Teaching Phonemic Segmentation

The Task

Children learn to count the sounds in a word. For example, "Can you count the syllables or the word parts in football?"

Activities

1. Rubber Band Stretch

   Teacher models with a large rubber band how to stretch out a word as the word is said. /mmmmmmmm-/aaaaaaaaaaaa-/nnnnnnnnn/

   Teacher models with stretched out band how to bring rubber band back to original length and says the word fast: /man/.

   Children pretend to stretch rubber bands as they say the sounds in different words.

2. Stretchy Names

   Children and teacher clap and say a verse for each child in class:
   CHRISTOPHER, CHRISTOPHER, HOW DO YOU DO? WHO'S THAT FRIEND RIGHT NEXT TO YOU?

   Children and teacher say the next child's name very slowly, stretching palms far apart as the word is stretched; RRRR-eeeee-bbbb-eee-ckckckck-aaa.

   Clap once quickly and say name fast: "Rebecca."

3. Sound Boxes

   After children can do "rubber band stretch," teacher shows students how to make sound boxes on their papers or lap boards.

   They learn to say a word, stretching it out, and then slide a marker into each box as they hear each sound or phoneme.

4. A Song to Teach Phonemic Segmentation

   Listen, listen to my word,
   Then tell me all the sound you heard: race
   /r/ is one sound
   /a/ is two,
   /s/ is last in race it's true.
   Thanks for listening to my word
   And telling all the sounds you heard!