12. Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Workshop

This workshop will provide an overview of enhancing early literacy for students with extensive support needs. It outlines the evolution from former literacy models, which provided minimal academic instruction, to a new, more optimistic approach that emphasizes the potential for all students to learn to read, despite vocal verbal ability. The course highlights key components of beginning reading instruction, such as phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, and underscores the importance of explicit, individualized instructional strategies. Additionally, it stresses the need to provide opportunities for reading to students with significant disabilities, integrating functional reading skills with academic instruction across age and grades. Finally, it provides an overview of evidence based strategies as well as a recommended scope and sequence to promote literacy skills for this population.