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Classroom Activity #1: Sound Hopscotch

The first activity teachers can use to teach phonemic awareness is Sound Hopscotch. To prepare this activity, the teacher should create a hopscotch board with different phonemes in each square. As students hop from square to square they say the sound out loud. An alternative to this game would be that the teacher calls out a word (cat) and the student hops to the sounds they hear in the word (/c/ /a/ /t/). “Phonological and phonemic awareness are important pre-reading skills, related to the ability to hear, identify, and play with the sounds in spoken language” (Reading Rockets).

One way to differentiate this activity is to create a tabletop version with cards or a touch screen (boom cards for example). This allows students with mobility issues to participate. Another way to differentiate this activity is to allow students with speech delays to receptively answer the phonemes.

Classroom Activity #2: Mystery Sound Bag

In this activity, the teacher places objects or pictures in a bag. Students can reach in, pull out an item, and identify the beginning, middle, or ending sound. Teacher can support by providing word prompts or visual charts. To differentiate this activity, tactile objects can be used to allow students with visual impairments to participate. For non verbal students, images or objects can be paired up with sign language, visual cards, or AAC devices.

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Classroom Activity #1: Letter-Sound Sorting Station

In this activity, students sort picture cards into piles based on their beginning or ending letter sound. Students tend to learn and memorize letter-sounds better through hands on activities. In the article, Systematic Phonics Instruction Helps Students Learn to Read, students were "taught hand gestures to help them remember the letter-sound associations" (Ehri et al., 2001). For students with learning disabilities, the number of choices can be reduced and should be repeatedly exposed to target sounds. Use high-contrast visuals or audio prompts for students with sensory needs.

Classroom Activity #2: Build-a-Word Center

In this activity, students will use letters (magnets, foam, etc) to build CVC words after hearing or seeing a picture cue. To differentiate for students who need extra support, provide letter choices or visuals that have color coded vowels and consonants.

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Classroom Activity #1: Word of the Day Journal

In this activity, the teacher shall introduce a new vocabulary word daily. The teacher writes the new vocabulary word on the board and uses it in a sentence. Students then draw a picture and write their own sentence using that word.

To differentiate for students with fine motor challenges, allow them to use their AAC device. For ELL students, provide sentence starters or visuals.

Classroom Activity #2: Vocabulary Charades

In this activity, students act out new vocabulary words while their peers guess. This builds understanding through movement and context. For students with physical or expressive language challenges, offer picture-based charades cards or partner them with peers for co-acting. Use simplified language or visual cues as needed.

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Classroom Activity #1: Echo Reading with Poetry

In this activity, teachers will read a short poem aloud and have students echo each line with matching tone and expression. The poem "Storm" by Elizabeth Swados is a great example of a poem that can be used for this activity because it uses words that can change the reader's voice such as "BOOM" and "CRACK". To differentiate this activity, record the poem and allow students to listen and practice independently. Offer visual cue cards for students with hearing impairments or anxiety about reading aloud.

Classroom Activity #2: Partner Reading with Roles

In this activity the teacher will pair students up to read short, familiar texts. One student will play the role of the reader, while the other student is coach who helps the reader practice expression or pacing by reminding them. To differentiate, students will use leveled texts to match reading ability and assign roles flexibly based on strengths. For students who need extra support, allow audio playback of the text or provide sentence-by-sentence reading breaks.

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Classroom Activity #1: Story Retelling with Props

After reading a story, provide students with character or object props and have them retell the story in their own words using the props as cues. "When students follow the retelling routine, they engage with the text more than once. That’s particularly helpful for students who struggle with working memory or language processing. When they read the text the first time, they can read for a general understanding. Their first retelling can help you find any gaps in their understanding and be ready to ask specific questions" (Kelley, 2020). To differentiate this activity, use visuals or sequencing boards for students who need structure. Offer sentence frames or partner support for ELLs and students with language processing issues. "For all students — and particularly for ELLs — previewing the text and reading multiple times gives them many chances to interact with new vocabulary and text structures" (Kelley, 2020).

Classroom Activity #2: Think-Aloud Charting

During read-alouds, model thinking strategies like predicting or making connections and chart students' thoughts on a class anchor chart. To differentiate this activity, use symbols or images for students who benefit from visual supports. Provide alternative response formats (e.g., drawing, pointing, or verbal responses) to meet diverse communication needs.

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"I Spy"

Play a version of “I Spy” that focuses on sounds rather than letters (e.g., “I spy something that starts with the /b/ sound”).
This game strengthens sound discrimination and listening skills in a playful, pressure-free environment. For students with exceptionalities, the game can be made visual using picture cards or real objects to match the sounds, supporting learners with speech or language delays.

Reading Rockets – https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/phonological-and-phonemic-awareness

Reading Rockets offers simple, research-based activities, articles and tips to help families support sound awareness at home. Activities are easy to adapt with visuals or audio support, making them accessible for a wide range of learners.

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Explore reading basics as well as the key role of background knowledge and motivation in becoming a lifelong reader and learner. Watch our PBS Launching Young Readers series and try our self-paced Reading 101 course to deepen your understanding.

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Letter Hunt

Encourage children to find objects around the house that begin with a target letter, for example find things that start with “s”.
This activity connects letter-sound relationships to real-world items, building decoding skills. Children with learning differences can benefit from having a visual list of letters with pictures or using AAC tools to name items.

StarFall - https://www.starfall.com/h/

Starfall’s interactive phonics games provide engaging, self-paced practice with letter-sound relationships. The animations and audio support make it highly accessible for students with speech, language, or cognitive delays.

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Starfall Education: Kids Games, Movies, Books & Music for K-5 and above

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At Starfall, children have fun while they learn - specializing in reading, phonics & math - educational games, movies, books, songs, and more for children K-5 and above.

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Family Word Jar
Each day, choose a new word from a story or daily conversation, write it on a slip of paper, and place it in a “Word Jar.” Revisit and use the words in sentences during the week.
This helps reinforce word meanings through repetition and shared conversation. For exceptional learners, families can use images, sentence starters, or gestures to reinforce word meaning.

Endless Reader - https://www.originatorkids.com/endless-reader-2/

Endless Reader is an interactive educational app designed to teach young children sight words and early reading skills through animated characters and engaging word puzzles. Each word is introduced with fun visuals, letter matching, and a short sentence that models its use in context. The app supports early literacy development by combining phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension in a playful, developmentally appropriate way for PreK to early elementary learners.

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Echo Reading with a Favorite Book

Parent reads a sentence aloud, then the child repeats it with the same rhythm and expression. Choose predictable, familiar books for confidence building.
This practice supports pacing, expression, and confidence in early readers. For students with exceptionalities, use books with audio narration or simplify sentence lengths to reduce frustration.

PBS Kids - https://pbskids.org/games/reading

PBS Kids offers interactive story-based games that promote fluency through repetition, predictable patterns, and engaging characters. The audio and visual features help support students with reading challenges or attention needs.

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Explore reading and play games with your favorite PBS KIDS characters like Elmo, Molly of Denali, Clifford, WordGirl, and Daniel Tiger!

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Story Sequencing with Pictures

After reading a story together, draw or print three to four pictures from key story events. Ask your child to place them in order and retell the story.
This helps children build narrative structure and recall details. For children with learning or communication difficulties, adults can provide sentence frames or offer yes/no questions to guide the retelling.

ReadWorks - https://www.readworks.org/

ReadWorks offers a vast library of free, high-quality reading passages and comprehension questions tailored for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The platform provides texts across various topics and genres, accompanied by vocabulary support and question sets to enhance understanding. Its structured approach helps young readers develop critical thinking and comprehension skills. For students with exceptionalities, ReadWorks allows for differentiation through adjustable reading levels and the option to have texts read aloud, making it accessible to a diverse range of learners.

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ReadWorks | Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization

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ReadWorks is an edtech nonprofit organization that is committed to helping to solve America’s reading comprehension crisis.