As I begin another year with the kindergarten students, I always have to remember to start out with many phonemic awareness activities. So many times we want to jump in and start them off reading, without giving them the tools they need for success. Before children can read, they have to understand that sounds make words, and they all go together. Phonemic awareness is not phonics, but it is the understanding of the sounds that words make and being able to manipulate them.
