Sentence Segmentation: Step 3 Phonological Awareness Makes Each Word Count!

Step3 of Phonological Awareness is sentence segmentation. This is such a great way help students distinguish between sounds, syllables, and words. I have always done sentence segmentation during small group instruction and whole group writing instruction, but more on that later. 

I had a conversation with the amazing Donald Bear years ago about practicing sentence segmentation with our earliest students...even preschoolers. We had a great conversation about nursery rhymes (how they aren't used enough today) and marching around the room. One march, per word. That's sentence segmentation.

Alliteration and Rhyme: Step 2 Phonological Awareness helps students productively play with words

Step 2 of Phonological Awareness is alliteration and rhyme. This is gonna be fun. I love playing with words and watching the students have fun while they are learning.

Even though these go together for Step 2, they are equally impressive.

All About Alliteration

(See how I did that?) I was on a trip to New Orleans with my best friend last year and we were in and out of several souvenir shops, like we all do. We looked at t-shirts and sweatshirts and cups and BOOKS. Did I mention my best friend was also a teacher? I found this book, Zoo Krewe. It was a delightful book about New Orleans with alliterative sentences. So. Much. Fun. Alligator adds andouille. Bear burrows in beads. Crawfish creates a costume. What fun!

Alliterations are all around us...and we use them every day. Best Buy. Coca-Cola. Lululemon. Cap'n Crunch. And my favorite Duck Donuts!

Students can make alliterative sentences BEFORE they know letters, because they are just playing with sounds. Using picture cards, students can find their beginning sound match to create alliterations. In the title picture, the students are matching draw and drink by listening to the beginning sound. Once they find a partner, they can create a sentence ORALLY: "He can drink juice and draw a picture." 

So many activities can be done with alliteration. Matching sounds, making sentences, and sorting pictures will help the students fully understand matching beginning sounds. Here are a few activities for Alliteration.

1. 2-Part Alliterations and 3-Part Alliterations

Matching sounds is easy, especially when they can find another partner in the class. They have to move around the room, saying their sound until they find their partner.

2. Thumbs up, Thumbs down

You say the pairs, they make the vote. Simple. Quick.

3. Sort by Sound

Don't introduce letters, just match sounds. Students should match picture cards to picture cards and recognize when they are the same. 

4. Make Awesome Alliteration Sentences

Students can find many words starting with the same sounds and then they make a sentence...a crazy sentence...a sentence that makes them smile. Patty and Peter pain a parrot and peel peaches for a pie. Pretty Perfect!

If you'd like to check out the Alliteration Set, click the link and the picture. 

Rhyming is the opposite!

Where alliteration is matching the beginning sound, rhyming is matching the ending sound. Rhyming matches rimes. (wink) Rhyming is a skill we've talked about and taught for years...but sometimes we put too much emphasis on writing the rhyme...and we need to be talking more about hearing the rhyme. 

Students need practice with hearing the rhymes. Many times they "know" cat and hat rhyme, but they really just know they "go together." We have to make sure they KNOW what rhyming means. The only way to do that is to play with the sounds.

1. Yes or No (This can be Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down)

Listening to rhyme means students need to take away the first thing they hear and focus on the last thing they hear. They need to disregard the beginning part of the word. Teachers can emphasize the ending while they are sharing the rhyming pairs. /p/-AT and /c/-AT. /h/-OUSE and /m/-OUSE.

2. Which Doesn't Belong? 

Being a child of the 70s, I remember the Sesame Street song, "Oe of these things is not like the other? One of these things doesn't belong?" We need to give them choices to compare and contrast. In a pocket chart, we have a target word (red) and two other options (fed, cup). I like to do a "kangaroo hop" and point to each picture: "red-fed, red-cup." Once they can distinguish between two, move to three. "red-hoe, red-bed, red-can."

3. Sorting and Matching

Students have to have lots and lots of practice with rhyming. Make sure they are sorting and matching over and over again.

If you'd like to check out the Rhyming Set, click the link or the picture.

When you have students matching beginning and ending sounds ORALLY, you are setting them up for success. When they can attend to part of a word (beginning or ending), they are ready to talk about all the sounds in the words. 

What are your favorite rhyming activities?

Check out these books for alliteration and rhyming.

Alliteration

Zoo Krewe

If You Were Alliteration

Alliteration Alphabet

Dinorella

Walter was Worried

Rhyming

Frog on a Log

Llama, Llama, Red Pajama

Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site

Rhyming Dust Bunnies

See you Later, Alligator

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Listening Skills: Step 1 Phonological Awareness Builds Successful Readers One Sound at a Time

I was talking to a new teacher and she was frustrated by all the *NEW* stuff they were required to do in small group. She didn't feel like she was given a good explanation about what "Phonological Awareness" is. They were told it's important. They were told not to skip it. They were told to make sure it was in their plans. It is All. The. Buzz.

...and it makes me kinda crazy. It's not new. It's been around forever. We've been doing it all along in small group as a part of best practices.

In the past few years phonological awareness is getting much more attention...and I have to say it's much needed attention.

Let's have fun...and Keep them Engaged: A Winter Vocabulary Activity

I know it's hard. This time of the year is so hard to keep them engaged, so sometimes we have to do something different. Have you ever tried mystery words? They are fun and can quite possibly keep their attention (for a minute or two)...and they are learning at the same time. Mystery Words use the beginning sounds to create new words. 

Asking Questions isn't Just a Reading Comprehension Strategy, It's a Way of Life in Kindergarten

How many times have you heard a guest in your classroom say, "Does anyone have a question?" You know what's going to happen and before you can scream "NOOOOO" and stop them, you have ten hands pop up. 

"I have a question. My dog had puppies."

"Did you know I kicked a goal this weekend?"

"My baby sister spit up at  the bus stop today."

Yep, questions are hard. That's why we have to TEACH them about asking questions. I created a set to help my Kindergarten teachers TEACH asking questions.

Start with an Anchor Chart