Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic awareness is understanding sounds in words, rhyming, syllables, etc. A strong sense of phonemic awareness is critical to early reading skills. You can help your child practice phonemic awareness at home by asking if two words rhyme (for example: Do cup and cap rhyme?) You can also play word/sound games with your child. For example, you can play rhyming games by giving your child a word such as hat and ask your child to produce a new word that rhymes with hit. Continue taking turns until all words are exhausted (bit, fit, kit, lit, mitt, knit, pit, sit, wit). You may notice that your child struggles with this concept and may give a new word with the same beginning sound.
You can also help your child identify the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words. While your family is having dinner, you can play a game of eye spy. You can begin the game by saying, "I spy with my little eye something in the kitchen that begins with a "p" sound (make sure to give the sound and not the letter). You child should be able to identify an object that begins with the appropriate sound (plate, plant, pickle). You can also give your child a word, or show them a picture and ask what is the beginning sound in the word. For example, say the word butterfly and ask “What is the beginning sound you hear in the word butterfly?” The correct response is the sound “b”. Notice the correct response is the sound “b” not the letter b. If your child says the letter "b" ask them to produce the sound. You can do the same for the sounds at the end and middle of words.
Working on syllables will also help your child. In Kindergarten we clap out syllables using our body parts, as it is difficult for a young child to clap, break apart words and count at the same time. The sequence for clapping begins on the head, followed by the shoulders, hips, knees, and toes) For example, the word elephant can be clapped out “el (head) e (shoulder) phant (hips)”. Ask your child how many syllables are in the word elephant? If they count their (1) head, (2) shoulders then (3) hip, they should be able to to identify that elephant has 3 syllables. One syllable words tend to be somewhat tricky at times. Students want to clap out each sound rather than each syllable. Lots of practice will help with the difference between sounds and syllables.
Blending is another skill your child will need to practice as the year progresses. You can help your child by asking him/her to guess a word that you sound out (s-i-t). You can work on segmenting words by asking your child to tell you all of the sounds they hear in words. For example, in the word bat your child should say three separate sounds (b-a-t). When we do this in class we hold up a separate finger for each sound. This activity helps your child read unfamiliar words by blending the sounds together. It also helps your child spell unfamiliar words by listening to each sound.
You can also help your child identify the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words. While your family is having dinner, you can play a game of eye spy. You can begin the game by saying, "I spy with my little eye something in the kitchen that begins with a "p" sound (make sure to give the sound and not the letter). You child should be able to identify an object that begins with the appropriate sound (plate, plant, pickle). You can also give your child a word, or show them a picture and ask what is the beginning sound in the word. For example, say the word butterfly and ask “What is the beginning sound you hear in the word butterfly?” The correct response is the sound “b”. Notice the correct response is the sound “b” not the letter b. If your child says the letter "b" ask them to produce the sound. You can do the same for the sounds at the end and middle of words.
Working on syllables will also help your child. In Kindergarten we clap out syllables using our body parts, as it is difficult for a young child to clap, break apart words and count at the same time. The sequence for clapping begins on the head, followed by the shoulders, hips, knees, and toes) For example, the word elephant can be clapped out “el (head) e (shoulder) phant (hips)”. Ask your child how many syllables are in the word elephant? If they count their (1) head, (2) shoulders then (3) hip, they should be able to to identify that elephant has 3 syllables. One syllable words tend to be somewhat tricky at times. Students want to clap out each sound rather than each syllable. Lots of practice will help with the difference between sounds and syllables.
Blending is another skill your child will need to practice as the year progresses. You can help your child by asking him/her to guess a word that you sound out (s-i-t). You can work on segmenting words by asking your child to tell you all of the sounds they hear in words. For example, in the word bat your child should say three separate sounds (b-a-t). When we do this in class we hold up a separate finger for each sound. This activity helps your child read unfamiliar words by blending the sounds together. It also helps your child spell unfamiliar words by listening to each sound.