Phonological Awareness in Practice: Building the Foundation for Literacy

Phonological awareness is the foundation of literacy. In this training, you’ll learn why it matters, which skills have the greatest impact on reading and writing, and how to seamlessly integrate them into your lessons. Walk away with research-based strategies you can use immediately to strengthen decoding, fluency, and spelling.

Explore Course

This training will help you see why phonological awareness is critical for reading and writing, understand what specific skills to teach, and learn how to integrate them into your instruction. Participants will learn evidence-based PA strategies to support reading and spelling through engaging, explicit instruction.

Check out the other two courses in this mini-series:
Executive Functioning: The Hidden Foundation of Literacy Success
How to Teach Phonics for Reading and Spelling Success

Presenters

Corey Pollard
M.S.
Corey Pollard is the founder and Executive Director of Ascend SMARTER Intervention, where she helps educators, SLPs, and schools deliver effective, data-driven literacy intervention. With a career that began at Johns Hopkins, Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Children’s Hospital Colorado, Corey has worked alongside leading neuropsychologists, speech-language pathologists, and learning specialists to translate research into practice. Today, she continues to work directly with students with specific learning disabilities. In addition to her clinic work, she is a speaker and trainer who delivers professional development nationwide on structured literacy, intervention systems, and the science of reading.

Learning Objectives

Describe the role of phonological awareness in literacy development and its connection to decoding, fluency, and spelling.
Identify and sequence key phonological awareness skills (e.g., differentiating, blending, segmenting, and manipulating sounds) that support reading and writing outcomes.
Demonstrate evidence-based instructional strategies for teaching phonological awareness across different settings.
Integrate phonological awareness activities into existing lessons using practical scaffolds and supports.
Analyze student performance to determine appropriate next steps for phonological awareness instruction.

Agenda

5 minutes	Welcome & Course Overview
10 minutes	Why Teach Phonological Awareness?
15 minutes	What Skills to Teach
15 minutes	How to Teach Phonological Awareness
10 minutes	Practice & Application
5 minutes	Reflection & Q&A

Disclosures

Financial:	Corey Pollard (she/her) is the founder and Executive Director of Ascend SMARTER Intervention and receives financial compensation from the sale of curriculum and professional development trainings through Ascend Learning & Educational Consulting. Corey is receiving compensation for this course.
Non-Financial:	Corey Pollard (she/her) has no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.
Content:	Corey Pollard has no additional content information to disclose.

ASHA

This course is offered for .1 ASHA CEUs, Introductory Level, Professional Area

To earn ASHA CEUs you must complete the courses by viewing them, provide course feedback, pass the exams with a score of 80 or more, provide your ASHA credentials, and confirm submission.

Phonological Awareness in Practice: Building the Foundation for Literacy: $29.00
Phonological awareness is the foundation of literacy. In this training, you’ll learn why it matters, which skills have the greatest impact on reading and writing, and how to seamlessly integrate them into your lessons. Walk away with research-based strategies you can use immediately to strengthen decoding, fluency, and spelling. Includes access to the recorded course and optional ASHA reporting.

Add-ons

How to Teach Phonics for Reading and Spelling Success

$29.00

Phonics instruction is more than just sounding out words; it’s the foundation for fluent reading and accurate spelling. In this training, you’ll learn the full phonics progression, see how to apply patterns from sounds to connected text, and walk away with research-based strategies and classroom-ready tools for lasting literacy impact. Includes access to the recorded course and optional ASHA reporting.

Executive Functioning: The Hidden Foundation of Literacy Success

$29.00

Executive functioning is the hidden foundation of literacy. In this training, you’ll learn how skills like goal setting, regulation, attention, planning, and reflection directly impact students’ ability to read and write. Discover practical strategies for embedding EF into your lessons to build stronger, more independent learners. Includes access to the recorded course and optional ASHA reporting.