The educator helps children learn how to change sounds. For example, how to:

• alter them (for example, from fast to slow or loud to soft)
• break them down (for example, breaking a word down into syllables)
• combine them (for example, blendingCombining individual sounds to say a whole word. phonemesA phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that you can hear in a word. to form a word)
• swap sounds (for example, changing ​‘dog’ to ​‘log’ to start a rhyming string).

Teaching sound manipulation usually begins with non-word sounds. For example, musical instruments or animal noises. Then, smaller units of sound, such as individual speech sounds (phonemesA phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that you can hear in a word.).

This approach can have a positive impact on children’s early literacy outcomes.

Based on the evidence, educators should:

• use this approach alongside teaching sound discrimination
• continue to use this approach once letter-sound correspondence has been introduced.

In the studies we reviewed, these approaches were often combined with others. For example, with communication and language approaches. Or as part of an early literacy curriculum, or during Interactive reading.

Therefore, we recommend using them together. This is because:

• they are likely to be mutually reinforcing
• we can be more confident about their combined impact than when used alone.

Studies indicate that these approaches can influence a range of outcomes when used together. For example, children’s ability to identify rhymes and pair letters with their sounds. It can also support segmentingBreaking spoken words into their individual sounds. and blendingCombining individual sounds to say a whole word., spelling, and reading.

In some studies, educators used EdTech​‘EdTech’ includes many different approaches and devices, from robots to interactive apps and games, to support children’s learning., in combination with multimedia e‑books Electronic books that include animation, music or sound effects.. It is important to note:

• these studies showed a positive impact
• educator-led activities (without EdTech​‘EdTech’ includes many different approaches and devices, from robots to interactive apps and games, to support children’s learning.) may have a stronger positive impact.

Therefore, educators should consider whether EdTech​‘EdTech’ includes many different approaches and devices, from robots to interactive apps and games, to support children’s learning. and multimedia e‑books Electronic books that include animation, music or sound effects. are likely to enhance their teaching. We also recommend that educators use their professional judgement to manage children’s screen time.

Most studies do not describe the educators’ role in detail. Instead, they include activities (such as games, songs or nursery rhymes) that educators use to teach this approach.

For example, well-chosen songs and nursery rhymes create opportunities to build phonological awareness. In the studies we reviewed, educators used those which include alliterationWhen words next to, or close to one another, begin with the same sound (such as ​‘Sammy the snake slithered’). or rhyme. This may have been to help children:

• identify alliterationWhen words next to, or close to one another, begin with the same sound (such as ​‘Sammy the snake slithered’). and rhyme (sound discrimination)
• practise alliterationWhen words next to, or close to one another, begin with the same sound (such as ​‘Sammy the snake slithered’). and rhyme (sound manipulation).

Educators could also use games during this approach. In some studies, educators used games to help children classify sounds. For example, they encouraged children to group pictures of things that start with the same sound.

In others, educators used games to help children break words down into syllables and phonemesA phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that you can hear in a word., or to isolate the onsetOnset is the initial consonant or consonant blend at the beginning of a syllable. For example, the onset of ​‘chat’ is ​‘ch’. The onset of frog is ​‘fr’.  and rimeRime is the letters that follow the onset. For example, the rime of ​‘chat’ is ​‘at’. The rime of ​‘frog’ is ​‘og’. . For example, by syllable clappingClapping or tapping once per ​‘beat’ or syllable in a word. For example, ​‘cat’ = 1 clap. ​‘Banana’ = 3 claps (ba-na-na). or moving plastic tiles to represent each sound in a word.

Practices educators can use during this approach include:

• Demonstrating: showing children how to do something. For example, while singing with the children, the educator demonstrates how they change the shape of their mouth to sing loudly, and then quietly. They encourage the children to join in and experiment with altering the volume of their voices
• Emphasis: highlighting key information through comments, intonation and gesture. For example, the educator notices that some children found it hard to join in with a repeated phrase in a familiar story. She says, ​‘I think that is hard to say because trip and trap start with the same sound’. She draws out the sounds, ​‘Trrrip, trrrap. Can you hear that?’
• SegmentingBreaking spoken words into their individual sounds.: breaking spoken words into their individual sounds.
  For example, the educator segments a word to provide children with a clue during a game. They say, ​‘I spy with my little eye, something that sounds like ​“h‑a-t”’
• BlendingCombining individual sounds to say a whole word.: combining individual sounds to say a whole word. For example, the educator has a set of grapheme cards arranged to spell ​‘hat’. After pointing to each card and saying the individual sounds aloud, the educator follows up with ​“Hat. H‑a-t spells ​‘hat’”
• Repetition: intentionally repeating and reinforcing a taught concept in different contexts, over time. For example, the educator claps a different rhythm each day at tidy-up time. Through this routine, children ​‘tune in’ so they can copy the rhythm of the day, reinforcing that sounds can be changed
• Encouraging practice: ensuring that children have opportunities to practise what they have learned. For example, the educator carefully selects games, books and songs that prompt children to practice and experiment with sound manipulation.