DYSLEXIA & ADHD READING BREAKTHROUGH: Phonemic Awareness Strategies Parents Must Know to Help Their Child with Dyslexia and ADHD Reading Difficulties

Kelly Sutherland
Mar 29
7 min read

Introduction

Understanding the building blocks of language can be a game-changer for children, especially those navigating learning challenges such as dyslexia and ADHD. Phonemic awareness, the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words, plays a pivotal role in developing literacy skills. Imagine a child struggling to read the word "cat" – with strong phonemic awareness, they can break it down into /c/ /a/ /t/, blend these sounds together, and unlock the word with confidence. In this guide, we'll delve into the world of phonemes, explore phonemic awareness, and offer practical strategies for parents and teachers to support young learners.

Does your child struggle with reading due to dyslexia or ADHD? As a parent, you want to help, but may not know where to start.

A family at a table helps two children with homework in a cozy room. Books and a plant are on a shelf. Joyful atmosphere, blue accents. — Creating Cherished Family Moments: Enjoying Educational Activities Together Around the Table.

Your child faces unique challenges:

Difficulty matching letter sounds to symbols
Needing 200-500 more practice opportunities than other children
Brain processing differences that make reading harder

Recent research shows 25-40% of individuals with ADHD also have dyslexia. Understanding this connection is crucial for providing effective support for your child's reading development.

Steps labeled with colorful icons illustrate stages of building phonemic awareness, from "Identify Challenges" to "Assessment & Monitoring." — Steps to building your child's Phonemic Awareness skills.

What is Phonemic Awareness?

Phonemic awareness is a fundamental component of reading success. It involves recognizing and working with phonemes, the smallest units of sound that make up words. English has approximately 44 phonemes, including consonant sounds like /b/, /t/, and /sh/ and vowel sounds like /a/, /e/, and /oo/.

It's important to distinguish between:

Phonemes: Individual speech sounds (what you hear)
Graphemes: The written representations of those sounds (what you see)

Children who master phonemic awareness can isolate, blend, and manipulate sounds, which is essential for word decoding and reading fluency. This skill typically develops before phonics instruction (connecting sounds to letters) and is purely auditory.

Brain diagram labeled "Understanding Phonemic Awareness" connects "Phonemes" and "Graphemes" with icons, arrows, blue and green colors. — Spoken words consist of phonemes, the speech sounds we hear in a word. Written words consist of graphemes, the symbols or letters that represent the word.

The Importance of Phonemic Awareness in Early Education

Phonemic awareness is critical for children with dyslexia or ADHD reading difficulties, as they often experience challenges in processing language. Research shows that phonemic awareness is one of the strongest predictors of reading success. When children understand that words are made up of individual sounds that can be manipulated, they gain a powerful tool for decoding unfamiliar words.

Early intervention focused on phonemic skills can significantly enhance reading abilities, boost confidence, and reduce frustrations associated with learning to read. Studies indicate that children who receive explicit instruction in phonemic awareness show improved reading outcomes compared to those who don't.

Identifying Challenges in Developing Phonemic Awareness: Dyslexia and ADHD reading difficulties

Children struggling with dyslexia or ADHD may find it particularly challenging to develop phonemic awareness. They might demonstrate:

Difficulty identifying beginning, middle, or ending sounds in words
Trouble recognizing when words rhyme or creating rhymes
Challenges blending phonemes to form words
Difficulty segmenting words into individual sounds
Problems manipulating sounds (e.g., deleting, adding, or substituting sounds)
Inconsistent performance when identifying similar sounds

Recognizing these challenges early allows for tailored approaches in teaching phonemic skills and prevents the development of negative attitudes toward reading.

Diagram of phonemic awareness challenges in children with categories: Identifying Sounds, Blending Phonemes, Manipulating Sounds, Recognizing Rhymes, Segmenting Words. Color-coded boxes linked to tasks. — Many Dyslexic and ADHD children have a breakdown in one or more of these areas.

Phonemic Awareness Progression

Phonemic awareness skills typically develop in this sequence:

Rhyming - Recognizing and producing rhyming words
Alliteration - Identifying words that begin with the same sound
Sentence segmentation - Breaking sentences into words
Syllable blending and segmentation - Combining and separating syllables
Onset-rime manipulation - Separating the initial sound from the rest of the word
Phoneme isolation - Identifying individual sounds in words
Phoneme blending - Combining individual sounds to form words
Phoneme segmentation - Breaking words into individual sounds
Phoneme manipulation - Adding, deleting, or substituting sounds

Understanding this progression helps in designing targeted interventions that meet children where they are in their development.

Phonemic awareness skills chart shows the sequence: Rhyming, Alliteration, Sentence Segmentation, and more, with colorful icons. — Rhyming is a simple skill that many children begin learning in preschool. By 2nd and 3rd grade, most successful readers have mastered manipulating phonemes.

Strategies for Building Phonemic Awareness

1. Interactive Sound Games

Engage children in activities that require them to identify and play with sounds:

Sound Hunt: Go on a "sound hunt" for items beginning with a specific phoneme. Example: "Let's find things that start with /m/ like 'map' or 'mouse'."
Silly Rhyme Time: Make up nonsense rhymes with a target word. Example: "Cat, bat, rat, sat, hat, dat..."
Guess the Word: Say a word sound-by-sound (e.g., /d/ /o/ /g/) and have the child guess the word.
Sound Switch: Change a sound in a word to create a new word. Example: "Change the /m/ in 'map' to /c/. What new word do you have?" (cap)

2. Use of Visual Aids

Incorporate visual aids to help children associate sounds with letters:

Sound Cards: Create cards with pictures representing specific phonemes (apple for /a/, ball for /b/).
Sound Boxes: Draw boxes for each sound in a word and have children move a counter into each box as they segment the sounds.
Phoneme Fingers: Raise one finger for each sound as you pronounce a word slowly.
Sound Wall: Create a display organizing letters by sound production (how your mouth forms the sound) rather than alphabetically.

3. Repetitive and Multi-sensory Techniques

Employ techniques that involve seeing, hearing, and physically interacting with words:

Tapping Out Sounds: Tap, clap, or stomp for each sound in a word.
Sand Writing: Have children trace letters in sand or salt while saying the corresponding sounds.
Mouth Mirrors: Use mirrors so children can see how their mouths form different sounds.
Letter Tiles or Magnetic Letters: Physically manipulate letters to form and segment words.
Body Spelling: Assign a movement to each sound (jump for /j/, twist for /t/) and perform the movements while blending sounds.

4. Digital Resources and Apps

Leverage technology to reinforce phonemic awareness skills:

Phonics Hero: Offers games targeting specific phonemic awareness skills
Teach Your Monster to Read: Makes learning phonics and phonemic awareness fun and game-like
Starfall: Provides interactive activities for early readers focusing on phonemic awareness
Reading Eggs: Includes phonemic awareness activities in their comprehensive reading program
SplashLearn: Digital games to help your child with reading.

5. Teacher and Parent Collaboration

Consistent support from both teachers and parents can reinforce phonemic skills at school and home:

Weekly Sound Focus: Teachers can send home the sounds being focused on each week
Home Activity Kits: Simple materials and instructions for practicing target skills
Sound Journals: Children record words containing target sounds they encounter
Progress Sharing: Regular updates between teachers and parents about progress and challenges
Modeling: Both parents and teachers should model phonemic awareness by thinking aloud while reading

Supporting Children with Dyslexia in Developing Phonemic Awareness

Children with dyslexia often struggle with phonological processing, making phonemic awareness particularly challenging. Specific approaches include:

Extended Practice Time: Provide additional opportunities for practice and repetition (remember, these children need 200-500 more practice opportunities)
Explicit Instruction: Be very clear and direct when teaching each skill
Systematic Approach: Follow a structured, sequential curriculum with cumulative review
Reduced Visual Distractions: Use clean, uncluttered materials when introducing new concepts
Success-Oriented Activities: Design activities where the child can experience success to build confidence

Success Story: Jamie, a second-grader with dyslexia, struggled to blend sounds into words. After six weeks of daily, structured phonemic awareness activities using kinesthetic techniques (tapping sounds on his arm), he showed significant improvement in decoding unfamiliar words.

Supporting Children with ADHD in Developing Phonemic Awareness

Children with ADHD may have difficulty maintaining attention during phonemic awareness activities. Consider these adaptations:

Movement-Based Activities: Incorporate physical movement into sound manipulation tasks
Short, High-Interest Sessions: Keep practice sessions brief (10-15 minutes) and engaging
Clear Transitions: Signal transitions between activities clearly
Visual Timers: Use timers to show how long an activity will last
Immediate Feedback: Provide instant feedback on performance
Gamification: Turn practice into competitive games with points and rewards

Success Story: Mia, a first-grader with ADHD, struggled to stay focused during phonemic awareness instruction. Her teacher implemented a "sound detective" theme with badges for mastering different skills, which significantly increased her engagement and performance.

Practical Daily Activities for Busy Parents

You don't need to set aside hours of "teaching time" to improve your child's phonemic awareness. These strategies fit easily into daily routines:

In the car: Play "I Spy" focusing on beginning sounds ("I spy something that starts with /b/")
During bedtime routines: Break down words in bedtime stories by sound
While brushing teeth: Practice rhyming words or changing initial sounds
At mealtime: Name foods and segment their sounds
During bath time: Play with bath toys that start with the same sound

The key is consistency rather than duration – even 5 minutes of focused practice daily can make a significant difference.

Family of four in a bedroom, reading and playing on a green rug. Bunk bed, toy bus, and alphabet poster create a cozy, playful vibe. — Quality practice and be built in to your daily routines.

Assessment and Progress Monitoring

To ensure children are making progress in phonemic awareness:

Use formal assessments like DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) or PAST (Phonological Awareness Screening Test)
Track improvement in specific skills over time
Adjust instruction based on assessment results
Celebrate progress, even small gains

Charting your child's successes and challenges is a key step in determining the next steps.

Conclusion

Mastering phonemic awareness is not only essential for reading fluency but also empowers children to become confident, independent readers. With strategic support and targeted interventions, parents and teachers can help children, including those with dyslexia or ADHD, unlock the secrets of language and achieve their full potential.

Remember that children develop at different rates, and a patient, positive approach yields the best results. By focusing on phonemic awareness through enjoyable, engaging activities, you're giving children a crucial foundation for literacy success that will benefit them throughout their educational journey.

Phonemic Awareness Development Process chart with steps: assessment, skill choice, practice, progress tracking, teacher connection. Colorful icons. — Roadmap to Success: Begin helping your child develop phonemic awareness with these steps!

Take Action Today

Start with an assessment: Determine your child's current phonemic awareness level using simple activities or a screening tool.
Choose one skill: Based on the assessment, select one skill from the progression to focus on first.
Implement daily practice: Incorporate 5-10 minutes of phonemic awareness activities into your daily routine.
Track progress: Keep a simple log of which activities you've tried and how your child responded.
Connect with teachers: Share your observations and coordinate your approach with your child's educators.

Learn More With Kelly Sutherland's Course

For more comprehensive guidance, check out Kelly Sutherland's course: Unlocking the Secrets of Language: Mastering Phonemes and Phonemic Awareness.

This science-based course offers:

Simple activities that fit into your busy daily routine
Practical tools for both dyslexia and ADHD learners
Expert guidance from a nationally board-certified educator with 20+ years of experience