Don’t forget to PLAY with SOUNDS!

It has taken me an embarrassingly long time to understand the value of ‘sound’-alogical awareness. I make this hard distinction between sounds in words (phonemes) and everything else we think of when we refer to reading readiness (letters) because this fundamental predisposition to be sensitive enough to play with the sounds in a given language is not equal for everyone. About one fifth of the population is not sensitive to the sounds in a language. When left untreated these people usually struggle to read, write, and spell and some seek out a diagnosis of dyslexia. I would not advocate that families work to try to have a child reading before school age, but simple sound based (not print based) phonological awareness through SOUND PLAY is ALWAYS a recommendation in my book. When I make this recommendation to parents, I expect 80% of children to find this easy and fun and 20% to avoid this task. Helping a child reach a SUCCESSFUL goal when avoidance is a concern is a BIG DEAL and for this 20%, helping them never feel reluctance for reading is THE goal.  

8 Quick Sound Games to play anywhere! anytime!

Sound-alogical Handout FREE

-          Sound Detective: EX) find word with the sound of the day…. OU/OW

-          Starting Twins: EX) Chant: “can and kit both start with K!”  

-          Help Me End: EX) “Ready set G_!” “Time to go to BE_!”

-          Chant it out: EX) Chant the word of the day ‘movie’.. “give me an ‘m* (sound) oo* v* EE* yay, movie day!

-          Can you guess? EX) “I have a new p*.e*.t*” *-sounds, not letters. “it is a c.a.t”

-          Help me Fix it: EX) “I want to ride my hike.. oops, I meant ____, not hike!” “I want a chocolate birthday cape.. oops, I meant ___, not cape!”

-          Find the Beat: EX) tap it out, cat -hat -mat… jungle-muddy-fire … eleven- December - volcano --- keeping syllable numbers together

-          The name game: EX) banana fanana song You Tube: Shirley Ellis The Name Game Song