From FreeReading
What to do
- Select 12 picture cards for this activity. Any pictures of single-syllable words will do, but note that (i) students may find words beginning with continuous sounds easier than stop sounds at first; (ii) students find words with initial blends—such as frog and star—harder than words without; (ii) some teachers like to begin with sounds for which students have already learned the letter-sound correspondence (so that students are comfortable physically producing the sound); and (iv) it may help not to use too many different sounds at first.
- First make sure students know the names of the pictures by going through the deck, asking students to name the pictures. If they come up with a name other than the one you are looking for, correct them and put the card in a separate pile. Then go through this pile and repeat until students can name all the pictures correctly.
- Now bring out the puppet. Here’s Mico. He is speaking funny today: instead of saying a word like fish, it comes out like this: fff-ish. Hold the onset for about a second and don't pause between the onset and rime.
- We’re going to see if you can speak the same way Mico does. My turn first. What would Mico call this? Show a picture card such as leg. Lll-eg. Is that right Mico? Lll-eg. Right!
- Now it’s your turn. What would Mico call this? Show a picture card such as fox. Students: fff-ox. Is that right Mico? Fff-ox. Right!
- Let’s try another. Repeat with other picture cards. Watch for students who are not responding and give them an individual turn.
- Make a note in an Activity Log for students who continue to have difficulties.
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