The educator helps children to:

• notice and identify different sounds
• notice similarities and differences between individual or groups of sounds.

Teaching sound discrimination 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 manipulation
• once letter-sound correspondence has been introduced, use all three in combination.

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.

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).

Practices educators can use to deliver this approach include:

• Naming and labelling: providing a name or label for an object, concept, action or skill. For example, after playing lots of musical instruments, the educator encourages the children to label the sounds they heard
• Completion: leaving a blank or gap for the child to fill in. For example, the educator sings ​“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, once I saw a fish…”, leaving a gap for children to say the rhyming word ​‘alive’
• Emphasis: highlighting key information through comments, intonation and gesture. For example, the educator exaggerates the word ​‘slowly’ by stretching it out, and encourages the children to mimic by playing their instruments slowly
• Making links: enabling children to make connections between thoughts, actions, knowledge or experiences. For example, the educator says a rhyming string (such as sat, mat, cat). They encourage children to identify other words that share similar sounds
  Imitation: copying a word, sound or gesture. For example, while reading a story, the educator makes animal noises for the children to imitate as they join in.