In what order should students work with sounds?

The sequence of working with sounds, starting with initial sounds, is beneficial because it aligns with the way children develop phonemic awareness and decoding skills. Initial sounds are often the easiest for students to identify; they provide a clear starting point for recognizing words and can help in building confidence as students learn to manipulate sounds in words.

Beginning with initial sounds allows students to practice and hear how changing the initial sound of a word can create new words, which is a foundational skill in reading and literacy development. Following this with final and then medial sounds introduces more complexity gradually. Final sounds can be identified next as they are also distinct parts of words, while medial sounds are often more challenging, as they are less prominent and can be harder to isolate within words.

This structured approach promotes a systematic development of phonemic awareness that supports effective reading strategies.