Phonological knowledge - Focused teaching Prep to year 2 (ages 5-8)

These teaching activities can be repeated to allow students to practise recognising and expressing simple rhyming units. The activities are presented in the following sequential developmental order:

Recognising rhyming words

This activity can be repeated to allow students to practise recognising rhyming words.

1. Repeat saying a two-sound pattern such as ‘−in, −in, −in, −in’. Ask the student to repeat the pattern on several occasions.
   
2. When the student can repeat the pattern, place a consonant in front of each unit to produce repeating words (for example, ‘pin, tin, pin, tin’). Ask the student to repeat the sequence.
   
3. Repeat this process for other two-sound patterns such as ‘−ap, −ap, −ap, −ap’.
4. Gradually extend to:
   • repeating patterns of three words (for example, ‘lot, cot, pot’) and four words (for example, ‘men, hen, pen, ten’)
     
   • patterns of longer words (for example, ‘crunch, munch, lunch’ and ‘damp, camp, damp, camp’).
     

Producing rhyming words

This activity can be repeated to allow students to practise producing rhyming words.

1. Show the student pictures of three objects that rhyme. For example, pictures of a cub, a sub and a tub.
   
2. Ask the student to listen to the words ‘cub’, ‘sub’ and ‘tub’ and have them suggest words that rhyme with these.
3. If the student has difficulty with this task, have them repeat the rhyming unit in sequence, for example ‘−ub, −ub, −ub’. Once the student can repeat the sequence, model putting a consonant in front of two of these units, for example, ‘rub, sub, tub’ and have the student continue to suggest words that rhyme with these.
4. Repeat this activity with other sets of pictures and for longer word sequences.
   

Recognising rhyming words in text

This activity can be repeated to allow students to practise recognising rhyming words in text.

1. Ask the student to listen to three rhyming words such as ‘mop’, ‘top’ and ‘hop’. Explain to the student that these words all have the 'op' sound.
   
2. Read a text to the student that includes words with this sound. Ask the student to clap their hands every time they hear the 'op' sound in the text as you read it to them.
3. Repeat this process with other rhyming words.
   

Producing rhyming words in sentences

This activity can be repeated to allow students to practise producing rhyming words in sentences.

1. Ask the student to produce a rhyming word for a target word within a sentence. For example, My friend Paul is very... ('tall').

Recognising words that alliterate

This activity can be repeated to allow students to practise recognising words that alliterate.

1. Describe to the student the meaning of alliteration (the repetition of the same or similar consonant sounds at the beginning of words). For example, Sally sells seashells.
2. Present the student with three picture cards showing familiar objects. Two of the objects should start with the same sound and the third object should start with a different sound. For example, pictures of a cat, a cot and a pig.
3. Say the names of the objects in the pictures and ask the student to repeat each name.
4. Say the names of each object again and ask the student to listen carefully to how you say the names. Avoid changing stress, tone or speed when saying the names of each object.
5. Ask the student to select the pictures with the shared alliteration.
   

These teaching activities can be repeated to allow students to practise segmenting words. The activities are presented in the following sequential developmental order:

Segmenting words into onset and rime

These activities can be repeated to allow students to practise segmenting words into onset and rime.

Finishing the word

1. Present the student with a series of meaningful sentences, each with a missing word at the end of the sentence.
   
2. Ask the student to suggest the complete word, using the onset of the word. For example, the following sentences may be used for the ‘−ark’ rime unit:
   • I wanted to play at the p_______ (park).
   • I heard the dog b_______ (bark).
   • When I went to the beach, I saw a sh_______ (shark).

Picking the odd one out

1. Present the student with four picture cards showing familiar objects. Three of the objects should start with the same onset and the fourth object should start with a different onset. For example, pictures of a pig, a pin, a pot and a cat.
   
2. Say the names of the objects in the pictures and ask the student to repeat each name.
3. Say the names of each object again and ask the student to listen carefully to how you say the names. Avoid changing stress, tone or speed when saying the names of each object. Ask the student to select the pictures with the shared onset.
   
4. Repeat this activity using other picture cards with shared onsets or rimes.
   

Recognising the onset and rime in words

Play card games such as Snap or Memory in which students match pictures of objects that have either the same onset or the same rime.

Identifying the first and last sound in words

These activities can be repeated to allow students to practise identifying the first and last sound in words.

Picking the odd one out

1. Show the student a picture of a familiar object, such as a boat. Say to the student: 'What is the name of this? This is a boat.'
   
2. Show the student pictures of another three objects, two of which begin or end with the same sound as the first picture. Say to the student: 'These pictures show a bird, a dog and a bus. Which pictures start with the same sound as "boat"? What sound do the words begin with?'
3. If the student provides a limited response, ask them to listen carefully to how you say the name of the object. Have the student repeat the name of each object slowly. Ask the student what sound they hear first in each word.

Listen for the first or last sound in words

1. Say a four-sound word that has two sounds in its onset, such as ‘span’ and segment it into its first sound and the rest of the word. For example, say to the student: 'Listen to how I say the word "span". "S-pan". Listen to how I do the same thing with "trip". "T-rip".'
2. Discuss with the student how you are splitting the first sound from each word.
3. Ask the student to repeat the process using other four-sound words. For example, ‘c-rab’, ‘g-rab’, ‘p-lug’ and ‘d-rop’.

Recognising the first or last sounds of words

Play card games such as Snap, Memory or Bingo in which students match objects or pictures of names with the same first or last sound in words.

Segmenting words into syllables

These activities can be repeated to allow students to practise segmenting words into syllables.

Finishing the word

1. Present the student with a series of meaningful sentences, each with a missing word at the end of the sentence.
2. Ask the student to suggest the complete word, using the first syllable of the word. For example, the following sentences may be used:
   • The boy was very hun_______ (hungry).
   • I carried the food in a bas_______ (basket).
3. Ask the student to suggest how they decided which word to say for each sentence and what helped them to make up their mind.
   

Saying the syllables in words

1. Say to the student: 'Listen to how I say "basket". "Bas-ket".' Pause briefly between the two syllables when saying the word.
   
2. Say to the student: 'I said each part of the word by itself. Now you copy how I said it. "Bas-ket".'
   
3. Repeat this process for two- and three- and four-syllable words.
   

Syllabic clapping

1. Say a two-syllable word and make an action for each syllable in the word as you say it. For example, clap, tap the table, stamp, click or use a musical instrument.
   
2. Ask the student to do the action with you.
   
3. Encourage the student to explain how they know when to clap and what to listen for.
4. Repeat with other two-, three- and four-syllable words.
   

Segmenting words into separate sounds

These activities can be repeated to allow students to practise segmenting words into separate sounds.

Segmenting three-sound words

1. Model to the student how to segment three-sound words. Say to the student: 'Listen to how I say "cat". This time I am going to say each sound in the word, "c–a–t". I break the word "cat" up into its sounds, "c–a–t".'
   
2. Ask the student to segment a similar sounding word. For example, say to the student: 'Now you try it with "mat". Break it up into its sounds. Say each sound you hear in the word "mat".
3. If the student finds three-sound word segmentation difficult, ask them to tap or touch an item for each sound they hear in the word. For example, place a row of counters or blocks in front of the student and ask them to touch each one as they hear each sound in the word.
   

Counting sounds in words

1. Begin with three-sound words. Ask the student: 'How many sounds do we hear in the word "cat"? As you say each sound, hold up a finger. There are three sounds in "cat".'
   
2. Repeat this process for other three-sound words (for example, ‘k-ee-p’, ‘f-r-y’ and ‘d-o-ll’) or four sounds (for example, ‘c-r-a-b’, ‘d-r-e-ss’ and ‘b-u-n-ch’).
   
3. If the student counts the number of letters in the words rather than the sounds, say: 'I don’t want you to count the number of letters in each word. Listen to the sounds.'
   
4. Gradually introduce words with five sounds (for example, ‘d-r-i-n-k’, ‘s-t-r-o-ng’, ‘p-l-a-n-t).

These teaching activities can be repeated to allow students to practise sound blending. The activities are presented in the following sequential developmental order:

Blending onset and rime to make a word

These activities can be repeated to allow students to practise blending onset and rime to make a word.

Blending onset and rime

1. Say to the student: 'Listen to how I put these sounds together to make a word, "p–ot". These sounds make "pot". Can you put these sounds together to make a word? "R–an".' Say each part of the word with a brief pause between the sounds.
   
2. Repeat with other three-sound words such as 'k-ick', 'd-og' and 'h-en'.
   
3. Gradually introduce blending onset and a rime for four-sound words (for example, 'g-rab', 'b-lack', 'tr-uck') and five-sound words (for example, 'st-ring', 'cr-unch', 'tr-ust').
   

Blending word game

1. Say the onset or rime of the name of an object in the room. For example, say to the student: 'What am I thinking of in this room? It starts with "sp"?'
2. Ask the student to decide what the object is, using the onset of the word.
   

Blending a sequence of sounds to make a word

These activities can be repeated to allow students to practise blending a sequence of sounds to make a word.

Sound strings

1. Begin with a string of three sounds. Say to the student: 'Listen to these sounds, p–i–g. They go together to make a word. What word do they make?' Encourage the student to 'run the sounds together'.
   
2. Repeat this with other three-sound strings (for example, 'b-e-d', 'j-o-g' and 'j-a-m').
3. Build up to four sound strings (for example, 'c-r-i-b', 's-p-e-d' and 's-l-u-g') and five sound strings (for example, 's-t-a-m-p', 'c-r-e-p-t' and 's-m-e-l-t').
   

Sausage word games

• Play games in which the student has to guess the word you are thinking of when you say it in a segmented way. For example, ask the student to listen to the sounds 'b–a–n–k' and predict what the word is.
  

These teaching activities can be repeated to allow students to practise manipulating sounds within words. The activities are presented in the following sequential developmental order:

Deleting a sound from a word

These activities can be repeated to allow students to practise deleting a sound from a word.

How are the two words different?

1. Select two words where a sound has been deleted from the second word, for example 'flat' and 'fat'.
   
2. Say to the student: 'These two words sound slightly different. Can you tell me how they are they different?' Direct the student to see that the 'l' has been removed from the word 'flat'.
   
3. Repeat for other words, for example, when you delete the letter 'r' from the word 'crop' you are left with the word 'cop'.
   

Dropping sounds from words

1. Ask the student to delete sounds from words of three or four sounds. Say to the student: 'I am going to say a word and then a sound in the word. I want you to take the sound out of the word and say the word that’s left.'
2. For example, ask the student: 'What would be left if you take "m" out of camp?' Repeat the activity using other three or four sound words.
   

Substituting one sound for another

These activities can be repeated to allow students to practise substituting one sound for another.

Swapping sounds in words

1. The student swaps a sound in a three- or four- sound word. Say to the student: 'Listen to this word, "skim". Swap the "m" with a "d". What word would you get?'
2. Repeat for other words, for example, 'hat' (swap 't' for 'm') and 'flash' (swap 'f' for 'c').

Word matching activities

1. The student matches two words that differ in one sound.
   
2. Set up pairs of picture cards, where the name of the object in one of the pictures has one sound different from the other, for example, a picture of a slide and a picture of slime.
3. Ask the student to name each picture.
4. Use the set of cards to play Snap or Memory. The student can match two cards (say 'Snap' or make a pair in Memory) when one name differs from the other by one sound, for example 'car' and 'cart', 'snap' and 'nap', 'brat' and 'bat'.