1. Sound Matching Game

   • Description: Use picture cards with various objects. Children match pictures with the same beginning sounds.

   • Differentiation: Provide additional visual cues or simplify the task by focusing on one sound at a time for students with exceptionalities.

2. Clap the Syllables

   • Description: Say a word and have children clap out the number of syllables.

   • Differentiation: Use visuals or hand-over-hand assistance for children who need extra support.

At-Home Activity

• Activity: "I Spy" with Sounds

  • Explanation: Parents can play "I Spy" using beginning sounds of objects around the house. This helps children identify and isolate sounds in words.

  • Resource: PBS Kids: Literacy Games. These games reinforce phonemic awareness through interactive play, making learning engaging for all children.

1. Letter-Sound Hopscotch

   • Description: Create a hopscotch grid with letters. Children hop to the letter and say its sound.

   • Differentiation: Use larger, visually distinct letters or provide sound cues for children with exceptionalities.

2. Word Building with Magnetic Letters

   • Description: Use magnetic letters to build simple words on a board.

   • Differentiation: Offer pre-arranged letters for children to match and build words, or use tactile letters for sensory support.

At-Home Activity

• Activity: Letter Hunt

  • Explanation: Parents can go on a letter hunt around the house or neighborhood, finding objects that start with a specific letter.

  • Resource: Starfall: Learn to Read. This website provides engaging phonics activities that support children in learning letter sounds and building words, accommodating different learning paces.

1. Vocabulary Word Wall

   • Description: Create a wall with new words, their definitions, and pictures.

   • Differentiation: Include pictures or symbols for each word to support understanding for students with exceptionalities.

2. Story Time with New Words

   • Description: Read a story and highlight new vocabulary, discussing meanings.

   • Differentiation: Provide visual aids or a glossary with pictures for new words.

At-Home Activity

• Activity: Daily Word Challenge

  • Explanation: Families can introduce a new word each day, using it in sentences and finding it in books or conversations.

  • Resource: Vocabulary.com. This site offers word lists and fun activities to build vocabulary, making it adaptable for different learning needs.

1. Partner Reading

   • Description: Children read a passage with a partner, taking turns.

   • Differentiation: Pair fluent readers with emerging readers for peer support and model fluent reading.

2. Reader’s Theater

   • Description: Children perform a scripted play, practicing expressive reading.

   • Differentiation: Provide scripts with larger fonts or simplified text for students with exceptionalities.

At-Home Activity

• Activity: Echo Reading

  • Explanation: Parents read a sentence and the child echoes it back, focusing on expression and pace.

  • Resource: Raz-Kids. This website provides leveled books and activities to improve reading fluency, suitable for varying reading abilities.

1. Story Mapping

   • Description: After reading a story, children create a map of the main events.

   • Differentiation: Use visual aids or provide pre-made templates for students who need extra support.

2. Question-Answer Relationships (QAR)

   • Description: Teach children to identify different types of questions (e.g., "right there" questions vs. "think and search" questions).

   • Differentiation: Offer visual cues or sentence starters for answering questions.

At-Home Activity

• Activity: Story Retelling

  • Explanation: Parents read a story and then ask the child to retell it in their own words, focusing on key details.

  • Resource: Reading Rockets. This site offers strategies and resources for improving reading comprehension, adaptable for all learners.