I can remember a time when we had to make everything our special needs students needed. If you wanted a worksheet, you made it. If you wanted a communication support, you made it. Design it, print it, copy it… you get the idea. When it got ripped, tears may have welled up in the teacher's eyes. But we don’t have to worry about making everything from scratch anymore.
Cue the confetti… because that is especially noteworthy when it comes to teaching phonemic awareness to young students with special needs. Follow me now…
Our phonemic awareness worksheets are made specifically for students with limited verbal skills. We know phonemic awareness is critical for early literacy development. And…it is hard to know what our kids know when they are not directly telling us. So, we have to use other strategies to measure their knowledge of these concepts. This is why I've created a set easy-to-use printable worksheets designed to foster phonemic awareness in a fun, creative way. Here they are…
Phonics Printables: Phonemic Awareness
The goal was to make a collection of printable worksheets about phonemic awareness activities that were clear, concise and covered the topic in and enjoyable and effective for young learners with autism and developmental delays.
These printables are specially made to minimize handwriting demands, focusing instead on activities like cut-and-paste, circling, and matching. Kids will be smiling, relaxed and ready since these worksheets do not make writing a major priority. Especially those who might find extensive writing tasks challenging.
What’s Included in the Worksheets
Rhyme Time
Rhyming is a foundational skill in phonemic awareness. These worksheets guide students to identify and match rhyming words and pictures. The worksheets include the following pages.
- Rhyming and Listening
- Mark the Item that Rhymes with Hen
- Match the Pictures of Rhyming Words 1
- Match the Pictures of Rhyming Words 2
- Create a List of Rhyming Words 1
- Create a List of Rhyming Words 2
- Match a Set of Rhyming Pictures
- Listen and Respond by Clapping
- Add a Rhyming Word
All About Alliteration
Up next, alliteration worksheets. These worksheets are a delightful way to introduce students to the concept of similar starting sounds. Imagine the smiles as they match pictures with the same beginning sound or circle objects that start with the same letter. Here is what is included.
- Make Your Own Alliteration About Trains
- Make Your Own Alliteration About Alligators
- Make Your Own Alliteration About Eels
- Make Your Own Alliteration About Umbrellas
Listening Skills
A critical aspect of phonemic awareness is listening. The worksheets include exercises where students listen to words and identify specific sounds. The objective is to try to enhance their auditory discrimination skills using the following worksheets.
- Which Word Does Not Belong?
- Count the Words
- Recognizing Words in Sentences
- How Many Words?
- Which Word is Different? Which Words are the Same?
- Which Sound is Different? Which is the Same?
- Which Sounds Different?
Syllable Success & Segmenting Made Simple
Breaking words into syllables can be a fun puzzle for young minds. Students can break down syllables, clap it out, tap it out, hum or point to help demonstrate this task.
Students will also delve into the skill of segmenting words into individual sounds. Through worksheet activities, students learn to identify the beginning sound, medial sound and final sound, building a need-to-know skill for both reading and spelling. See the topics below.
- Segment These Syllables
- Count the Syllables
- Say or Clap Out, or Tap These Words
- Blend Onset and Rime to Make a Word
- Try to Say Words or Hum Words
- Beginning Sound
- Final Sound
- Medial Sound
- Change Phonemes to Make a Word
- Substitute Rime to Make New Words
- Substitute Onset Make New Words
- Substitute phonemes to Make a Word
I loved creating these because I did not see anything like them at the time. There is a train theme throughout the worksheets just in case you have any train-loving classroom members!!!! (I know there are a few.)
As a teacher, you understand the importance of catering to the unique learning styles of your students. These phonemic awareness printables are designed with that very thought in mind. The worksheets act as gateways to a world of sounds, words, and phonemic awareness, even for students who are not yet speaking or communicating at a high level.
These printables are part of a series which includes these Phonics Printables: Phonemic Awareness, as well as Phonics Printables: CVC Words and Phonics Printables: Alphabet Letters.
So, whether you’re looking to enrich your phonemic awareness curriculum or seeking resources to support your special needs students, these printables are here to make your teaching journey a bit easier and a lot more fun. Ha-ppy teach-ing!
If you are looking for more resources related to phonics and reading, see more by clicking below:
