Literacy is a social justice issue! One of the obstacles that prevents children from being proficient readers and spellers is access to knowledge. Phonological awareness skills and oral language are the foundation of literacy skills. These building blocks can be achieved through play and should be connected to phonics. Creating strong phoneme-grapheme connections will support all children on their literacy journey. In this workshop, participants will be able to identify key phonological and phonemic awareness skills and discover ways to engage learners through playing with words, picture books, and multisensory activities