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2 Helpful Ways to Make the Letter Sound Connection

Judy — Sun, 17 May 2020 17:30:27 +0000

Are you looking for more ways to help preschoolers and kindergarteners make the letter-sound connection?

One of my adorable granddaughters has experienced some challenges with learning letter names. When my daughter mentioned that it seemed to be easier for her to learn the sounds they stand for, I suggested she might benefit from a multi-sensory approach. This method of instruction links the name of the letter, the sound the letter stands for, and its formation.

I sent her links to relevant blog posts and made her a set of my letter-sound key word picture cards. At that time, my granddaughter was attending preschool. She was also receiving resource services. My daughter was squeezing in reinforcement at home.

And then… the pandemic happened. Her preschool was closed. Special services were paused. Kindergarten was looming large. Mom and Dad were working from home with two active preschool-age children.

Here’s what I heard. “Mom, you send me stuff, lots of stuff. But I’m not a teacher. I need someone to tell me exactly what to do with it each day.”

So, I set out to write lesson plans focused on the letter-sound connection. I intended to do this using resources I already had on hand. Well, of course, I ended up creating more!

New Resources

Here are two of those resources to help you out with teaching those letter-sound connections. And yes, one is a freebie!

Because this has been a difficult task for my granddaughter, I stuck with the same set of key word pictures I have used in my other resources for consistency. When she sees a letter, I want her to be able to recall that picture and the corresponding sound, not to be mentally searching for some word, any word that will work. For her, that process seems to help her to recall the letter name.

While these resources were created to provide that repetitive practice for overlearning a skill that some children need, they can also be used as a fun addition to morning work or literacy centers for any child.

Letter Sound Play Dough Mats

This is a set of simple, easy to prepare letter-sound play dough mats, perfect for preschool or kindergarten. Each half-page mat has a lowercase letter and a key word picture representing the initial consonant (except final x /ks/) or short vowel sound.

Please note that the play dough letters do not represent correct letter formation.

Simply print on card stock and laminate. Cut each page in half. Then, add play dough, homemade or store-bought.

Be sure that children who need the extra practice say the letter name, the picture, and the corresponding sound (a, apple, /a/) as they are working on a mat to reinforce that letter-sound connection.

Click on the highlighted words, Letter Sound Play Dough Mats, to purchase these mats in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Letter Sound Key Word Memory Match

This free memory match game is a great partner or small group activity for preschoolers and kindergarteners learning to identify letters and to associate those letters with their corresponding sounds.

Choices to Make

Color or black/ white
One-sided or two-sided cards
For two-sided cards, a shark or flamingo theme, just because I couldn’t decide
White or colored card stock

Get It Prepared

Print your cards. Use card stock to reduce or eliminate any see-through and laminate for durability.

There are three pages of letter cards and three pages of key word picture cards. Cut out the cards.

Play the Game

Select pairs of letter and key word picture cards for practice. I suggest using 6 to 12 pairs but it is up to you! Stick with pairs you have already taught.

Place the mixed-up letter cards face down in an array (i.e. 3 X 3 or 3 X 4). Then, place the mixed-up key word picture cards face down in another array.

Flip over one card from each array. Do they match?

If no, turn them back over in the same spots. If yes, say the letter name, the picture, and the corresponding sound (a, apple, /a/). Keep your match.

Take turns. Play until all the cards have been matched. Who has the most matches?

Download your free copy of Flamingo Letter Sound Memory Match or Shark Letter Sound Memory Match by clicking on the highlighted words. These resources are exactly the same except for the card backs.

Looking For More Resources to Make the Letter-Sound Connection…

My daughter is pleased that she can prepare a week’s worth of lessons in ten minutes now! My sweet granddaughter is actively engaged in learning. The lesson plans and activities I put together included the ideas and resources below.

Blog Posts to Check Out

Products and a Freebie in My TpT Store

I loved helping my daughter. How can I help you?

The photo in the title image is by DegImages.

The post 2 Helpful Ways to Make the Letter Sound Connection appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

How to Easily Stuff a Little Learning into December

Judy — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 19:42:27 +0000

It’s December! While your children have “visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads”, you still have teaching to do!

So, here are some stocking themed resources, including a freebie, to help you do just that in preschool and kindergarten.

December Stocking Number Cards

I crafted two sets of free Christmas stocking numeral cards, 1 to 10 and 11 to 20. These are perfect for reinforcing numeral recognition, number sense, and numeral formation. I made 4 recording sheets to accompany the cards.

Your students can fill in the ten frames 1-10, fill in double ten frames 11-20, draw tally marks, or trace the numerals 1-10. Enjoy these activities during small group instruction, as independent centers, or as morning work.

Get it Prepared

This is an easy to prepare activity. Choose your set of numeral cards; 1-10 or 11-20, color or black/ gray/ white. Print the cards on cardstock for durability, laminate, and cut. Pick a recording sheet to copy.

Get ’em Engaged

You can use these December stocking number cards in three different ways.

Simply use the cards with a recording sheet.

For the first option, choose a recording sheet. Provide small groups of students with the recording sheet and a set of numeral cards to share. Just pick a card and follow the directions on the recording sheet.

Play an In the Bag or In the Stocking game.

To play this game, you will need a seasonal bag or stocking. Depending on the size of the group, you may want to use two or three sets of cards. You can also combine the 1-10 and 11-20 cards, if appropriate for your learners. Include the Yum! Yum! A Treat! (take an extra turn) and the Oh, no! Coal! (lose a turn or put all your cards back in) cards for a little extra fun.

Decide if the game will have a time limit and if students need to name a numeral correctly the first time to keep it. Students can also trace and name the ones they miss.

Place the cards in your bag or stocking. Draw a card without peeking. Name the numeral. Collect or keep the ones you name correctly. The game is over when the timer goes off or the last card is drawn. Who has the most, least, or an equal number of cards?

Pair the cards with a writing tray to practice numeral formation.

Try dyed rice or salt in a writing tray. Or make it simple by adding red and green sprinkles or sequins to white rice. Just pick a card, name the numeral, and write it in the tray. While a seasonal unsharpened pencil or candy cane adds an engaging element, writing with your finger will provide sensory feedback.

Use your imagination! Let us know in the comments below how you used these stocking number cards.

Spin-a-Stocking, A Game for Letters and Beginning Sounds

Try this coordinating Christmas stocking themed game! It’s a great way to practice or review letter recognition and/or the association of initial consonant and short vowel sounds with letters during December in preschool or kindergarten.

Choose from any combination of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and 2 sets of pictures representing beginning sounds to play. The pictures for the letter x are in the final position representing the /ks/ sound.

Sort your word cards by stocking color and design into 4 stacks. Take turns to spin, name the letter (or sound and letter), and collect the cards!

Click on the highlighted words, Spin-a-Stocking Letters and Sounds, to purchase this resource from my TpT store.

Count to Recognize Christmas Number Mats 0 to 10

Looking for more stocking themed resources? This set of easy to prepare Christmas themed full-page number mats, 0-10, for preschool and kindergarten math, includes ones with stockings.

They are designed to develop skills in counting, numeral recognition, and numeral formation. These are, intentionally, very basic mats. The 3 sets of mats have a numeral along with a corresponding number of items to count; stockings, ornaments on a wreath, and lights on a Christmas tree.

The numerals have green, yellow, and red dots along with arrows to guide correct formation. They are perfect for finger tracing, using dry erase markers, or play dough. Both counting the items and naming the numeral while engaged in forming it help to develop recognition.

You can purchase these Christmas Count to Recognize Number Mats 0-10 in my TpT store.

And don’t forget to download your free Christmas Stocking Number Card Activities!

Title stocking photo is by LiliGraphie.

The post How to Easily Stuff a Little Learning into December appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

Wonderful Wintery Ways to Review Letters and Sounds

laine — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 22:13:00 +0000

The weather in my part of Virginia is forecast to be sunny and in the mid-50’s today. The possibility of snow is in the forecast for two of the next three days! This is a typical Virginia winter with a wide variety of weather to please everyone; highs ranging from 15 to 65 degrees, sunny, windy, rainy, a coating of ice, a dusting of snow, oh wait a minute, make that two feet of snow!

As you return to your classroom in this new calendar year for a new semester of teaching and learning, your students will exhibit an equally wide variety of achievement levels and readiness to take on new tasks. Some of your littles will undoubtedly still need a daily review of letters and sounds.

Winter Frame by MixPixBox; Watercolor graphics by Tati’s Clip Art

In December, I wrote about ways to review letters and sounds employing the visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile senses. I shared a set of gingerbread man letter and number (0-20) cards.

I want to build on the idea of using seasonal letter/ number cards and incorporating sensory writing trays into daily review as one way to enhance student engagement. SugarAunts wrote a terrific post on using Writing Trays for Handwriting.

This month, I am sharing a set of winter hat letter and number cards to help engage your learners in daily review tasks.

For the sensory writing tray, I tried white rice with glitter. Seriously, glitter is incredibly messy used like this and I wouldn’t recommend using it in a writing tray unless you want to see sparkles everywhere for weeks to come. On the other hand, white rice with sequins and snow sprinkles made a nice mix. I love the idea from Kindergarten is Crazy for using plastic school supply boxes; easy to contain, stack, and store, and so practical for use with small groups.

As with the gingerbread men, these winter hats can be used in a plethora of ways, limited only by your imagination, including an It’s in the Bag activity. For students who have learned a limited set of letters or numbers, you can make multiple copies of those. Students take turns to pick a card (without peeking, of course) and respond. If the response is correct (or if you are providing corrective feedback), they keep the card. You can add the hedgehog cards for a little excitement (The Hat written and illustrated by Jan Brett). Pick a hedgehog card- lose a turn, put one or all of your cards back in the bag- you decide. Since I couldn’t find a winter-themed decorative gift bag (out with Christmas and in with Valentine’s Day), I included a page with hats and snowflakes to decorate a kraft bag.

How will you use these winter hat letter and number cards? Let me know if additional seasonal sets would be beneficial.

This free roam the room small group activity, available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, gets your kids up and moving while reviewing initial sounds.

For learners ready for numbers beyond 20, check out my newest open-ended resource, Mittens on the Line Ordering Numbers 0-120, which is perfect for kindergarten, first, and, second grade. Click to find more winter resources in my store.

Free Wintery Resources and Ideas for Letters, Sounds, and Numbers

1. Snowman Roll & Cover Number Game (Early Learning Ideas)

2. Teen Number Snowman (Ms. Moran’s Kindergarten)

3. Snowman Alphabet Tracing Printables (The Letters of Literacy)

4. Snow Globe Letter Matching (Mom Inspired Life)

5. Icy Numbers Ten Frames (School Times Snippets)

6. Initial Sounds Hot Cocoa Puzzles (Simply Kinder)

You can also find a sprinkling of additional winter hat and mitten resources on my Winter Wonders Pinterest board.

The post Wonderful Wintery Ways to Review Letters and Sounds appeared first on Just Ask Judy.

How to Effectively Introduce Letters and Sounds the Multi-Sensory Way

laine — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 17:09:00 +0000

By the end of my teaching career, I felt like I was hanging on to my chalkboard by the tips of my fingers. Every year, my principal tried to persuade me to trade it in for a brand new, shiny whiteboard. And every year, I politely declined, insisting I needed my chalkboard. Perhaps you think I’m just nostalgic about chalk dust. Actually, not at all! But using chalk on a chalkboard does produce a drag which provides sensory input. Compare this to the smoothness of a marker on a whiteboard. My chalkboard was an essential tool for teaching letters and sounds using a multi-sensory approach.

Some children learn letters and their sounds easily with exposure to alphabet books, environmental print, and sound play. Other children require explicit instruction. This post is for teachers working with children who benefit from explicit instruction.

Early in my teaching career, I was introduced to Orton-Gillingham methods through my cooperating teacher, a mentor teacher, and professional development. Over time, I drew from a number of resources. Although the specifics varied across the years, a mainstay in my instructional approach was the multi-sensory introduction of letters and sounds. This approach links the name of the letter, the sound the letter stands for, and its formation.

The Sequence of Letters and Sounds

The University of Oregon’s Big Ideas in Reading lists an acceptable sequence for introducing letters. This sequence is geared towards introducing reading and spelling after a handful of letters are taught. They also provide criteria for evaluating a given sequence, which is helpful for developing your own or determining the suitability of a required sequence. For children primarily needing handwriting instruction, use a sequence based on groups of handwriting strokes.

Letter/ Sound Picture Cards

You will need a set of letter/ sound picture cards. Each card should have a letter and a key picture representing the sound the letter stands for. The pictures need to represent single initial consonant sounds, initial short vowel sounds, and final x with the /ks/ sound; in other words no frogs, owls, or xylophones. I am sharing a set of letter/ sound picture cards which you can download for free from my Teachers Pay Teachers store. These cards present lowercase letters only as this is potentially less confusing. Lowercase letters also have a higher utility for reading and spelling than uppercase letters.

Multi-Sensory Introduction of Letters and Sounds

These activities are most appropriate for individuals and small groups but can be adapted for large groups. Keep in mind that a letter’s name is its most stable property. Its form and sound may vary.

Activity 1

Introduce the letter/ sound picture card by naming the letter, naming the picture, and saying the sound (a- apple- /a/). Have your student repeat. Write the letter large, as large as your student’s arm reach, on the chalkboard (okay, whiteboard, if you must) stating orally how it’s formed. Have your student skywrite the letter by standing and facing the board, extending his/ her dominant writing arm with the elbow straight and stiff, pointing the index and middle fingers together, and grasping the upper arm muscles with the non-dominant hand. Skywriting should be a large muscle movement, as large as an individual’s arm swing from the shoulder allows.

Have your student write the letter in the air and name the letter while looking at it. Follow this by saying the keyword and the sound. Provide guidance, as needed, by modeling while you face the letter or by standing behind the student and providing light touch. Repeat several times. Remember that you are building connections between the letter name, its formation, and the sound it stands for while using the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses. Next, have your student trace your large letter model while saying its name, keyword, and sound. Repeat several times. Use all white or a variety of colored chalk.

Lastly, have your student write the letter, arm swing size, next to your model. This activity can be adapted for groups by writing the letter multiple times on your board(s). Some students can skywrite while others trace and write on the board.

Be sure to read this post by The Inspired Treehouse, which explains why kids should have opportunities to work on a vertical surface.

Activity 2

Start by reviewing the recently introduced letter/ sound picture card. Name the letter, the key picture, and the sound the letter represents. Use 12 x 18-inch unlined newsprint in a hot dog/ horizontal position for this activity. Fold a baseline along the bottom. Allow more depth for “tail” letters. Write the letter large with a marker. You might want to use a chisel tip for bolder lines, giving a wider margin of error. Have your student trace the letter while naming it, the keyword, and it’s sound. Repeat this multiple times. Have your student write the letter next to your model (the number of times will depend on space).

Activity 3

Review the recently introduced letter/ sound picture card. Use a chalk liner (or marker liner) to make handwriting lines on the board. I use blue, red, and green lines. You can double the size, at this point, using the top and bottom slots of two chalk liners. I like the sky line, plane line, grass line and worm line terms from the Fundations Teachers Manual Levels K-1, along with their Letter Formation Guide. Click on the highlighted words to download these pictures cues for writing lines that I use on the chalkboard. Write the letter on the lines while verbalizing its formation. Repeat this 3 to 5 times. Your student traces the letter while (you guessed it) naming it, the keyword and the sound. He/ she writes the letter on the line using any remaining space.

I use one activity each day. The amount of repetition needed to learn a letter and its corresponding sound varies from child to child. These activities can be repeated. I also use 9 x 12-inch manila paper with a model letter written with a marker, as large as the paper. Your students can rainbow trace with crayons using the same procedures.

There are many ways to review and practice the links between the letter name, its formation, and the sound it stands for- too many to list here! Be sure to check out my other blog posts for teaching letters and sounds!

Click the highlighted words to download your free copy of the Letter Sound Picture Cards from my TpT store. While you’re there, check out my other resources for teaching letters and sounds!

Photo in title image by Speech-Language Pirates.

An InLinkz Link-up

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