During this developmental period, children should also participate in activities to develop phoneme awareness which is the ability to think about the possible sounds in words. Phoneme Awareness is essential to learning to read and write because the ability to identify sounds and their sequence in spoken words leads to the skills necessary to decode words.Use the strategies provided below to help your child develop an understanding of the functions and conventions of print and phoneme awareness.

Functions And Conventions Of Print Activities

Note: Primary strategies should be completed with children daily. Alternative strategies can be substituted occasionally for Primary strategies for a change of pace.

Functions of Print

• Reading Aloud (primary)

• Concept Sorts

Conventions of Print - Print to Speech Directionality

• Word Tracking

Conventions of Print – Concept of a Word

• Rebuilding Sentences (primary)

• Dictated Sentences

• Shared Reading

• Text Innovations

• Word Hunt

Phonemic Awareness Activities

Note: Primary strategies should be completed with children daily. Alternative strategies can be substituted occasionally for Primary strategies for a change of pace.

Rhyming

• Create a Rhyme (primary)

• Body Part Rhyme

• Ready-Set-Show! (Rhyming Words)

• Concentration (Rhyming Words)

Sound Matching

• Sound Off (primary)

• Song Activities (Jimmy Cracked Corn)

• Sound Decisions

Sound Isolation

• Sound Bytes (primary)

• Famous Names

• Song Activities (Old McDonald)

• Sound Decisions

Segmentation

• Elkonin Boxes (primary)

• Song Activites (Twinkle, Twinkle)

Blending

• Mystery Word (primary)

• Famous Names

• Song Activities (If You’re Happy)

Sound Manipulation

• Wobbly Words (primary)

• Song Activites (Old McDonald; I’ve Been Working on the Railroad)