Dysorthographia and phonological awareness

Phonological awareness is a skill that is rarely talked about, yet it plays a central role in learning to write. In many children with dysorthographia, it is fragile. Understanding what it is will help you better grasp your child’s difficulties, and support them with simple games at home. You will also discover simple games to play as a family.

What is phonological awareness

Phonological awareness is the ability to notice that words are made of small pieces of sound, and to play with those pieces. It makes it possible to split a word into syllables, spot a sound, find rhymes or remove a sound from a word. It is a skill we use without thinking about it, but it requires genuine learning.

It develops gradually, starting in nursery school. A child first begins to spot syllables (“cha-peau”), then rhymes, then the smallest sounds, called phonemes (“ch-a-p-o”). These stages follow one another naturally in most children.

It is an oral skill: one can have it well developed without being able to read. But it is essential for learning to read and write, because writing precisely records these small sounds. That is why it is worked on from nursery school onwards.

Why it matters for writing

To write a new word, the child must split it into sounds, in the right order, then match each sound with the right letters. If the splitting is imprecise, the writing will be too. Each splitting error translates directly into a spelling error.

A child whose phonological awareness is fragile will leave out sounds, reverse them or confuse similar-sounding sounds. They may write “tabe” for “table” or “cocholat” for “chocolat”. These errors sometimes make words hard to recognise.

These difficulties are typical of phonological dysorthographia. They can also hinder reading, hence the frequent link with dyslexia. The two disorders often share this same underlying fragility.

Signs of fragile phonological awareness

In nursery school, the child struggles to find words that rhyme, to say which sound a word begins with, or to clap the syllables of a word. Nursery rhymes and sound games hold little interest for them. They may also have had a speech delay or mispronounced sounds when younger.

In CP (the first year of primary school), they struggle to blend sounds to read (“b” and “a” make “ba”) and to split words in order to write them. They confuse sounds that are close to the ear, such as “f” and “v”. They may also find it hard to remember nursery rhymes and songs.

Later on, these difficulties show up in spelling, especially with long and unfamiliar words. The earlier these signs are spotted, the better. See the signs in nursery school.

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How it is assessed

The speech and language therapist assesses phonological awareness during the assessment, using oral tasks: removing the first sound of a word, reversing two syllables, counting sounds, spotting rhymes. These exercises are done orally, without reading or writing.

They also assess the perception of similar sounds, by having the child repeat pairs of words or syllables that differ by only one sound, such as “pain” and “bain”. These tasks are very revealing when it comes to understanding the difficulties.

These tests are standardised, which makes it possible to know whether the child is within the norm for their age. They also make it possible to track progress over the course of the therapy. See the tests used in assessments.

How it is worked on in therapy

The good news is that phonological awareness can be worked on very effectively, especially in young children. It is often one of the first areas of speech and language therapy. Progress is often quick and encouraging.

The speech and language therapist offers progressive exercises, often in the form of games: syllables, rhymes, then isolated sounds. They use visual aids, counters to represent sounds, and gestures associated with each sound. These concrete supports help the child visualise the sounds.

Once phonological awareness is consolidated, the work continues on writing, so that the child transfers these skills to spelling. The link between speech and writing is then strengthened. See the therapy.

Games to play at home

Rhyming games are a good starting point: finding a word that rhymes with “bateau”, completing a nursery rhyme, inventing funny sentences with rhymes. In the car or at the table, it only takes a few minutes. These games can become small family rituals.

The game of “I’m going on a journey” with words that start with the same sound, or the “word that loses its head” (“lapin” without the “l” gives “apin”) are also very effective. Children love these games, which resemble riddles.

Clapping the syllables of family members’ first names, looking for the odd one out in a list of words, guessing a word said in pieces: anything goes as long as it stays a game. A few minutes a day is enough to make a real difference.

Acting early

The earlier phonological awareness is worked on, the easier learning to write becomes. If your child has difficulties with sounds in grande section (the final year of nursery school), do not wait to raise it. Nursery teachers also pay close attention to these skills.

The school doctor carries out an assessment around age 6 that can spot these weaknesses. Your GP can also prescribe a speech and language assessment if the difficulties are clear. The assessment will show whether therapy is needed.

Even without a confirmed disorder, a child who regularly plays with sounds arrives better equipped at CP. These games are beneficial for all children, with or without a disorder. See the role of the school doctor.

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Questions that keep coming up

At what age to work on phonological awareness ?

From nursery school onwards, through games. It is particularly important in grande section, just before learning to read and write at CP. Rhyming and syllable games are ideal at this age.

Does fragile phonological awareness mean dysorthographia ?

Not necessarily, but it is a risk factor. If difficulties persist in CP and CE1 despite teaching, a speech and language assessment is recommended. Early identification makes it possible to act before the difficulties become entrenched.

Are games at home enough ?

They help a great deal, but they do not replace therapy if a disorder has been diagnosed. They are an excellent complement, to be done in connection with the speech and language therapist. Ask the speech and language therapist for advice to choose the most useful games.