Introducing Phonemic Blending and Segmentation | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA GK:S3:C12:L62

Introducing Phonemic Blending and Segmentation

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Daily Learning Targets

  • Opening A: I can identify a keyword for the consonant digraph "ch." I can act out the events from the Letter Story: "ch." (RF.1.3)
    • I can look at each consonant and say its sound.
  • Opening B: I can follow along in a shared text (poem/tongue twister) (RF.K.1) and search for digraphs. (RF.1.3)
    • I can point to the first word in a sentence.
    • I can point to the last word in a sentence.
    • I can point to words in a text.
    • I can move my finger under words as I read them on a page, left to right and top to bottom.
  • Work Time A: I can break apart a CVC word into individual phonemes. (RF.K.2)
    • I can listen to the teacher segment a spoken single-syllable word and copy the procedure.
    • I can listen to a CVC word and produce the initial phoneme (sound) in the word.
    • I can listen to a CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) word and pronounce the final consonant phoneme (sound) in the word.
    • I can listen to a CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) word and pronounce the middle vowel phoneme (sound) in the word.

Ongoing Assessment

  • Observe students during Opening B. Determine whether they demonstrate one-to-one correspondence with words.
  • Observe students during Work Time A. Determine whether they can segment and blend individual sounds in words.
  • Record students' progress on the Snapshot Assessment.

Agenda

Agenda

1. Opening (5 minutes)

A. Read-aloud: Letter Story: "ch"

2. Work Time (10-15 minutes)

A. Poem/Tongue Twister and Letter Search: "Check It, Charles!"

B. Phonemic Blending and Segmentation

3. Closing and Assessment (2 minutes)

A. Reflecting on Learning

4. Differentiated Small Group Instruction and Rotations (40-45 minutes)

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Enlarged poem/tongue twister: "Check It, Charles!" (or write on chart paper/poster)
    • Poetry notebooks: Each student needs a spiral or composition book with a copy of the poem glued or taped inside, or else a loose copy of the poem in a plastic sleeve.
    • Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student)
  • If unfamiliar, review the thumb-tapping technique for Phonemic Blending and Segmentation (see Teaching Notes).
  • Gather materials for differentiated small group instruction (see Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher).

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T)

  • keyword (L)

Materials

  • Letter Story: "ch" (placed in an envelope or wrapped in colorful paper; one for teacher use; see the Learning Letters Book)
  • Keyword Picture Card: "ch"
  • Enlarged poem/tongue twister: "Check It, Charles!" (or handwritten on chart paper to display)
  • Large pointer (optional; for teacher to point to words in poem as the class recites)
  • Poetry notebooks (one per student; see Teaching Notes)
  • Poem/tongue twister: "Check It, Charles!" (one per student in poetry notebooks)
  • Articulatory Gestures chart (from Lesson 61, to post)
  • Snapshot Assessment (optional; one per student)

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Read-aloud: Letter Story: "ch"

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"):

"Now let's read a story, word by word. Get yourselves ready to repeat what you heard. When we hear the digraph, we will say: This is the sound two letters made today!"

  • Invite students to sit in a circle.
  • Begin a read-aloud of the Letter Story: "ch":

1. Teacher displays the wrapped Letter Story: "ch."

2. Teacher says, with expression: "I have here, in my hands, a story to tell. Lis-ten carefully ... lis-ten well."

3. Teacher slowly unwraps and reveals the story.

4. Teacher reads the story aloud expressively and without interruption, using movements to accompany what is happening in the story.

5. Teacher reads the story again, inviting students to model the sounds made by each letter alone and then the sound that is made when they come together.

6. After the second read, teacher asks:

"What happened when the cat went into the house?"

7. Teacher invites the students to turn to an elbow partner to discuss the following question:

"Why do the letters 'c' and 'h' make just one sound when they're together?"

8. Teacher invites one or two students to share with the group.

9. Teacher displays the Keyword Picture Card: "ch," pretends to feel a sneeze coming on, and says: "a-/ch/!"

  • To heighten the anticipation and drama around the presentation of Letter Story: "ch," consider wrapping it in colorful paper or placing it in a decorative container and revealing it slowly.
  • Consider having students lie down on their stomachs with their heads oriented toward the center of the circle while reading the story aloud the first time through. This, together with the unwrapping of the story and the language in step 2, develops a storytelling ritual like that suggested for the vowel stories.
  • To provide support or practice with left-to-right directionality and one-to-one matching, consider inviting individual students to come up to the enlarged poem and point to the words as the class chorally recites.
  • Remind students that the /ch/ sound is sharp, stops with the exhale of breath, and does not include the "uh" that many students add to the sound.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Poem/Tongue Twister and Letter Search: "Check It, Charles!"

  • Begin the Poem/Tongue Twister and Letter Search instructional practice:

1. Teacher invites students to stand and begins to "chant" the /ch/ sound for each beat of "I'm a Little Teapot" (i.e., "/ch/-/ch/-/ch/-/ch/-/ch/-/ch/" instead of "I'm a lit-tle tea-pot," and so on).

2. Consider inviting students to move slowly in their circle while "chanting" the /ch/ sound and pretending to sneeze.

3. Teacher invites students to sit and says: "I have a friend, Charles. He loves to check everything. He checks the clock to see what time it is. He checks the stove to make sure it's turned off. He checks to see that no cars are coming before he crosses the street. He is really good at checking. So I always have him check things for me. So, one day, I needed him to check something for me. This is what I said to him ..."

4. Teacher displays the enlarged poem/tongue twister: "Check It, Charles!"

5. Teacher reads "Check It, Charles!" once or twice, pointing to each word as he or she reads it (with a finger or pointer).

6. Teacher says: "That was a little tricky to read. It kind of twisted my tongue up."

7. Teacher asks:

"What did you hear in this that kind of made my tongue twist up?" (/ch/)

8. Teacher says: "That's right, the /ch/ sound seems to be everywhere! Let's see if we can find it!"

9. Teacher distributes poetry notebooks or copies of the poem/tongue twister: "Check It, Charles!" to individuals or partners.

10. Teacher displays the Keyword Picture Card: "ch."

11. Teacher and students recite the poem, pointing to each word as they read it. During the shared reading of the tongue twister, teacher asks students to point to the first word in each line and the last word in each line.

12. Teacher models searching for the letters "ch" and making the /ch/ sound, and circles the letters "ch" on the enlarged copy of the tongue twister.

13. Students circle the letters "ch" with their fingers in their own tongue twister, if using.

      • Consider saying each word with the letters "ch" aloud, inviting students to identify whether the /ch/ sound is at the beginning or end of the word.

B. Introducing Phonemic Blending and Segmentation

  • (Suggested transition song, sung to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"):

"Now let's read each word, sound by sound. Tap the sounds out to see what is found. When we say the sounds, we will tap. We'll know the beginning, middle, and end in a snap."

  • Introduce the Phonemic Blending and Segmentation instructional practice:

1. Teacher says: "We know that letters make the sounds we hear in words. Hearing each sound in a word helps us figure out the letters that spell the word. Today you are going to be sound inspectors as we listen for the sounds we hear in words. An inspector is someone who pays very close attention to something and thinks carefully about it. As sound inspectors, you will be paying very close attention to sounds in words and thinking carefully about them."

2. Teacher says: "First, I will say a word like 'ship,' and you will repeat the word."

3. Teacher says: "ship."

4. Students repeat: "ship."

5. Teacher says: "Then I will say the word again and segment (break apart) the sounds I hear in the word: /sh/ /i/ /p/."

6. Students repeat: /sh//i//p/.

7. Repeat steps 2-6 with the following words: "thin," "rich," "wish," "with," "chop."

8. Teacher says: "Great job, sound inspectors! Now we are going to tap our thumbs and fingers for each sound we hear. So as you say each sound, you will tap your thumb and finger together like this."

9. Teacher first says: "ship" and then models the thumb-tapping technique with the word "ship." (See Teaching Notes for explanation.)

10. Repeat step 9 with the following words: "thin," "rich," "wish," "with," "chop."

11. Teacher says: "Now you will get to be super sound inspectors as I ask you to listen for a beginning, middle, or ending sound in each word. If I say 'ship,' the beginning sound would be /sh/. The middle sound would be /i/ and the ending sound would be /p/. Now let's try it together."

12. Teacher pronounces the next word: "thin."

13. Teacher and students segment the word, using the thumb-tapping technique: /th//i//n/.

14. Teacher asks:

"What is the beginning sound?" (/th/)

"What is the middle sound?" (/i/)

"What is the ending sound?" (/n/)

"How many sounds do we hear in the word?" (three)

15. Repeat steps 12-14 with the following words: "rich," "wish," "with," "chop."

16. Teacher says: "Great job, sound inspectors! Breaking apart words into their sounds helps us be better spellers because we can hear every sound in the word, then write the letter for that sound."

  • The fine motor skills required for tapping fingers to thumb might be challenging for some students. Consider using the arm to "tap": Extend the left arm and use the right hand to tap the first sound at the shoulder, the middle sound at the elbow, and the final sound at the wrist.
  • Alternatively, students who have difficulty with the dexterity needed for the thumb tap may also tap the thumb on the opposite hand.
  • Use the Articulatory Gestures chart as needed to support students in feeling and hearing the difference between /i/ and /o/.
  • Consider asking students to identify the letters that make the sounds /sh/, /th/, and /ch/ in the words. Remind them that even though there are two letters, just one sound is made.
  • Consider asking the students to notice that each middle sound in word is a vowel. This begins to build the crucial understanding that every syllable (in this case, a single-syllable word) contains one vowel sound.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning

  • Emphasize that successful learners think about what they've learned and why it's important. Consider using a metaphor, such as a baseball player learning to keep his or her eye on the ball to know exactly when to hit it.
  • Ask:

"When we want to hear each separate sound in a word, what can we do?" (Say the word slowly and tap each sound.)

"How will that help us with reading and writing?" (Responses will vary.)

  • For students who need additional support organizing their ideas: Provide sentence frames. Example:
    • "When I see the letters 'ch,' I know they say _____."

Differentiated Small Groups: Work with Teacher

Suggested Plan: Teacher works with the Pre-Alphabetic and Partial Alphabetic groups. At this point in the year, the teacher may be ready to meet with three rather than just two groups per day. If so, the teacher should work with students in the Full and Consolidated Alphabetic phases at least once per week. The teacher may choose to guide students through the suggested independent activity or refer to the possible practice activities.

Note: Groups not working with the teacher at a given time should be engaged in purposeful independent rotation work. Refer to the Independent and Small Group guidance document (see K-2 Skills Resource Manual) for more details.

Pre-Alphabetic:

  • Practice activity: Initial and Final Sound Hunt.
    • Teacher guides students as they segment words using the thumb-tapping technique and identify the initial or final sound in a word.
    • Teacher cuts out the Keyword Letter Cards ahead of time.
    • Teacher reviews the sounds: "sh" (/sh/), "th" (/th/), "ch" (/ch/), "p" (/p/), "r" (/r/), "t" (/t/), "b" (/b/), "n" (/n/), "m" (/m/).
    • Teacher says the word "shop" and asks:

"What is the first sound in the word 'shop'?"

    • Teacher supports students as they thumb-tap the word "shop."
    • Students identify the first sound and the Keyword Letter Card and place it in the first box in the Sound Board.
    • Teacher says the word "shop" again and asks:

"What is the final sound in the word 'shop'?"

    • Teacher supports students as they thumb-tap the word "shop."
    • Students identify the final sound and the Keyword Letter Card and place it in the last box in the sound board.
    • Students clear their sound boards.
    • This process is repeated with the following suggested spoken words: "rich," "that," "both," "chop," "rush," "thin," "them," "shine," "chap," "shin," "chin."
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Keyword Letter Cards: "sh," "ch," "th," "p," "r," "t," "b," "n," "m" (one set per student)
    • Sound board (one per student)

Partial Alphabetic:

  • Practice activity: Sound Hunt.
    • Teacher guides students as they segment words using the thumb-tapping technique and identify the initial, middle, or final sound in a word. Refer to the digraph Keyword Letter Cards as needed.
    • Teacher says the word "shop" and asks:

"What is the first sound in the word 'shop'?"

    • Teacher supports students as they thumb-tap the word "shop."
    • Students identify the first sound and write the letter(s) in the first box in the sound board.
    • Students erase their sound boards.
    • Teacher says the word "wish" and asks:

"What is the final sound in the word 'wish'?"

    • Teacher supports students as they thumb-tap the word "wish."
    • Students identify the final sound and write the letters in the last box in the sound board.
    • Teacher repeats the process, asking students to identify the initial, middle, or final sound in each word, thumb-tap to segment and isolate the sound, and record the position of the sound on the sound board with the appropriate letter(s). Suggested words include: "chop," "rich," "thin," "them," "shin," "chin," "chap," "that," "rush," "gush," "ship," "with," "moth."
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Sound board (either laminated or placed in a transparent sleeve; one per student)
    • White board marker and white board eraser (one per student)

Full and Consolidated Alphabetic:

  • Independent Practice activity: Sound Hunt and Sort.
    • Students cut out each pair of pictures. Pairs include:
      • "ship/shark," "pig/rug," "thumb/thread," "cup/rug," "fox/five," "cat/car," "bus/glass," "soap/boat," "feet/cheese"
    • Students say the name of each picture in a pair of pictures and determine whether they share the same beginning, middle, or ending sound.
    • Students sort each paper into the appropriate column.
  • Conference with students about Accountable Independent Reading.
  • Choose a lesson from the K-2 Differentiation Packets to extend the students' learning. (Refer to the students' assessment data and the Assessment Conversion chart to determine an appropriate lesson or group of lessons.)
  • Additional Supporting Materials:
    • Sound Hunt and Sort: Picture Pairs
    • Sound Hunt and Sort sheet
    • Scissors and glue sticks (one per student)

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