Developing Language Recommendation 2:
Linking Sounds to Letters Recommendation 3:
Blending Letters, Recognizing and Writing Words Recommendation 4:
Reading for Understanding
Developing Language Recommendation 2:
Linking Sounds to Letters Recommendation 3:
Blending Letters, Recognizing and Writing Words Recommendation 4:
Reading for Understanding
Help your child link sounds in speech to letters in print.
Sounds in Words: Syllables
Although speaking and listening may not seem related to learning to read, being aware of sounds in words is very important to reading. This awareness allows children to break apart words orally and use sounds to learn to read and write words. Children first need to become aware of sounds in words without relating those sounds to print. They demonstrate their knowledge using their speaking and listening skills.
You can help your child develop an awareness of sounds in spoken words. Singing silly songs and making up silly words or poems are ways to enhance your child's awareness of sounds. These skills are fun to practice because most children love to play with sounds in words. You can make up silly sentences where most of the words begin with the same sound: Leo the lion liked to lick a lot of lollipops!
There are many types of different sounds in words. For example, one skill is being able to separate words into syllables, or parts, like knowing that the word folder has two syllables, or parts: fold-er. And the word computer has three syllables or parts: com-pu-ter. Being able to separate words into syllables will help children break a word into parts in order to read or spell the word.
- Mom explains that a syllable is a word part and provides an example.
- Mom shows her son how to play the game by providing examples.
- Mom encourages her son to clap the word parts when he isn't sure of how many syllables are in the word banana.
- Mom selects a word and asks her son to clap the parts, or syllables, of the word.
- Mom selects words with different numbers of syllables, such as two or three, to give her son several times to practice counting syllables.
- A few times, Mom asks her son to describe what a word means and repeats his answer in a complete sentence to help build oral language skills.
- Mom is enthusiastic, so sharing the book is enjoyable.
A list of suggested books that you can read to your child. Select some words from the book and have your child determine how many syllables are in those words.
- Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
- We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault
Sounds in Words: Rhyme
There are many different types of sounds in words. For example, rhyming words represent a type of sound relationship between words. Children need to have the ability to recognize when words rhyme. Words rhyme when they have the same ending sound. For example, blue and shoe rhyme and moon and spoon rhyme. When children recognize words that rhyme and can say a word that rhymes with a word they are given, they can use known words to read new words—for example, they can use the known word fall to help read the unfamiliar word wall.
- At the beginning, Mom describes what a rhyme is and shows her son how to play the game.
- Throughout the game, Mom describes the meanings of words, like random and pot.
- Mom explains why words rhyme or don't rhyme.
- Mom pauses at the end of sentences and encourages her son to say the rhyming word.
- Mom reads with expression to model good reading.
- Mom uses the word persistent and describes what it means to help build vocabulary.
A list of suggested books that you can read to your child to practice listening for words that rhyme.
- Most Dr. Seuss books (for example, Hop on Pop, Happy Birthday to You!)
- Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino
- Room on the Broom by Julie Donaldson
- The Donut Chef by Bob Staake
- Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC by June Sobel
- The Flea's Sneeze by Lynn Downey
- Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
- The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Nina Crews
Sounds in Words: Individual Sounds
Although speaking and listening may not seem related to learning to read, being aware of sounds in words is very important to reading. This awareness allows children to break apart words orally and use sounds to learn to read and write words. Children first need to become aware of sounds in words without relating those sounds to print. They demonstrate their knowledge using their speaking and listening skills.
Being able to recognize the individual sounds in words is the most important skill for learning to read that is related to sound awareness. When you see a letter between forward slashes, /s/, say the sound of that letter. If you see a letter without forward slashes, s, say the name of that letter. An example of phonemic awareness is knowing that the word cat has three separate sounds (/k/ /ă/ /t/) and that the first sound in cat is /k/ and the last sound in cat is /t/. Recognizing individual sounds in a word that is spoken will eventually help children "sound out" a word when they begin to learn to read simple words. For example, a child who can hear three separate sounds in sat, /s/ /ă/ /t/, can then link a letter to each sound, s a t, and read the word sat.
It is also helpful if children can identify beginning and ending sounds in a word. For example, in the word cat, the beginning sound is /k/ and the ending sound is /ăt/. In school, we may talk about word families. Word families are groups of words that have the same endings. For example, bat, cat, and sat are all in the same word family.
- Mom explains how to play the game and is enthusiastic.
- Since this a listening game, Mom makes sure her son doesn't look at the paper.
- When her son does not say string, Mom helps by saying each part, /st/ /ring/, and then he is able to say string.
- Mom explains how to play the game and is enthusiastic.
- This is a listening activity, so her son does not look at any letters or words.
- When her son says the letter name, C, instead of the letter sound, /k/, Mom tells him that he would be right if he were spelling the word, but for now, they are just listening to the sounds in words.
- Mom explains that the author changed the first sound in words to make up nonsense, or silly, words.
- Mom knows her son isn't familiar with the word sofa, so they talk about what it means.
- Mom has her son repeat some of the words like shelf/zelf and bottle/yottle. This allows him to focus on the first sound that was changed so he not only hears the sounds but says them, too.
A list of suggested books that you can read to your child. Ask your child to identify the first, last, and middle sound of selected words.
- There's a Wocket in My Pocket by Dr. Seuss
- Cock-A-Doodle-Moo! by Bernard Most
- Llama Llama Red Pajama by A. Dewdney
- Runny Babbit by Shel Silverstein
Letter Names and Letter Sounds
It is important for children to know letter names and letter sounds.
- Letter-name knowledge is recognizing and naming letters. An example of recognizing letters is when you show a child the letters N, A, and S and ask which letter is S, the child points to the S. An example of naming letters is when a child looks at the letter M and orally names that letter.
- Letter-sound knowledge is demonstrated when a child can look at a letter in print and tell you the sound it represents. For example, if you point to the letter F and ask, "What sounds does this letter make?" the child will say, "/f/."
There are many ways to support your child's knowledge of letter names and letter sounds. For example, you can look for a specific letter in a book or in a newspaper and then ask your child the sound that letter represents. You can point out letters on signs while in the car. You can sing the alphabet song while getting ready for school or doing chores at home. You can have your child identify specific letters in a magazine and then practice writing the letters.
- Dad explains the game and does the first one as an example.
- After his son identifies the letter, Dad makes it a bit harder by asking for a word that begins with that letter.
- When his son does not find f right away on the letter arc, Dad helps by saying, "E, F,…"
- Dad explains the game and does the first one as an example.
- After his son identifies the letter sound, Dad asks him to say a word that begins with that letter sound.
- Dad hugs his son when his son says hug begins with /h/.
- Mom explains the game and does the first one as an example.
- Mom reminds her son that it sometimes helps to say each sound in the word to find the middle sound.
- When her son thinks the middle sound in doll is represented by a, Mom reminds him that a says /ă/ and asks which letter says /ŏ/.
- This activity can be done with any type of print media—even a newspaper, a magazine, or junk mail!
- Mom points to a sentence and says, "Check this sentence!" after her son misses circling a target letter.
- Her son practices writing the uppercase and lowercase letter that he circled.
- Mom gives her son a high five and tells him how hard he worked!
A list of suggested books that you can read to your child. Point to a letter and ask your child to identify the letter name and the letter sound.
- Farm Alphabet Book by Jane Miller
- Kipper's A to Z: An Alphabet Adventure by Nick Inkpen
- Dr. Seuss' A, B, C by Dr. Seuss
- Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault
Linking Sounds to Letters
An important step in learning to read is being able to connect how words are separated into individual sounds with knowledge of how letters relate to sounds. For example, being able to hear the individual sounds in the word sat, /s/ /ă/ /t/, and knowing that s represents /s/, a represents /ă/, and t represents /t/. Word-building activities can be used to support your child's learning to read and spell.
- Mom uses a word in a sentence to help her daughter understand the meaning of the word.
- When her daughter mixes up b and d, Mom helps her use a strategy of making a b and a d with her hands in the shape of a bed.
- Mom consistently makes positive comments ("You are so smart!") and gestures (high fives) to encourage her daughter.
- Mom asks her son to say each sound as he writes the words.
- When her son reads Pete for pet, Mom points to each letter beginning with P and says each sound with him.
- Mom asks her son to explain how he changed bet to set.
- Mom tells her son how proud she is of him for building words, reading words, and writing words.