Teaching Kindergartners to Blend the Play Way

The systematic teaching of all phonological awareness skills is imperative to ensure a student’s future reading success. Daily, intentional instruction of, and more importantly, the “playing with" individual sounds in a meaningful way will build cognitive clarity as students experience how sounds work together to form words.

A child’s future reading success is directly linked to his/her understanding of phonological awareness skills. Consequently, daily intentional, strategic teaching of those skills must exist in an early learning classroom. The best way to teach these skills? Well the play way of course!

The last few weeks I have been working with struggling students on the art of blending sounds together to make words. (A crucial precursor to decoding). After a few mini-lessons on the skill, I bring out the blending magic bullet, a basketball. Yes, a ball adds that touch of kinesthetic action that actually allows not only a visual to auditory blending, but adds the rhythm as well. Try out this game, you will love it!


Bounce the Blends

Common Core Objective RF.K.2. Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Materials: Gather a small basketball or playground ball (I have a jack-o-lantern ball that is perfect for a halloween theme).

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Today we are going to make words by blending sounds together. On your turn, I will bounce three sounds like this (model as you say the sounds, bouncing once for each sound) /b/ /a/ /t/.

What is that word? (Assist as necessary. If student is struggling try the word as an onset-rime /b/ /at/ (two bounces). If he still struggles, move to the easier onset-vowel /ba/ /t/ (two bounces). Slowly pull away from these methods after time until student can hear the three distinct sounds.

When the child responds bat, throw the ball to him and then have him toss it back.  Repeat again with a new word (and new student) continuing as time allows.

*Note. When students conquer the skill of blending use this same game in a reverse manner. Have student draw a picture card and then bounce once for each sound in the word, then say the whole word as they toss the ball to the teacher.

--Check out our online store by clicking "Shop" on the menu bar for a huge variety of kindergarten activities that keep PLAY in kindergarten. And, yes we are available on Teachers Pay Teachers.

If you want to learn more about teaching phonemic awareness skills to young children, check out our podcast on the topic. 


Phoneme Segmentation Fluency Games
Sale Price: $4.00 Original Price: $7.00

Also available at Teachers Pay Teachers!

Are you looking for some great games that can be used to teach your students or homeschool students how to segment phonemes with fluency, the essential precursor to decoding? You will love this great packet! Helps with your Dibels scores too!

Games include:
Fingerprint CVC Words
The Big Game
BAM
Boo!
Simon Says Segmenting
Floating Sounds
Ladybug Dance
Santa Gets Dressed

“Great purchase! I printed everything off and prepped all the games. Put everything in its own sheet protector and placed in a binder. Now I just pull out a game and it is ready to go. What are the three greatest things about Kindergarten Kiosk purchases.... 1) educationally top notch (Kathy knows her stuff and knows how to effectively teach the concepts while the kids are having a great time.) 2) LOVE that the games...because that what they all are...are scripted! They can be handed to a parent volunteer or sub and away they go! 3) time tested (research based :) ) These are the very same games that Kathy has used for years, they weren't just made up and published quickly to make a few extra dollars. They are TIMELESS! I've loved EVERY purchased from Kindergarten Kiosk and look forward to many years ahead of using these resources.”

Teach Me Onset Rimes
$3.00

Also available at Teachers Pay Teachers!

Product Description

Onset Rime Foundational Reading Skills

Blending and segmenting onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words is an important skill to prepare young readers to blend and segment. Teach this skill with confidence by playing these simple games with your students.

Contents

Bookstore Sale

Construction Zone

Color the Picture

Planting Flowers

© Kathy Crane Kindergarten Kiosk

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Phoneme Isolation Activities: Beginning, Middle, and Ending Sounds
$4.00

Also available at Teachers Pay Teachers!This packet includes six lessons to help your students understand the concept of phoneme isolation and fulfill Common Core Standard RF.K.2d.

Teach Me To Rhyme
$8.00

Also available at Teachers Pay Teachers!

This packet includes activities to help your students understand the concept of rhyming. The lessons vary in style and format. Some lessons are scripted, others are designed for independent practice. Some lessons can be used with small groups while others can be completed with a large group. All lessons can be adapted to support struggling students or to challenge high-achieving students. 

The unit is organized into 19 lessons to be spread out during 7 weeks. Many of the Teach Me To Read Units are meant to be taught in tandem, following the learning to read timeline.

Here is the link for the syllable unit: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Teach-Me-To-Read-Syllables-833730

Table of Contents Week 1 Day 1: Nursery Rhyme Time
Week 1 Day 2: The Hungry Duck
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Week 2 Day 1: Buggy Rhymes
Week 2 Day 2: Apple Tree Rhymes
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Week 3 Day 1: Web Treasures
Week 3 Day 2: Roll and Rhyme Halloween (or any season)
Week 3 Day 3: Halloween Rhyme Time
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Week 4 Day 1: Picture Pairs
Week 4 Day 2: Rhyming Flags
Week 4 Day 3: Turkey Lurkey Rhymes
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Week 5 Day 1: Rhyme Me a River
Week 5 Day 2: Le Revelillon
Week 5 Day 3: To The North Pole
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Week 6 Day 1: The Lost Mitten
Week 6 Day 2: Planes Trains and Everything Else
Week 6 Day 3: Match a Rhyme
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Week 7 Day 1: Rhyming Sunglasses
Week 7 Day 2: Home Tweet Home
Week 7 Day 3: T-Shirt Twins