Onset-rime blending accuracy (Mico version)

Activity Type: Accuracy

Activity Form: Standard

Grade: K

Group Size: Small Group, Whole Class

Length: 5 minutes

Materials: A hand puppet--ours is called Mico.

Goal: Given a spoken onset and rime, the student can blend them into a word ( /m/ + "at" -> "mat" ).

Items: 12 picture cards of single-syllable words (make sure only the picture is visible on each card, not the word)

What to do

Select 12 picture cards for this activity. Any pictures of single-syllable words will do. As before, make sure the students know the expected name for each picture by going through the deck multiple times if necessary.
Bring out the puppet. Here’s Mico. He is having trouble speaking today and needs your help. Instead of saying a word like frog, it comes out like this: frrr-og. Hold the onset for about a second, and don't pause between the onset and rime.
Select three picture cards; in this example we’ll assume one of them is fox, but it can be anything you choose. My turn first. I’m going to try to figure out which of these pictures Mico wants. Fff-ox. What’s that? Fff-ox. Now I point to the picture and say the word: fox, fff-ox, fox.
Select three new cards, or just replace fox. Your turn: can you figure out which of these pictures Mico wants? Mmm-oon. What’s that? Mmm-oon. Which picture does Mico want? Say the word. That’s right: moon, mmm-oon, moon. Can you say it like Mico? Students: mmm-oon.
Continue with other sets of three picture cards. Watch for students who are not responding, and give them an individual turn. Make sure they say the blended and segmented word (fox, fff-ox) as well as pointing at the picture.
Once students have mastered the 3-card activity, increase the number of picture cards to 4, then 6, then all 12 pictures, so they are selecting 1 card from 12 on Mico’s direction.