What is a recommended practice for teachers when teaching sound isolation?

The recommended practice of showing how phonemes can vary across different words is important because it helps students understand the flexibility and variability of phonemic sounds within the English language. This approach allows learners to recognize that while a phoneme may sound the same in isolation, its articulation can be influenced by the surrounding phonetic context in actual words. This understanding fosters greater phonemic awareness, critical for tasks like decoding and spelling.

Using only isolated phonemes, focusing solely on initial phonemes, or encouraging rapid phoneme identification could limit students' exposure to the broader phonetic constructs and may not provide them with the tools necessary to apply their phonemic understanding in varied contexts. By demonstrating the variability of phonemes across different words, teachers prepare students to navigate the complexities of spoken language, thus enhancing their overall literacy skills.