Playing with sounds to strengthen beginning reading skills is the most important phonemic awareness skill to develop. It is especially important for beginning readers and those struggling to read.
What is phonemic awareness?
Phonemic Awareness, the most difficult phonological awareness skill, is the ability to to attend to and manipulate the smallest sounds in speech called phonemes. Check out the sequence of phonological awareness skills here. So that, playing with sounds to strengthen beginning reading skills will happen naturally.
What phonemic awareness skill do I start with to strengthen beginning reading skills and sounds?
I always start with focusing on the beginning sounds when playing with sounds to strengthen beginning reading skills. Then I progress to ending sounds. Finally, I focus on middle vowel sounds which are very difficult for kindergarten students.
Here’s how:
Firstly, show the kids a letter card.
T- “Today we are going to talk about the letter b. What’s the name of this letter?”
S- “b”
T- “The sound it makes is /b/. What sound does the letter b make?”
S- “/b/”
Secondly, I point to each picture and say the name of the picture. The students put a thumb up or down if it starts with the correct sound.
T-“Say Bee. The beginning sound is /b/. Listen as I say it slowly. /BBB/ee so show me thumbs up.”
Students show thumbs up.
T-“Now show me thumbs up if you hear /b/ at the beginning of the words and thumbs down if there is a different sound for all the words.”
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Lastly. I say each word as I point to the pictures. The students must show me thumbs up or down.
Later, I place these in centers with clothes pins and the students can search for the beginning sounds. The clips help develop fine motor skills.
📌THIS IMAGE FOR LATER
Playing with Vocabulary along with Phonemic Awareness to Strengthen Beginning Reading Skills
These cards help develop vocabulary. I also like that all the words are on one card so I don’t have to flip through cards to find pictures with beginning sounds when I am teaching! They save me so much time and effort!
Then we dance a sing. I always use Jack Hartmann videos because they work on handwriting, phonological awareness and phonics combined along with movement.