Phonemic Awareness

Every Odyssey student will become a confident, capable reader by the end of third grade through equitable access to high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction. Grounded in the Science of Reading, our classrooms foster a love of reading, curiosity, and perseverance. Instruction is explicit, systematic, and responsive to individual needs, empowering students to decode fluently, comprehend deeply, and explore the world through text. We cultivate lifelong learners who believe in their potential, access grade-level content with confidence, and see reading as a gateway to their dreams.

At Odyssey, we use Heggerty in Preschool through Grade 2. Heggerty is a research-based, 10-15 minute daily phonemic awareness curriculum that builds the essential listening and sound skills students need to become successful readers.

Welcome to Heggerty! This research-based phonemic awareness curriculum provides the essential foundation for reading success. Designed for students from preschool through second grade, Heggerty builds critical listening and sound manipulation skills that unlock the door to literacy.

What Makes Heggerty Special?

• Research-Based Approach: Grounded in the science of reading with proven effectiveness
• Sequential Skill Building: Systematically develops phonemic awareness from simple to complex skills
• Quick Daily Lessons: Just 10-15 minutes per day for maximum impact with minimal time commitment
• Multi-Sensory Learning: Incorporates auditory, visual, and kinesthetic activities to engage all learners
• Differentiated Support: Provides scaffolding for struggling learners and extensions for advanced students
• Easy Implementation: Teacher-friendly format requires minimal preparation time
• Progress Monitoring: Built-in assessments track student growth and inform instruction

Components Included in Every Lesson:

• Rhyming Activities: Building awareness of sound patterns and word families
• Syllable Work: Breaking words into manageable sound chunks
• Sound Isolation: Identifying beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words
• Sound Blending: Combining individual sounds to form complete words
• Sound Segmentation: Breaking words apart into individual phonemes
• Sound Manipulation: Adding, deleting, or substituting sounds within words
• Assessment Opportunities: Regular check-ins to monitor student progress

Heggerty gives every child the phonemic awareness foundation they need to become successful, confident readers!

Here are simple ways families can reinforce phonemic awareness skills that align with what students are learning in Heggerty:

Pre-K Support Activities

• Sing Songs and Nursery Rhymes: Emphasize rhyming words and clap along to the rhythm
• Play "I Spy" with Sounds: "I spy something that starts with /m/" (focusing on the sound, not the letter)
• Read Rhyming Books: Point out rhyming words and ask your child to predict what comes next
• Make Up Silly Rhymes: Create fun rhymes with your child's name or favorite foods

Kindergarten Support Activities

• Clap Out Syllables: Practice with family names, favorite foods, or animals (ba-na-na = 3 claps)
• Sound Scavenger Hunts: Find objects around the house that start with specific sounds
• Rhyme Time Games: Take turns saying words that rhyme with simple words like "cat" or "dog"
• Beginning Sound Sorting: Sort toys, snacks, or household items by their beginning sounds

1st Grade Support Activities

• Sound Blending Practice: Say sounds slowly (/c/ /a/ /t/) and have your child blend them into words
• Ending Sound Games: Focus on what sound words end with during daily conversations
• Word Family Fun: Practice -at, -an, -it word families using magnetic letters or writing
• Sound Substitution: Change one sound in a word to make new words (cat → bat → hat)

2nd Grade Support Activities

• Advanced Rhyming: Practice with longer words and more complex rhyme patterns
• Sound Manipulation Games: Add or remove sounds from words ("What's 'smile' without the /s/?")
• Compound Word Breaking: Practice separating compound words into their parts (sunshine = sun + shine)
• Multi-Syllable Practice: Work with longer words and practice identifying each syllable

Remember: Keep activities playful and brief (5-10 minutes) to maintain your child's interest and enthusiasm!