1. I spy first sounds: For this activity select sounds that are distinct and easy to hear for example /t/ for T (Reading Rockets, 2024). Begin playing the game by saying I spy with my little eye something that begins with the letter T. The students can collaborate together in the classroom to find the object. Offer students positive encouragement if they find objects the begin with the letter T, but are not the objects spied. For example I see you found the puzzle, do you hear the /t/ in puzzle emphasizing the beginning sound in puzzle. To differentiate the activity the teacher can model proper mouth and tongue placements and repeat the sound they hear. This teaching practice will benefit English Language Learners and students with learning barriers. This practice helps students understand the physical aspect of letter production.

2. Clap it out this activity focuses syllables on the students listening skills. First describe what a syllable is and how to identify them by feeling them. Explain that syllables are big pieces of words and some words have one syllable (cat), some have two (mango) and some have three or more (banana) (Reading Rockets, 2024). The next step is to explain that every time your chin goes down, that is one syllable. Educators can differentiate this activity for example gifted students that have grasped the concept can move on to more syllables. Students who are struggling can continue to practice the one syllable concept. An example of an engaging activity would include having the students count the syllables in their peer's names.

At-Home Activity and Family Resource

1. At-home Activity: Sound scavenger hunt select a letter and have the child look around the home to find things around the home that begin with that letter.

2. Resource: This resource provides activities that support phonemic awareness for parent and child. https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/activities/articles/activities-encourage-your-preschooler

1. The Sound Mapping activity the teacher says the target word clearly and have the student repeat it. Ask the student to identify and count the sounds in the word by using small cubes to represent each sound. Provide students with sound boxes to visually represent the sounds. Then have the student read the word sliding their finger under the letters to reinforce the connection between sounds and spelling. Students who are struggling can collaborate with peers for additional support. For students who are gifted they may be able to move on to diagraphs.(cassiacreations@outlook.com, 2024)

2. Phonics Bingo activity provide students with Bingo cards and tokens on the cards their should be random letters, words, or pictures related to phonics. Give each student a card and have them cover the free space. call out a sound or word to emphasize the sound or segment the word into phonemes. Students will look for the matching sound on their card and mark their cards. For example if the teacher calls the sound /b/ the student covers the B. The first student to get a straight line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally shouts Bingo and wins. Confirm the win by checking the card and play again. To differentiate this game for learning barriers the teacher can pair students together. For gifted students teachers can provide more challenging other shapes such as X or a square.

At-Home Activities:

Fridge Fun, magnetic letter activity use magnetic letters on the refrigerator to call out simple words clearly emphasizing the sound of each letter and have the child create simple

words.

Reading Rockets. (2024). Phonics and Decoding: Activities for Your Kindergartener | Reading Rockets. Www.readingrockets.org. https://www.readingrockets.org/literacy-home/reading-101-guide-parents/your-kindergartener/phonics-and-decoding-activities

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Heggerty Phonemic Awareness. (2021, January 14). A Video for Parents: What is Phonemic Awareness? YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvMog7045bw

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cassiacreations@outlook.com. (2024, February 13). Phonemic awareness lesson plans. 95 Percent Group. https://www.95percentgroup.com/insights/phonemic-awareness-lesson-plans/

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1. Memory Word Match The students will match words to corresponding meanings while playing the memory game. Place the memory match cards face down in rows. Taking turns students select two cards, read or name them orally, and determine if cards match. If there is a match pick up the cards and place them to the side and take another turn. If cards do not match return them to their original places. Reverse roles and continue until all matches are made. Extensions and adaptations use other sets of cards for example abbreviations for gifted students and visuals for students with learning barriers.

2. Finding Words in Book While reading a story select a term in the book that is often repeated and is a new vocabulary word to introduce to students. For example in the book Biscuit the teacher can introduce "play" and explain that it means to exercise or do an activity that is fun. They can then write the word on paper or whiteboards and ask the students to spot out the word as we read they can make their hands into glasses and the teacher will call on them to point it out and say and and define the word. This activity can be differentiated by asking gifted students to spell the word and for students with learning barriers using visuals will support their learning.

At-Home Activity Grocery Store Vocabulary use items on the grocery store shelf to give your child practice finding above their bellybutton, below their nose, on the bottom shelf, and between other items on the shelf. Giving them opportunities to use superlatives, those little endings helping them describe size, are all around the grocery store. Have your child find a big fruit, a bigger fruit, and the biggest fruit in the produce section. What's the smallest item in the cart? What is the largest? To differentiate the activity by simplifying or increasing the complexity of task using visual or text-based aids, focusing on specific vocabulary categories.

1. Reader's Theater- teachers or students choose a script or play to read. Scripts can be fairy tales, children's literature, fables, or historical events. Each student is assigned a character from the script. Students take turns reading the lines of their assigned characters. Students then practice reading their lines with expression, paying attention to tone, pacing, and intonation. They rehearse individually or in small groups. The class performs the script as a "readers theater" production. Performance can take place in the classroom, during special events, or in front of parents.

2. Choral Reading - Choose a book or passage that works well for reading aloud as a group pattern predictable, at an independent level for all students. Provide each student a copy of the text so they can follow along. Read the passage or story aloud and model fluent reading for the students. Ask students to use a marker or finger to follow along with the text as they read. Reread the passage or story and have all students in the group read the story aloud in unison. For differentiated instruction teachers may pair students of varying abilities together and assign each student a different section of the passage to read.

At-Home Activity: Record your child reading: Using a smartphone or Tablet find a quiet location in a room with minimal background noise to ensure clear audio. Set up the device to record, place the book on a light colored surface in front of the camera where the text is clearly visible and capture you child reading.

1. Story map activities are visual organizers that guide readers through text by prompting them to answer key questions: What, Who, When, Where, and How? This approach helps students grasp essential elements of any material they encounter from picture books. Begin with a simple engaging text. Project a story map template for the class to see. Read the text aloud pausing at key points to fill out the map together. This demonstrates the thought process behind mapping. Have students work in pairs or small groups to create their own maps for a new text. As students become comfortable encourage them to create maps independently. To differentiate story maps different variations such as reverse mapping (reconstructing story from a completed map. For gifted students provide maps with more complexity.

2. Reading Response Journals- Model the think-a-loud process as you read aloud pause and voice your predictions aloud. Explain why you are making the prediction by pointing to clues in the illustration. Use sentences like "I predict that the character will get caught because the author described a trap", or since the illustration shows a storm " I predict it will rain". Guide students in making their own predictions.

At-Home Activities: Drawing

The parent will read the story for a week to younger students. The last day of reading the parents will ask the student to draw a picture of what happens in the story. This provides an opportunity for the parent to engage, and explore the child's comprehension of the story.