Phonemic Analysis and How It Relates to Reading

Abstract

If a list was made of the half-dozen most promising new techniques in reading instruction, phonemic analysis training would surely be among them. This month's Topical Review provides an excellent introduction to this area because it not only places emerging concerns about the phonemic segmentation and blending skills of children into a broad historical context, but it alos presents the most useful research on the subject. Research evidence on this topic is of two different types. First, there is evidence that children who have difficulty learning to read also show marked difficulties in analyzing the phonological structure of speech. Second, a number of studies have shown that training children to be more aware of the phonemic segments in words can help them in learning to read. This area provides a nice example of the useful ways that basic research conducted in laboratory settings and more applied studies conducted in the classroom can converge to provide useful information about the nature and treatment of learning disabilities.—J.K. T.