How to Increase Phonemic Awareness with Phonics Toolkits Aligned with Science of Reading

Do you use phonics toolkits in your classroom? With more teachers learning about SOR (the science of reading), many teachers are now implementing Phonics Toolkits into their daily instruction. Phonics toolkits add interaction and engagement to your daily phonics lessons.

4 Benefits of Using Phonics Manipulatives

Using phonics manipulatives can offer several benefits for learners. Here are four advantages of incorporating phonics manipulatives into your daily instruction:

Hands-on Learning:

Phonics manipulatives provide a tangible and interactive way for students to engage with letter sounds and word formation.

Multisensory Approach:

Phonics manipulatives engage multiple senses, such as sight, touch, and hearing. This multisensory approach helps accommodate different learning styles and strengthens the connections between letter sounds and their corresponding symbols. It can be particularly beneficial for visual and kinesthetic learners.

Concept Reinforcement:

Manipulating phonics materials allows learners to reinforce their understanding of phonetic concepts. They can visually and kinesthetically connect letters with sounds, blend phonemes to form words, and segment words into individual sounds. This hands-on practice solidifies phonics knowledge and improves reading and spelling skills.

Active Participation:

Phonics manipulatives encourage active participation, collaboration, and engagement. This active involvement fosters a sense of ownership in learning and creates a supportive and interactive learning environment.

Overall, phonics toolkit manipulatives provide an effective and enjoyable way for students to learn and internalize phonics concepts, leading to improved reading, writing, and language skills.

Creating Phonics Toolkits:

When creating your phonics toolkits, think about what phonics manipulatives you would like to include as well as how you intend to store them. For storage, a pencil box or pencil pouch works just fine.  I use the

IRIS USA 10 Pack Large Plastic Hobby Art Craft Supply Organizer Storage Containers with Latching Lid to hold all of my phonics teaching manipulatives.

Selecting Manipulatives for a Phonics Toolkit

When creating your phonics toolkits, you have a lot of options for manipulatives. I purchased most of my phonics toolkit manipulatives from Amazon. (affiliate links below) These are the phonics manipulatives I currently have in my phonics toolkits.

• Connecting Pop-Its-pop each sounds
• Reading Eye Fingers-for tracking print
• Reading Phonics Phones-for hearing sounds
• Reading Glasses-kids think they help them read better
• Poker Chips-for segmenting/blending sounds
• Mini-Playdoh-roll into small balls and smash for each sound

You might also like to add these other manipulatives to your SOR Phonics toolkits.

• Mini slinky-for stretching out words
• Mini Star Pointer-use for tracking words or reading around the room
• Magnetic Wand and Chips-use the chips for each sound in a word, swipe the wand to pick up chips
• Finger highlighters-use for tracking print
• Alphabet Chips-for building words
• Mini Mirrors- Students can look into the mirrors to watch their mouths make the correct sounds.

Today, I'm sharing with you pieces I have in my SOR Phonics Toolkit.

Phonics toolkits offer a structured and effective approach to teaching reading and promote phonemic awareness, These benefits contribute to students' literacy skills and lay a strong foundation for their academic success.