Pre-Linguistic Skills 2 – Phonemic Awareness I

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Course Overview

This course provides systematic instruction in foundational phonemic awareness skills for nonverbal autistic students who are beginning to develop spoken language. Through engaging, visually supported lessons, students learn to recognize, discriminate, and identify both short and long vowel sounds. Instruction begins with the short vowels /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/ and gradually progresses to the corresponding long vowel sounds /ā/, /ē/, /ī/, /ō/, /ū/. Lessons incorporate picture matching, sound discrimination, sorting activities, and other structured, interactive tasks designed to strengthen listening skills and build an understanding of the relationship between speech sounds and visual representations. Instruction is delivered using predictable routines, clear modeling, and sensory-friendly supports that promote participation and reduce cognitive demands. By establishing a strong foundation in phonemic awareness, this course helps prepare students for future speech production, early reading skills, and the transition from primarily nonverbal communication to emerging verbal communication. This course is taught by Acellus Course Instructor Hunter Hebron.

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Sample Lesson - Recognizing Long A Sound

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This course was developed by the International Academy of Science. Learn More

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Scope and Sequence

UNIT 1: Short Vowel Sound Awareness Students begin developing the foundational phonemic awareness skills necessary for early speech and literacy by focusing on the five short vowel sounds. Through explicit instruction, visual supports, and repeated listening opportunities, students learn to recognize, discriminate, and match the sounds /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/ in isolation and within simple words. Activities such as picture matching, sound sorting, and visual discrimination help students build auditory attention and establish the sound awareness needed for future speech production and phonics instruction. UNIT 2: Long Vowel Sound Awareness Building on their understanding of short vowel sounds, students learn to identify and discriminate the five long vowel sounds /ā/, /ē/, /ī/, /ō/, and /ū/. Using structured listening activities, picture cues, and visual matching tasks, students practice recognizing long vowel sounds in isolation and in familiar words while distinguishing them from short vowel sounds. Consistent routines and multisensory supports reinforce auditory discrimination and strengthen the phonemic awareness skills that support emerging speech, reading readiness, and expressive communication.