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Sound Detective Game- Level 1: Initial Sound

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Sound Detective Game- Level 1: Initial Sound

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Students become sound detectives! The teacher says a one-syllable word, and the student isolates the first sound. For example, the teacher says, "What is the first sound you hear in 'hat'?" The students should respond with "/h/" in a short clipped manner without adding on an /u/ sounds. The video above goes into more detail on this for clarification.

Example words:

-map, tug, chat, nob, dig, when, fish, zip, quiz

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HERE is a link to the Dolche word list. Our adopted phonics program, 95% Group, incorporates this list into their curriculum. This list is a good guide for parents to use when supporting their child in recognizing words in a snap.

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Sound Detective Game- Level 2: Final Sound

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Sound Detective Game- Level 2: Final Sound

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Students become sound detectives! The teacher says a word, and the student has to determine the final sound. Using motions always helps students solidify concepts. The attached video shows how to "punch" the final sound in one-syllable short and long vowel words.

Example words:

-ram, gas, tin, bell, top, cad, tack, hut

-game, rain, leaf, night, toad, cube

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Sometimes it is hard to think of 3-letter words (CVC words) on the spur of the moment. HERE is a website with lists of CVC words by their vowel sounds.

CVC Word Lists

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Sound Detective Game- Level 3: Middle Sound

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Sound Detective Game- Level 3: Middle Sound

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Students become sound detectives! Teacher says a word, and students have to identify the middle, or vowel, sound. Use physical movements to make it more engaging - the video shows how your child's classroom teacher may have presented this in class.

Example words:
Beginning sounds: mat, mouse, move
Middle sounds: cat, hat, rat
Ending sounds: hop, tap, map

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Help your child hear short vowel sounds with this quick two-minute drill.

You will need:

-5 index cards (different colors help, but not necessary)

Directions:

1. Write each vowel in lowercase letters on individual cards.

2. Have the student look at your mouth as you say one of the five short vowel sounds.

3. They should repeat the sound and hold up the card that matches the sound, and say, "a says /a/".

4. Once your student is confident with the short vowel in isolation, move on to VC chunks like: -ip, -ot, -ug, -em, at.

5. The final step is to move into CVC words like: bag, set, pin, hot, gum.

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Students practice manipulating phonemes by changing one sound in a word to create new words. Start with simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words.

Example:
Start with 'cat'
Change /c/ to /h/ = hat
Change /h/ to /m/ = mat
Change /t/ to /p/ = map

Make it interactive by having students stand in a line holding letter cards and physically swap positions!

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Create a hopscotch board on the floor using tape or chalk. Students say a word and hop into each square as they segment the word into individual phonemes. For example, for the word 'dog', they would hop three times: /d/ - /o/ - /g/. This activity combines physical movement with phonemic awareness practice.

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Give each student an Elkonin box template (2-4 connected squares) and small manipulatives (buttons, counters, etc.). Say a word, and students push one counter into each box as they say each sound in the word. For example, for 'cat': push a counter into box 1 while saying /c/, box 2 for /a/, and box 3 for /t/.

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Students practice segmenting words by talking like a robot (speaking very slowly and separating all sounds). Teacher says a word normally, and students repeat it 'robot style.' For example:
Teacher: 'dog'
Students: '/d/ /o/ /g/'
Make it fun by having students create robot movements to go along with their robot talk!

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Students sort picture cards based on specific phonemes. For example, sort pictures into groups based on their beginning sounds. Make it collaborative by creating a large sorting mat on the floor and having students work together to place pictures in the correct categories. Extension: Use ending sounds or middle sounds for more advanced practice.

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Play music and have students dance. When the music stops, call out a word. Students must freeze and then say the word with a changed sound. For example:
Teacher: 'Change the /m/ in 'mat' to /k/'
Students: 'cat!'
This combines movement with phonemic manipulation practice.

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Fill a decorated bag with small objects or picture cards. Students take turns pulling an item out and identifying a specific phoneme in the word (beginning, middle, or end sound). Add excitement by having students give clues about the sound they hear before revealing the object to the class.

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Give each student 3-4 stacking cups. Say a word, and students build a tower with one cup for each sound they hear. Then have them touch each cup from bottom to top while saying the sounds in sequence. This provides a visual and tactile representation of phoneme segmentation.

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While you’re out driving in the car, spot something out the window and ask your child, “what rhymes with tree or car or shop?” Then switch roles and have your child spot something and ask you for a rhyme. This can turn into a game of nonsense rhymes (“What rhymes with tree stump?”) but that’s great for practicing sounds, too!

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While at the grocery store, have your child tell you the syllables in different food names. Have them hold up a finger for each word part. Eggplant = egg-plant, two syllables. Pineapple = pine-ap-ple, three syllables. Show your child the sign for each and ask her to say the word.

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Practice beginning sounds with this simple “I spy” game at home, on a walk, or at the grocery store. Choose words with distinctive, easy-to-hear beginning sounds. For example, if you’re in the bathroom you can say, “I spy something red that starts with the “s” ssss sound (soap).”

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Choose a letter sound, then have your child find things around your house that start with the same sound. “Can you find something in our house that starts with the letter “p” pppppp sound? Picture, pencil, pear”

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Using magnetic letters on cookie sheets or a magnetic board, have students build CVC words. Call out a simple word like 'cat,' and have student arrange the letters correctly. Next, have them change only one letter to spell a new word like 'cab'. Continue having the student change only one letter to spell real and make believe words (cab, cob, tob, tib, rib). For differentiation, you can show picture cards instead of saying the words.

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Draw 2-4 boxes on paper. As you say a word slowly, students place a counter or write the corresponding letter in each box, matching the sounds they hear.

Elkonin Box Free Templates and Directions

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Give each student a small dry erase board. Show a picture of a CVC word, and have students write the word independently. Then reveal the correct spelling for self-checking. HERE is a link where you can find free CVC picture cards to download.

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Create a dice game where students roll three dice - one for beginning consonants, one for vowels, and one for ending consonants. Students write down the CVC word formed. Discuss if they made a real word or a silly "monster word".

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Create sorting activities where students group CVC words by their word families (e.g., -at words, -ig words, -op words). Use pictures and words on cards or even sticky notes for sorting.

Word Families:

-ab, -ad, -ag, -am, -an, -ap, -at

-eb, -ed, -eg, em, -en, -et

-ib, -id, -ig, -in, -ip, -it, -ix

-ob, -od, -og, -om, -on, -op, -ot, -ox

-ub, -ud, -ug, -um, -un, -up, -ut

More Advanced:

-ack, -ick, -ock, -uck

-ash, -ish, -ush

-ade, -ake, -ame, -ane, -ape, -ate

-ibe, -ide, -ike, -ile, -ime, -ine, -ipe, -ite, -ive

-obe, -oke, -ole, -ome, -one, -ope

-ube, -ude, -uke, -ule, -ume, -une, -ute

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Hide picture cards of CVC words around the house or classroom. Students find the cards and write the corresponding words on their recording sheet. HERE is a link where you can find free CVC picture cards to download.

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Set up a station with letter stamps and ink pads. Provide picture cards of CVC words, and have students stamp out the correct spelling below each picture. This activity combines fine motor practice with spelling. HERE is a link where you can find free CVC picture cards to download.

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The rules of this version of Tic-Tac-Toe are the same as the original.  Students take turns saving a square by writing in it.  The first student with three squares in a line (either across, down or diagonal) is the winner.

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What a fun way to get those little fingers working! Put a light layer of salt or colored sand on a cookie sheet. Show your student the word they are working on. Have them say the letter names as they write them in the sand. Then, say the whole word as they underline it from left to right. You can make it more fun, like the picture, by lining the tray with colorful paper.

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Help your child to think a bit deeper about their sight words by discussing how many letters, sounds and syllables there are. Discuss what is happening in words like after that have 5 letters but four sounds. Maybe some letters are making an unexpected sound.

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Create a kit that can go on all your travels whether it is to Tahoe or a trip to the pool.

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Write several sight words on a piece of paper and cover each word with cup. Secretly hide a monster, lego character or any small toy of your choice under one of the cups. The student will pick up one cup at a time and read the word underneath. They win when they read the word and find the "monster".

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All you need is a piece of white paper, a white crayon, and a marker. First, write several sight words in white crayon on a piece of paper. Next, your child will hunt for the word by coloring over the paper with a marker. When they reveal the whole word, they read it to you.

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Pull out the old Candy Land game and add sight words to the back of each card.

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This activity can be done with CVC words AND sight words. Give the student a few words to build by copying. I suggest these are words that are newer to the student because they might need more support with them. Have the remaining tiles be letters to a CVC or sight word they are more comfortable with.

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Decodable readers allow students to read texts that are written with phonics concepts they have been explicitly taught, along with grade-appropriate sight words. HERE is the link to Half-Pint Decodables. Each book will start with two lists of "new words". The first list are decodable and the second list is sight words that you will need to make sure your child is familiar with. You will need to explore the three different levels to find the best fit for your child.

Level A: Sights & Sounds

Level A (Sets 1-6) introduces all the consonant sounds, short vowel sounds and 33 sight words.

Level B: Blends & Ends

Level B (Sets 7-12) introduces 16 blends and digraphs, 24 sight words and 4 word endings.

Level C: Moving-A-long

Level C (Sets 13-18) introduces the long vowel sounds, 9 blends, 46 sight words, 4 word endings and more.

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Research has shown that practicing with sentence pyramids will support reading fluency. HERE is a link to this resource. Choose age-appropriate concepts to reinforce.

Extension Activities:

-Write each word in the sentence on small sticky notes and have your child unscramble them.

-To practice handwriting, spacing between words, punctuation, and spelling, have your child rewrite the sentence after unscrambling it.

-To support comprehension, ask who? what? where? when? why? questions.

-For comprehension, have your child illustrate the sentence.

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You will need:

-template

-dice

-playdoh

Directions:

1. Print out THIS template.

2. Select 6 words that your child will focus on. These can be 3-letter short vowel words, words with digraphs or blends, and even sight words.

3. Write one word in each box, but scramble them up in each row.

4. Have your student roll out six small balls of playdoh and place them on the splat marks.

5. The student will roll their dice and read the words in the designated row.

6. When they finish a row, they smash the playdoh ball at the end.

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A picture explains it all!

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This activity hits several skills with one game. Students read the words as they move around the board and practice spelling automaticity when writing them. You can use this for sight words or phonics words. HERE is the link to where you can get the free download.

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This activity supports building phonemic awareness (hearing individual sounds in words) and spelling. Watch the video above for a tutorial. One piece of advice is to stick with short vowel real and nonsense words and add 2-3 letter blends at the beginning and 2-letter blends at the end.

Beginning blends:

-br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr

-bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl

-sc, sk, sm, sn, sp, st

-dw, sw, tw

-scr, shr, spl, spr, squ, str, thr

Final Blends:

-ct, ft, lt, nt, pt, st, xt

-ld, lf, lk, lp

-mp, nch, nd, sk, sp

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HERE is the link to "Speedy Phrases." This activity supports ready fluency and accuracy by practicing phrases over multiple reads.

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HERE is the link to the UFLI master roll and reads by phonics concept. This activity supports automaticy with word recognition.

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"Reading Rockets" is a national initiative that provides resources and information on how young children learn to read, why some struggle, and how caring adults can help.

HERE you will find many ideas about how to make summer a great time for reading, writing, exploring, thinking, creating, and learning with your kids.