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Authored by Lori Jurjovec, one of the authors of Bridge the Gap 2025, this blog post introduces our revamped phonemic awareness intervention tailored for older readers from second grade and beyond. With enhanced resources and targeted support, Bridge the Gap 2025 ensures every student receives the intervention they need to thrive as proficient readers.

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Our popular phonemic awareness intervention, Bridge the Gap, has been revised and improved, and we are thrilled to announce the release of Bridge the Gap 2025! Specifically designed to assist students from second grade and above who struggle with proficient word reading, Bridge the Gap 2025 is your ultimate tool for identifying gaps in phonemic awareness and providing tailored intervention support. With this new edition, we continue our commitment to empowering all students to thrive as proficient readers.

Why Phonemic Awareness Matters for Older Students

Phonemic awareness is often the missing piece for older students who struggle with word reading, yet it is not always included in intervention programs for this age group. The research underscores its importance:

  • “Phonemic awareness is needed for efficient sight word learning.” Ehri (2004) 
  • “Older struggling readers may still have difficulty decoding words accurately. Phonemic awareness helps them understand the relationship between sounds and letters, essential for decoding unfamiliar words”. Dr. David Kilpatrick (2016)
  • “Without strong phonemic awareness skills, older struggling readers may read slowly and with poor fluency. They may struggle to segment words into individual sounds and blend them back together, impeding reading speed and comprehension.” Moats (2023) 
  • “Including phonemic awareness in intervention programs for older struggling readers can fill foundational reading skill gaps and provide a stronger basis for further reading development.” Wanzek et al. (2016)

Bridge the Gap 2025 offers a solution to support older students with phonemic awareness deficits through targeted, streamlined instruction based on assessment results.

What’s New in Bridge the Gap 2025?

Bridge the Gap 2025 showcases Heggerty’s responsiveness, dedication, and commitment to providing solutions that align with the latest research and reflect our desire to listen to teacher feedback. Here are the exciting new features and improvements:

  • More Lessons—More lessons are offered for each skill, and many skills also include additional lessons if more time is needed for instruction. This updated version also contains word lists that can be used to create custom lessons with specific phonics patterns or a specific number of phonemes.
  • Targeted Instruction—As with our previous edition, lessons will address specific needs based on placement assessment results.  Updates to the placement assessment and progress monitoring forms allow for more error analysis to identify and close unique skill gaps more quickly and efficiently. 
  • Immediate Phoneme-Grapheme Connection—Each lesson now included this connection to reinforce the relationship between letters and sounds.
  • New Resources—Word Lists, Phrases, and Sentences: These resources support more application opportunities for students, reinforcing phoneme-grapheme mapping and authentic decoding practice.
  • Embedded Teacher Support—Teachers build instructional knowledge through the explicit language provided within the lessons and assessment administration, ensuring minimal prep and planning. Additional support is included throughout the manual within overview pages focused on skill and within the Anchor Lessons provided.  Additionally, On-demand professional development modules in myHeggerty ensure teachers have the necessary knowledge and tools.
  • Revised Curriculum Structure—Syllables have been removed, and lessons now focus solely on the phoneme level. Lessons are adaptable and designed to strengthen specific phonemic awareness skills in a systematic progression of development based on individual placement assessment results. 

Curriculum Highlights

Bridge the Gap 2025 is broken into three parts:

  • Part 1: Phoneme Isolation
  • Part 2: Blending & Segmenting
  • Part 3: Phoneme Manipulation (adding, deleting, substituting)

Based on placement assessment results, teachers will target specific skills needing further instruction. Over 100 lessons are included to support instruction, and new resources have been added to offer application opportunities to print and further guide instruction.

  • Audience: Designed for students in 2nd grade and above
  • Setting: Ideal for individual or small group instruction (up to 5 students)
  • Lesson Length: Short, impactful sessions to strengthen phonemic awareness lasting 5-7 minutes
  • Skill Focus: Each lesson targets 2-3 different skills, ensuring comprehensive coverage and mastery

Why Choose Bridge the Gap 2025?

Bridge the Gap 2025 equips teachers with everything they need to identify gaps in older learners’ phonemic awareness skills and provide tailored intervention support, empowering all students to thrive as proficient readers!

For more information and to get started with Bridge the Gap 2025, visit our website or contact our support team today!

Let’s bridge the gap together and build a brighter future for our students!

Works Cited

Ehri, L. C. (2004). Teaching phonemic awareness and phonics: An explanation of the National Reading Panel meta-analyses. In P. McCardle & V. Chhabra (Eds.), The voice of evidence in reading research (pp. 153-186). Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

Kilpatrick, D. A. (2016). Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties. Wiley.

Moats, L. C. (2023). Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers (3rd ed.). Brookes Publishing.

Wanzek, J., Vaughn, S., Scammacca, N. K., Metz, K., Murray, C. S., Roberts, G., & Danielson, L. (2016). Meta-analyses of the effects of Tier 2 type reading interventions in grades K-3. Educational Psychology Review, 28(3), 551-576.

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Lori Jurjovec

Lori is an experienced educator and certified Orton Gillingham instructor who has worked as a classroom teacher and a private tutor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Lori has worked with students at all levels on the dyslexia spectrum, from early learners to illiterate adults. She is driven by her own experience as a classroom teacher who felt ill-prepared to help older students struggling with decoding and fluency and the empowerment of then learning how to help students push past the roadblocks of dyslexia through systematic, explicit instruction that is rooted in science.

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