The Effects of Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Interventions: A Systematic Review
Location
Boston 1
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
A key element in early reading development is phonological and phonemic awareness, and explicit instruction is necessary to the development of these sound-based skills (National Reading Panel, 2000). The goal of this review was to examine the effects of interventions for K-3 students to determine the instructional characteristics and features that are effective in building phonological and / or phonemic awareness skills for early elementary students. Data was collected and analyzed from 35 experimental, quasi-experimental, or single case primary studies and found multimodal explicit instruction delivered daily for 20-30 minutes in whole-class settings for students in general education classrooms had effective outcomes for early literacy skills. When multimodal, explicit, and systematic instruction targeted code-based skills in small groups or one-on-one settings for 20-30 minutes each day, English learners, students with disabilities, and at-risk students achieved phonological, phonemic awareness, or word decoding skills. Computer-based instruction for early literacy skills also produced effective results across all student groups.
Keywords
Phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, elementary students
Professional Bio
Dr. Caitlin Criss, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Elementary and Special Education at Georgia Southern University. She uses her passion for positive-based interventions to improve classroom culture for students and teachers. She studies the use of feedback and coaching to increase the use of evidence-based practices in the classroom. In addition to her work with the Kentucky Reading Research Center, her current research projects include increasing teachers’ use of positive-based classroom management practices through performance feedback, goal-setting, and self-monitoring using virtual reality technology.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Ashley Treem, Katilyn M. and Criss, Caitlin, "The Effects of Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Interventions: A Systematic Review" (2026). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 6.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2026/2026/6
The Effects of Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Interventions: A Systematic Review
Boston 1
A key element in early reading development is phonological and phonemic awareness, and explicit instruction is necessary to the development of these sound-based skills (National Reading Panel, 2000). The goal of this review was to examine the effects of interventions for K-3 students to determine the instructional characteristics and features that are effective in building phonological and / or phonemic awareness skills for early elementary students. Data was collected and analyzed from 35 experimental, quasi-experimental, or single case primary studies and found multimodal explicit instruction delivered daily for 20-30 minutes in whole-class settings for students in general education classrooms had effective outcomes for early literacy skills. When multimodal, explicit, and systematic instruction targeted code-based skills in small groups or one-on-one settings for 20-30 minutes each day, English learners, students with disabilities, and at-risk students achieved phonological, phonemic awareness, or word decoding skills. Computer-based instruction for early literacy skills also produced effective results across all student groups.
