skills in a creative way to help students with phonemic awareness.
In my school, I do not have easy access to technology. If I want to use an iPad, I have to use my personal iPad, which makes me nervous
with my younger students. I also have to purchase my own apps. I do have a laptop that belongs to the school that I use for work but I can also use it
with students. I can utilize that with various free PA activity websites as a way to incorporate PA activities into my intervention.
I think it is important to realize, as the Technology and Teaching Students to Read article states, that technology does not replace a
qualified teacher. Teachers still need to be able to teach their students the skills and provide necessary feedback. However, by incorporating
technology, it too can provide feedback, as well as motivation to students. I can use the Picture Match Interactive activity
(http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/picturematch/) on my laptop or iPad with my student who struggles with isolating
phonemes. I would begin by explaining the skill, providing examples, and discussing the activity with my student. Then I would present the activity
to him. I think this Picture Match is a great activity because it shows a picture of the target word, says the name of the picture, and also shows each
possible beginning letter. This provides my student with both visual and auditory support when working on the skill to accommodate his learning
style. This activity also provides the student with automatic feedback by letting him know if his answer was correct or incorrect and letting him try
again. Additionally, this site allows the teacher to choose the phonemes that will be included, so it can be individualized to the student’s needs.
After completing the activity, the site allows you to print the final results.
I would also try Lanolins Greenhouse (http://www.professorgarfield.org/Phonemics/greenhouse/greenhouse.html) with my student. I like
this activity because it targets manipulating sounds, but is also a great activity with my student because he struggles with rhyming. As he
manipulates the initial sound of the word, he is creating rhyming words. I think this is a great activity for developing his rhyme awareness because
he will begin to learn that all he has to do is change the first sound of the word to make a rhyme, and that rhymes are words that end with the same
final sound. Additionally, I would could use technology to record my students. By doing this, I can assess their skills, report or show it to the teacher,
and determine if progress is being made. Using a recording app, I can also have my students listen to themselves and provide self-feedback or
compare their performance when we first began working on the skill to his performance when he understood the skill as a way to reflect on his
progress.
Sarah Dvorak
13. Part X: Reflection
(Session Six)
Please use this section to reflect on your phonemic awareness plans and the process you have undergone in this course. Include the key points of
your learning and how it will change your classroom instruction.
This course has provided me with a great deal of knowledge and skill that I can immediately utilize with the students that I work with. I like
how we worked through the whole process of instructing a student, from initial assessments to providing intervention with and without technology.
An important takeaway I got from participating in this course was the difference between phonemic awareness and phonics, and that it is important
to make sure children can auditorily manipulate sounds before they begin to attach the letter to the sound. I saw this with my kindergarten student
when he participated in a rhyming activity. When he could see the endings of the words, he could identify whether or not they were rhymes.
However, when he had to do this only auditorily, he struggled.
Within the assessment portion of this course, I learned how useful audio recordings can be. This is something I will incorporate into my
assessments from now on, either for initial assessments, to compare progress over time, or to show to the student or classroom teacher. I also like
that I now have a variety of assessment resources available to me depending on the child’s needs and age. I felt that the Kindergarten Phonemic
Awareness Assessment provided me with more information than other assessments I have used prior.
When it comes to treatment, I learned that the use of technology has its advantages and disadvantages. Technology can be great for
motivating students who do not appear to be motivated by anything else. Using technology can be a great way to engage students in activities that
help improve their skills, especially for larger groups. However, face to face interactions are probably the best way to help our students, especially in
smaller groups and one on one settings. When life is so fast paced and so many students go home every day and watch tv or use their iPad, it is
important to be able to have that reciprocal interaction, where we can constantly be modifying our intervention plans to meet our students’ needs.
Moving forward, I will be sure to incorporate more phonemic awareness skills into my reading RTI intervention groups. Currently, I am in my
first year at a new school and am providing reading intervention for the first time ever. Therefore, this course helped me to gain much more
knowledge than I had prior. I work with younger students, and I have learned that developing phonemic awareness skills is critical for developing
reading skills. So it is important that I help these students develop their phonemic awareness skills now, in kindergarten and first grade, so that
these students have the underlying skills necessary to become strong readers in the future.
Sarah Dvorak
14. Part XI
The final part of the course work is to create a file of all the components of your lesson and upload it in the assignment section in Session 6 on the
main course page.
This file should include but not limited to:
1. Formal Lesson Write-up
a. Including student grade and level
b. CCSS addressed in lesson
c. Goals and Objectives
d. Skills addressed
e. Clear presentation of the direct instruction
f. Materials and Resources
g. Follow-up and Assessment
2. All printed materials used in lesson
3. Provide a short explanation of the purpose of the lesson based on prior needs and
assessments.
Sarah Dvorak
