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Understanding the Tolman Hourglass
What if all teachers understood the implications of the Tolman Hourglass Figure?
At Hartwell The Educators University, all graduates learn how the Tolman Hourglass Figure informs phonological awareness.
The Tolman Hourglass Figure is a powerful visual representation that illustrates the development of phonological awareness and the acquisition of the alphabetic principle, which are essential components of reading instruction. This model, developed by Dr. Carol Tolman, depicts the progression from larger units of language (words and syllables) to smaller units (onset-rime and phonemes), and ultimately to the understanding of the alphabetic principle (grapheme-phoneme correspondences).[1][2]
At the top of the hourglass, students begin by developing awareness of words and syllables, which are larger units of spoken language. As they move down the hourglass, they gain an understanding of onset rhyme (the initial consonant sound and the remaining vowel and consonant sounds in a syllable) and phonemic awareness (the ability to manipulate individual sounds or phonemes within words).[1]
Once students have developed strong phonemic awareness skills, they can then progress to the bottom of the hourglass, where they learn the alphabetic principle – the understanding that letters represent sounds in written language. This knowledge is crucial for decoding and encoding words accurately.[2]
The Tolman Hourglass Figure serves as a valuable tool for educators, as it provides a clear roadmap for teaching phonological awareness and phonics in a systematic and explicit manner. By following this progression, teachers can effectively support students in developing the foundational skills necessary for successful reading and writing.[1][2]
About Hartwell – The Educators University
Hartwell is dedicated to empowering K-12 education leaders by fostering the growth of their people into competent and compassionate educators and leaders. Our mission is to ensure every child is taught by educators trained from a biblical worldview, emphasizing both excellence and empathy. Through our affordable online pathways to education degrees, we make careers in K-12 education accessible to everyone, enabling a new generation of teachers and leaders to inspire and educate future generations.
Discover more about our programs and scholarship opportunities at Hartwell.
Citations:
[1] https://www.reallygreatreading.com/six-layers-phonemic-awareness
[2] https://heggerty.org/resources/blog-post/what-is-phonological-awareness/
[3] https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/SES/legal/decisions/23FC.pdf
[4] https://www.drupal.org/files/issues/1497290-zxcvbn-password-strength-meter-47.patch