đź”— Save on the Kindergarten ELA Bundle
Show notes:
If your phonemic awareness lessons feel repetitive and your students still are not getting it, you are not alone.
Many kindergarten classrooms rely on daily routines like Heggerty for phonemic awareness. While these routines provide structure and consistency, they do not always work for every student.
In this episode of The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast, we are talking about what to do when phonemic awareness in kindergarten is not clicking and how to support students with hands-on, visual activities that actually help them build these critical early literacy skills.
Phonemic awareness is a foundational skill for reading, but it is also:
For many students, especially struggling learners and English language learners, this makes it difficult to fully understand and apply these skills.
Repeating the same routine over and over again is not always enough.
You may notice:
This is a sign that students need a different type of support, not just more repetition.
Instead of relying only on verbal practice, students need phonemic awareness to be:
Moving from “say it and repeat it” to “see it, touch it, and do it” helps students actually understand sounds instead of guessing.
You can support phonemic awareness skills like:
These strategies give students something concrete to connect to while learning abstract skills.
These strategies are especially helpful for:
Hands-on phonemic awareness activities allow all students to access these skills at their level.
Teaching Exceptional Kinders Links and Resources:
The Kindergarten Writing Toolbox
The Kindergarten Management Toolbox
Follow me on Instagram @teachingexceptionalkinders
More about The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast
Welcome to The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast, your go-to guide for creating calmer classrooms and more confident writers in the wonderfully unique world of kindergarten.
I’m Amy Murray — former kindergarten teacher, Type C “organized-in-piles” human, and vanilla-latte enthusiast. After years of helping teachers streamline their classroom routines with tips and tools that actually make sense for 5- and 6-year-olds, I created this podcast to support you with the practical strategies you’ve been craving.
Each episode is short, actionable, and designed to help you:
âś” simplify classroom management
âś” reduce behavior chaos with systems that stick
âś” teach writing in a way that meets beginning writers where they are
âś” build routines that make your day flow
âś” use visuals, tools, and expectations that really work in K
Whether you’re a brand-new kindergarten teacher or a seasoned pro looking for clarity and calm, you’ll find step-by-step support to help you feel more confident and in control.
Because kindergarten isn’t just the new first grade, it’s a world all its own, and you deserve tools that actually work.
Hit follow so you never miss an episode…
Here’s to calmer days and more confident writers!
