Teaching Sound Isolation

The Task

Children identify the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words. For example, "What is the beginning sound in nose?" "What is the ending sound in pig? "What is the sound you hear in the middle of cat?"

Activities

1. A Song That Teaches Sound Isolation is Old Mac Donald Had a Farm (Yopp, 1992)
   In this song, children are asked to tell what sounds they hear at the beginning, middle, or end of words.

   You may use the same sound for each position (beginning, middle, and end) as you begin to work with a new sound and then mix them up as children learn more sounds.

   What's the sound that starts these words:	turtle, time, and teeth?
   (Wait for a response from the children - /t/.)
   /t/ is the sound that starts these words:	turtle, time, and teeth.
   With a /t/, /t/, here and a /t/, /t/, there,
   Here a /t/, there a /t/, everywhere a /t/, /t/.
   /t/ is the sound that starts these words:	turtle, time, and teeth.

   What is the sound in the middle of these words	beet and meal and read?
   (Wait for a response from the children - /ee/.)
   /ee/ is the sound in the middle of these words:	beet and meal and read.
   With a /ee/, /ee/, here and a /ee/, /ee/, there,
   Here a /ee/, there a /ee/, everywhere a /ee/, /ee/.
   /ee/ is the sound in the middle of these words:	beet and meal and read.

   What's the sound at the end of these words:	bed and seed and mad?
   (Wait for a response from the children - /d/.)
   /d/ is the sound at the end of these words:	bed and seed and mad.
   With a /d/, /d/, here and a /d/, /d/, there,
   Here a /d/, there a /d/, everywhere a /d/, /d/.
   /d/ is the sound at the end of these words:	bed and seed and mad.

   Teaching Phonemic Blending - "I Say It Slowly, You Say It Fast" Game

   Teacher explains that she will say the sounds in a word slowly.

   Children take turns saying it fast.

   Example: Teacher says, "/k/-/a/-/t/	child says, "cat."
   Example: Teacher says, "cow - boy"	child says, "cowboy."