Sight Word practice

Draw a hopscotch board outside. Fill each square with a new sight word. Then play hopscotch having your child read the word she hops on! We have been working REALLY hard on sight words lately. Click my other blog to see all our sight word practice.

Rhyming - Phonemic Awareness - Step 2

Play The Name Game
Just play with line one at first. You can begin with any name or word--but run it through your mind first, to eliminate words that result in unwanted rhymes.

Honey, honey, Bo-bunny Banana-Fanna-Fo-funny Fee-Fie-Mo-money --Honey!

Bear, Bear, Bo-ear Banana-Fanna-Fo-fair Fee-Fie-Mo-mare --Bear!

Jake, Jake Bo-Bake Banana-Fanna-Fo-fake Fee-Fie- Mo- Make -Jake!

Brooke, Brooke, Bo-rooke, Banana-Fanna-Fo-Frooke Fee-Fie-Mo-Mrooke- Brooke!

Kake, Kate, Bo-Bake, Banana-Fanna-Fo-Fate Fee-Fie-Mo-Mate-Kate!

Mommy, Mommy, Bo-Bommy Banana-Fanna-Fo-Fommy Fee-Fie Mo-Ommy- Mommy!

Stick, stick, Bo-bick, Bannana-Fanna Fo-fick, Fee-Fie Mo-mick --Stick!

Rhyme - Discern and supply rhyming words

Step 1: Rhyme - Discern and supply rhyming words

The first step in phonemic awareness is to recognize rhyming words. Brooke still doesn't completely grasp the concept of rhyming words so we continue to word on this skill in a variety of different ways. Today we played with some rhyming itsy-bitsy miniatures.

Lesson:

1. Set out 4 objects with 2 that rhyme. Set one on the rhyming objects at the top and the other three objects below.

2. Say: "This is a snake. Say snake."

3. "What word rhymes with snake?"

4. "Listen to the words: Does cake rhyme with snake? Does hat rhyme with snake? Does pan rhyme with snake?"

5. Brooke usually shakes her head yes or no so I have her repeat: "Yes, snake rhymes with cake."

6. Set out 4 new objects. Set one on the rhyming objects at the top and the other three objects below.
7 . Say: "This is a bug. Say bug."
8. "What word rhymes with bug?"
9. "Listen to the words: Does bug rhyme with rug? Does bug rhyme with van? Does bug rhyme with stone?"
10. Have her repeat: "Yes, bug rhymes with rug."

Modifications:

1. I notices that my rhyming pairs were the first choice in these pictures. Of course, move the rhyming object to the second or third choice as well.

2. Use picture cards from flash card decks or games to create some rhyming pairs.

S - ounds

Today we did a little phonemic practice my breaking words into 2 smaller phonemes and then saying it "fast" to get the words. Let me give you some example:

1. Lets go get in the \c\ .... \ar\. Say it fast: "car"
2. Would you like a \dough\....\nut\? Say it fast: "doughnut"
3. When Jake gets home from school we will \sw\....\im\. Say it fast: "swim"
4. Will you pick up that \st\...\ick\? Say it fast: "stick"

You get the point.

Kate was really great at this and often knew the word before I even said the last part. Brooke had a difficult time with saying the 2 sounds fast. She would still say to 2 separate sounds instead of the complete word. We will keep working at it: it is a great auditory and pre-read skill.

Silly Mistakes - Phonemic Awareness - Step 1

Silly Mistakes

We said some nursery rhymes by replacing a word with another word. For example, Jack and Jill went up the pickle. Today we are going to say the words in the in the wrong order such as The first little pig built a straw of house and ask your child to catch your error! (Silly mom or dad.)
For example:
1. Hey, Diddle Diddle the cat in the fiddle,
the dish ran away with the spoon
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed to see such a sight
2. One, two buckle my shoe,
three, four shut the door
nine, ten, a big fat hen
five, six pick up sticks
seven, eight lay them straight
3. Hickory, Dickory Dock
The mouse ran up the clock
The clock struck one
Hickory Dickory Dock
The mouse ran down

These are quick and easy to do! We did them while we were walking across the parking lot to Target. Your child should say, "That is not right." or "No, it is this way." to show she noticed the mistakes. Play often!

Silly Mistakes - Phomenic Awareness - Step 1

Silly Mistakes Read a familiar poem or story . . . but make any kind of Silly Mistake that will be obvious to your child. For example, You might replace a word with nonsense: Jack and Jill went up the pickle or say the words in the wrong order: The first little pig built a straw of house or even swap sounds: The clock struck one, The mouse ran down, Dickory, Hickory, Hock Ask your child to catch your error! (Silly mom or dad.)

Today we replaced words to practice our listening:
1. Humpty Dumpty sat on a chair
2. Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, humpty Dumpty had a great fall, all the king's horses and all the king's monkeys, couldn't put Humpty together again.
3. Old Mother Hubbard went to the refrigerator to give her poor doggie a bone
4. Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard to give her poor doggie a bone, but when she got there the cupboard was bare, so the poor kitty had none.
5. Little Miss Brooke sat on a tuffet
6. Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, eating her applesauce, along came a squirrell and sat down beside her and firghtened Miss Muffet away.

We had so much fun with this activity!

Here are some Christmas Silly Mistakes we did in December.

/d/ and /g/ initial sounds

Objective:
a. to practice sounds with the same place
b. /b/, /d/, and /g/

Points to remember:
1. The sounds /b/, /d/, and /g/ are very similar. When you make the sound the only difference is where you make the sound. Try it! The /b/ is made with your lips, the /d/ is make with the tongue, and the /g/ is made back of the tongue
2. It may be difficult for your child to hear the difference in the sounds and/or to make the sounds correctly.

Lesson:
1. Practice making some non-sense words first. Ask your child to repeat after you.
baa dee
goo bay
die boo
bye gee
doo gay
2. Then add repeated sounds such as
baa baa dee
goo goo bay
die die boo
bye bye gee
doo doo gay
3. Once mastered try the sounds alternating:
baa dee baa
goo bay goo
die boo die
bye goo bye
doo gay doo
4. Then 3 sounds repeated, such as
baa baa dee dee
goo goo bay bay
die die boo boo
bye bye goo goo
doo doo gay gay
5. Then alternate those sounds - this is where is gets difficult for Brooke
baa dee baa dee
goo bay goo bay
die boo die boo
bye goo bye goo
doo gay doo gay
6. Practicing this speech babble with your child will help her to hear and remember a series of sounds. So that when she hears a word that is new to her, she will be able to remember it and repeat it. It also helps her to practice making sounds correctly
7. Here is a sheet we found that we have been practicing with since Brooke has some difficulty with /d/ and /g/ sounds.

D-G Sequencing Sheet

Modifications:

1. Other sounds with place differences are /p/, /t/, and /k/ as well as /m/ and /n/ and /f/ and /s/. Listen to your child and see if she struggles with these sounds - then make sure to practice!

Reggie the Rhyming Rhino

Scholastic has a great website for practicing rhymes. There are topic choices for working with the rhymes such as words at a store, restaurant, zoo, or museum.

Once you choose your topic, the rhyming practice begins. Reggie, the rhyming Rhino, gives a word and 3 possible rhyming words. Nothing too hard.

This is how I use the site with Brooke:
1. I say, "This is a light. Does light rhyme with kite? Does light rhyme with bed? Does light rhyme with flower?"
2. If the answer is the first choice, I'll say, "Yep, light rhymes with kite. But let's check the other answers. Does light rhyme with bed? No. Does light rhyme with flower? No. Yep, you are right, light rhymes with kite.
3. Then I have Brooke repeat it by saying, "Light rhymes with kite."
4. I have control over the mouse and will then click on the answer. The site then says, "Light rhymes with kite." for another auditory reinforcement.

We only play for 5 or so minutes at a time but since the site is so easy to accesses, we can do it anytime she is ready to rhyme

Practice rhyming with Reggie.

Listening Game

Objectives:
a. to identify common household sounds

Points to Remeber:

1. Can your child close her eyes and identify sounds around the house--a door shutting, footsteps, water running, silverware being put away? Make sure she can before moving on to other phonemic games.

Lesson:

1. There are different Listening Games. We have Listening Lotto: Sounds at Home

2. The game comes with a CD of 29 common household sounds.

3. Choose a lotto card and start the CD. Each sound is played 2-3 times. When your child identifies the sound, have her place a marker on the picture.

4. Each lotto card is different so there are opportunities to hear and identify quite a lot of sounds.

5. We play until the card is full.

Modifications:

1. Make sure you are pointing out sounds to your child and helping her to identify them in everyday life. For example, when you hear a siren approaching, point out the sound and ash if she hears it. Then ask her what she thinks the sound might be.

Fill-In the Rhyming Words

Can your child fill-in rhyming words:

‘There was an old woman who lived in a shoe; She had so many children she didn’t know what to d__’?

"Baa Baa Black Sheep have you any wool? Yes, sir Yes sir Three bags f___."

"Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the cl____."

Little Bo Peep lost her sh___."

Provide your child with the beginning sound so that she will begin to recognize the initial sounds in rhyming words.

Listening Awareness

Listening Awareness Have child close eyes and listen for three sounds you make. Ex: Parent claps hands, snaps fingers, and stomps feet. Child opens eyes. Parent says, "First you heard ______. In the middle you heard_____. And last you heard ______." Child fills in blank. Continue listening game using the following: animal sounds (moo, oink, quack) color words familiar items (tree, grass, truck) letters of alphabet sounds of alphabet "b-a-t"

What does the word 'sam" start with?

Play games with the beginning sounds in words. Give the child a word and see if she can tell you the sound that the word starts with. For example,"What does the word “sam” start with?" and your child would respond with /sssss/. Help the child by saying the word slowly. Help him learn to hear these sounds. Since this is the first time we are trying this activity, we started with the sounds that can be stretched out (such as m, s, f, l, n, r) and we avoided the blended consonants (br, sm, fl, sh) that are much more difficult to segment (for example give the word ‘big’ not ‘broom’). Be careful not to ask the child for the name of the letter, but the sound of the letter. For some words, Brooke would say M instead of the sound /mmmmm/. Of course, that is a correct answer but I would refocus her on the sound by saying, "Yes, M makes the /mmmmmm/ sound in the word mitten." Try these words: Scooby Doo sit snack sailboat sun Superman sunflower six moth mouse motorcycle monkey mitten moon mop fox four fan fire fork feet fish five leaf ladybug lollipop lemon lamb lips lion nail net nose nest numbers nut needle rabbit rose ring rain rainbow rat rake rhino raccoon Then try these sounds that are the earliest to develop and you child most likely has mastered: p, h, w, b, t, d (the /h/ is a difficult sound to hear so keep that in mind) Then these sounds which are harder speech sounds: k, g, v, y

Shaking Eggss

objective: a. listen to a variety of sounds b. compare the sounds and find the 2 that match Points to remember: 1. Listening and recognizing sounds is an important step in learning to recognize sounds in words.

Lesson:

1. Fill 12 eggs with 6 different objects so that there are 2 of each object. I used marshmallows, pennies, rocks, pom poms, bells, and macaroni.

2. Place the eggs in the carton. In the picture I have the eggs organized by color, but the sounds are not in the same color eggs. For example, the macaroni is in a purple egg and an orange egg.

3. Give your child 6 eggs, each a different sound. Listen to each one at a time. Set those eggs on the table and leave the 6 matching eggs in the carton.

4. Give your child 1 egg from the carton and have her listen to it. Then ask her to match it to one egg on the table that sounds the same.

5. Once she has found the match, open the eggs and look to see if they are the same.

6. Celebrate!

Here is a video of Kate and Brooke playing with the eggs. This is after we did it a few times and they knew the objects inside.

Modifications:

1. Switch out the objects and play again.

2. Set out all 12 eggs at one time and have your child find the matches - this is much harder since there are 11 options to choose from.

/m/ and /o/

objective:
a. to recognize beginning sounds
b. to sort objects according to beginning sounds
points to remember:
1. make sure you review with your child the letter name and letter sound before they begin sorting.
2. use a fun container to hold the objects...today we used an Easter basket since it is close to Easter - it just makes it more fun for the kids
3. Write out the letters on paper for your child to sort...we use sandpaper letters.
Lesson:
1. Use your itsy-bitsy miniatures and gather objects beginning with 2 sounds. Today we did /m/ and /o/
2. One at a time, have your child pull out an object, say the name of the object, and put it under the correct letter.

3. Help your child as needed. Here is a video of Kate (Brooke was not interested in being videotaped so Kate offered to help)

Letter S

objective:

a. to recognize the beginning letter /s/ sound

Points to Remember:

1. Even though a word begins with "s" doesn't mean it makes the /s/ sound such as shell, sheep, and ship - they make the /sh/ sound. Do not include these in your Letter Ss bag.

Lesson:

1. Today we introduced the letter /s/ sounds. The girls pulled one object at a time out of the Ss bag. Some they knew and some I needed to give the correct word. We listened to the letter sound and said, _______ begins with the letter S for each object.

2. In the itsy-bitsy miniature bag we have sponge, Santa, soda, spider, spatula, spoon, snail, seal, star, square, stamp, spools, strawberry and snake.

Modifications:

1. I plan to bury the object in a tub of sand for Brooke to dig out and identify.

2. Later in the week, we will sort the object that begin with the letter /s/ and those that do not by adding a few extra itsy-bitsy miniatures into the bag.

Outside Alphabet

On the nice warm days that are soon to be coming our way, turn your outside time into Alphabet Learning Time. We look a large roll of paper and I wrote each letter of the alphabet on it.

We then looked around the yard and garage for items beginning with the letter sound.

For the /g/ sound we found grass, golf ball, an old gummie, and an old grape (our yard really isn't that gross, I promise)

For /h/ we found a helmet, for /j/ a jumprope, for /k/ a kite, /l/ is a leaf and a lid, /m/ is a milkbone, and /n/ is a net

/p/ is a pinecone, /r/is rocks and rubberbands, /s/ is sunglasses and a scuba diver, /t/ is a top and a tennis racket

I was really surprised by all the items we found outside! Brooke and Kate needed a lot of help with recognizing the beginning letter sound, but that is waht learning is all about!

Letter Hunt Worksheets

I found these fantastic Letter Hunt Worksheets at Confessions of a Homeschooler and love them.

They fit right into our Letter of Week curriculum and help the girls to notice the letter in words. Check them out here

Read the story to your child then let your child circle the capital and lowercase letters in the story.

Identifying Sounds

Objective:
1. to develop the memory and attentional abilities for thinking about sequences of sounds and the language for discussing them.

Points to Remember:
1. Use objects that make interesting, distinctive sounds. Some examples follow:
banging on wall/table/lap
blowing
blowing a whistle
blowing nose
clapping
clicking with tongue
closing purse
coloring hard on paper
coughing
crumpling paper
cutting with a knife
cutting with scissors
dropping (various things)
drumming with fingers
eating an apple
folding paper
hammering
hopping
noisy chewing
opening window or drawer
pouring liquid
ringing a bell
rubbing hands together
scratching
sharpening a pencil
slamming a book
smashing crackers
snapping fingers
stamping
stirring with teaspoon
tearing paper
tiptoeing
turning on computer
walking
whistling
writing on board
writing with a pencil

Lesson:
1. In this game, the children are challenged first to identify single sounds and then to identify each one of a sequence of sounds.
Here is Brooke listening to a clasp on a purpose

2. The children are to cover their eyes with their hands while you make a familiar noise such as closing the door, sneezing, or playing a key on the piano.
3. By listening carefully and without peeking, the children are to try to identify the noise.
4. Once the children have caught on to the game, make two noises, one after the other. Without peeking, the children are to guess the two sounds in sequence saying, "There were two sounds. First we heard a ____, and then we heard a ____."
5. After the children have become quite good with pairs of noises, produce a series of more than two for them to identify and report in sequence. Again, complete sentences should be encouraged.
6. Remember give every child the opportunity to participate mentally in these games. If you are playing wiht more than I child, it is important to discourage children from calling out their answers until they are asked to do so.

Modifications:
1. With the children's eyes closed, make a series of sounds. Then repeat the sequence, but omit one of the sounds. The children must identify the sound that has been omitted from the second sequence.
2. Invite the children to make sounds for their classmates to guess.
3. These games also offer good opportunities to review, exercise, and evaluate children's use of ordinal terms, such as first, second, third, middle, last. It is worth ensuring that every student gains comfortable, receptive, and expressive command of these terms.
4. Feel free to tape record some of the sounds and see if you child can hear the sounds on tape as well (it is often more difficult for a child wearing hearing aids to hear sounds on tape since the sound travels through 2 technology devices before being heard)

What's The Word?

objective:
a. to listen to the phonemes in familiar words.
b. to practice syllables

Points to remember:
1. This skill will help you child to hear and say the parts of a word.
2.. You can play this game anywhere

Lesson:
1. Play ‘What’s the Word’ Game
This time parent says a word in parts and the child repeats the entire word.
Example:
Parent: "di..no..saur"
Child: "dinosaur"
Parent: "al..pha...bet"
Child: "alphabet"
Parent: "tel…e…vi…sion"
Child: "television"
2. Again, you can make this more difficult with words with more syllables when your child is ready.

Modifications:
1. Play with words you are practicing such as all words that begin with the letter Ll
or words on a topic such as snow or Valentine's Day.

Word Family Awareness

objective:

a. to listen ti initial word sounds

b. to begin to recognize word families

Points to Remember:

1. You can play this game anywhere...in the car, waiting in line, at bedtime

2. This may be difficult for you child in the beginning but keep practicing

Lesson:

1. Choose a word family to practice. For example the "....at" word family
2. Parent says, "C….at. What’s the word?"
3. Child says, "Cat."
4. Continue with the same word family to reinforce rhyming, vowel patterns and sound blending such as B....at, F...at, R...at, M...at, S...at,

Modifications:

1. Use an, ran, fan, man

it, bit, hit, sit

en, hen, pen, men

ot, dot, cot, tot, lot

ake, cake, make, sake, bake

ane, plane, cane, lane, mane

ole, sole, pole, whole, mole
2. Use your itsy-bitsy miniatures to create rhyming groups. Have your child pick up the object that you are saying. For example, say C.....at and your child picks up the cat.

3. Use rhyming picture cards if you do not have itsy-bitsy miniatures.