Episode Details

Before we get into what the research currently says about teaching phonological awareness and the alphabet, this episode begins by breaking down some key terminology. What makes a practice evidence-based? What’s the difference between research-based and research-tested? What should we consider when implementing instruction aligned with the Science of Reading?

Dr. Shayne Piasta, Distinguished Professor at THE Ohio State University and Faculty Associate at the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, helps unpack what we know, what we’re still learning, and how educators can make evidence-informed decisions.

We then dig into phonological and phonemic awareness. Dr. Piasta explains what research has established about the importance of PA, why phonemic awareness ultimately matters for reading and spelling, and where questions remain about exactly how PA should be taught. We discuss larger versus smaller units of sound, advanced tasks, group size, dosage, incorporating letters, and even differentiation.

Next, we turn to alphabet learning and instruction. Research increasingly supports teaching names and sounds simultaneously. We also discuss what makes certain letters easier (or harder) to learn, the acrophonic principle, letter sequence and pacing, and what effective alphabet instruction can look like in a kindergarten classroom.

Finally, Dr. Piasta shares trusted sources for evaluating evidence and reminds us why evidence-informed instruction requires research, professional expertise, and knowledge of the students sitting in front of us.

*Please Note: We experienced some audio issues toward the very end of the episode. We did our best to improve the audio quality and appreciate your understanding.

Key Takeaways:

• Evidence-based vs. evidence-informed literacy instruction
• The difference between research-based and research-tested practices
• What we confidently know about phonological and phonemic awareness
• What we still don’t know about the most effective way to teach PA
• Information about Project OPAL and the questions researchers are currently testing
• Whether letter names or letter sounds should be taught first
• Alphabet scope, sequence, and pacing
• What effective alphabet instruction can look like
• Information about CREATE-EBP and teacher-researcher collaboration
• How educators can become better consumers of literacy research

Resources Mentioned:

• Project OPAL: Optimizing Phonological Awareness Learning
• CREATE-EBP: Collaborating Researchers & Educators Apply Technology to Establish Evidence-Based Practices
• Dr. Shayne Piasta's Early Literacy and Learning Lab, including research, current projects, opportunities to collaborate, and a newsletter
• The Early Literacy and Learning Lab Research Interest Survey
• Duke & Martin (2011) - 10 Things Every Literacy Educator Should Know About Research

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