Now that you’re an expert in the Science of Reading and Phonological Awareness…. just kidding. I don’t expect any parent to fully comprehend this concept yet. Heck, I am still learning! However, I do have the perfect introductory activity that you can start doing with your littles TODAY! I’m going to show you how easy it is to get started with phonemic awareness by working on beginning sounds.
I am excited to get to show you an activity that I believe is the perfect introduction to phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is being aware of the individual sounds in a word. This activity is perfect because it doesn’t feel like an “academic” activity. No one is writing anything or sitting down. It’s very nonchalant. Almost like you’re sneaking phonemic awareness in just like we sneak vegetables into their dinners. I also love this activity because there are no supplies you need to purchase. If your kid has stuffies or toys, they can do this activity.
Above All Else...
Before I explain the activity, there’s something I want to emphasize first. These activities should be FUN and not stressful at all, no matter what age of your little. Learning to read can be stressful enough, especially when they get to school and especially if they require more practice than others. I’ve worked with students over the years that view reading as just something school-related that they’re not good at and they keep reading at arm’s length. We want this to feel like normal play so that they have an introduction to reading that is a positive experience.
The Activity
Grab some stuffies or toys and model how you hear the beginning sounds in the names of the stuffies. “Mmmmmmmonkey. I hear the /m/ sound at the beginning of the word ‘monkey.’” “T t t t tiger. I hear the /t/ sound at the beginning of the word ‘tiger.’” Basically you do this over and over. It’s as simple as that! Watch my Instagram Reel for a demonstration!
How to Introduce
MODEL. Model again. Then model some more. Do not expect your child to grasp the concept right away. Think of it as observing things aloud instead of “teaching” at first. “Here’s your bear. B-b-b-bear. I hear the /b/ sound at the beginning of ‘bear.’ I picked up your dinosaur. D-d-d-d-dinosaur. I hear the /d/ sound at the beginning. ” As you introduce this concept remember that you are planting seeds. You don’t expect seeds to sprout on the first day of planting. Do not expect your kiddo (especially if they are 2-5) to grasp this in one day. This is an ongoing activity that will evolve. More on that later.
Some Sounds Might be Easier Than Others
Some sounds (phonemes) are Coninuants and some are Stops. This means some beginning sounds will be easier for your littles to use than others. Continuants are aptly named because the sound can continue on. Continuant sounds include F, L, M, N, Q, R, S, V, W, X, Y, and Z. For example, you can hold the /f/ sound as long as you have breath. It continues. Stops, on the other hand, are not able to be held. Stops include T, D, B, P, G, and K. Notice you’re not able to hold out the /b/ sound or the /k/ sound. It stops. Using the continuants may be easier for your littles because they will be able to hear the sound longer to recognize it.
How to Give Feedback
Keep it positive!
When your little is incorrect, keep it positive. I try not to say “no, “ or “you’re wrong.” I want my little to feel successful. Make a big deal when they’re correct. Give high fives. Smile. All the things. When they’re wrong you can repeat the word and emphasize the beginning sound. Then you can say, “Hmmm, I hear a different sound. What do you think?” This keeps the activity with them in control. If you see your little one getting frustrated, throw them a softball- one they’ve already done successfully. Celebrate their attempts. I say to my daughter and students that, “Mistakes are good! That’s how we learn!”
Keep it fun!
You know your kiddo best and what is funny to them. My daughter LOVES when we make her stuffies talk in different voices. You could have the stuffy ask, “What sound do you hear at the beginning of (insert stuffy name here)?” You could also intentionally say the wrong thing. “At the beginning of ‘lion’ I hear the /s/ sound. What do you think?” My daughter would sometimes not be paying attention and just agree and then I would say, “Slion? Is the word ‘slion?’ Or is it ‘lion?’ I hear the /l/ sound at the beginning of ‘lion.’” This makes her laugh and repeat the word, further practicing her awareness of the initial sounds.
Keep it short!
You know your little the best. If it is too overwhelming or you think they’re not ready, then don’t do it! Or just simply model it and do not expect any responses back. My daughter that is currently four has an attention span of about four minutes with this, so 2 and 3 year olds will likely have even less of an attention span. (My grandmother’s famous saying is, “She has the attention span of a turnip.”) Instead of sitting down to work on this skill, just mentioning it once a day is helpful. “Oh, I see your have your snake. S-s-s-snake. I hear the /s/ sound at the beginning of snake.” Then you move on. Just dropping seeds.
It Can Get Tricky
Some sounds are tricky. In my video I use the example of “unicorn.” The beginning sound of this is the long u sound. Long u can make the /oo/ sound or the /yoo/ sound. In this word it is the /yoo/ sound which is technically two sounds /y/ then /oo/. I don’t want to get into the weeds too much. Even experts disagree on the number and types of phonemes. For this activity, just focus on that beginning sound. You can have the phonics conversation later. Or your child’s teacher can have that conversation later. What sound do I hear at the beginning of “unicorn?” I hear the /y/ sound. If you want to teach you child that it’s /yoo/, you can do that too! If experts cannot even agree, then I wouldn’t be too worried about a stuffy activity for three year olds. This activity is meant to bring awareness of the beginning sounds, not to make your child a scholar in phonology.
Keep Blends Separated
When there is a blend at the beginning of the word, make sure to separate the sounds and just say the initial sound, not the blend. (Your child’s future teachers will thank me later) Here’s what I mean: If you’re working on the word “sprinkles,” the beginning sound is not /sp/. Those are two separate sounds. (Technically it’s a three-letter blend.) The beginning sound is /s/. Consonant Blends is one of the areas in which my third graders struggle. They hear the blend when they say the word, but they don’t realize it’s two separate sounds. They’ll write the word green as geen.
More on blends: There are some blends that have the letter R that get rrreeeeaaaallllyyy tricky for kiddos. Every year I have to explicitly teach my students that it’s not a “chrain” it’s a “train.” Or it’s not a “jragon” it’s a “dragon.” This exact activity will help lay a foundation for identifying and segmenting phonemes in the future. When I work with my students I say, “It does sound like ‘chree’ when I’m talking or saying the word ‘tree,’ but we have to keep in mind that we won’t have the /ch/ sound with the /r/ sound, so it’ll be /t/ and /r/.” You don’t have to have this conversation with your littles. And you shouldn’t! I suggest saying, “‘Chree’ sounds like /ch/, but it’s actually /t/. T-t-t-t-tree.’” No explanation required for littles. Keep it simple.
The Takeaways
This is an INTRODUCTORY activity. Do not expect your child to identify beginning sounds the first time you do this.
Model it over and over and over. Think out loud when naming the beginning sound.
Keep it fun and light. Don’t make it feel like a learning activity. Make it feel like a goofy game.
Make your little feel successful and celebrate learning!