- bag
- Build a House (book)
- pictures of objects that begin with the /b/ sound and pictures of a few items that do not
MA Standards:
English Language Arts/Foundational Skills/RF.PK.MA.3.a Link an initial sound to a picture of an object that begins with that sound and, with guidance and support, to the corresponding printed letter (e.g., link the initial sound /b/ to a picture of a ball and, with support, to a printed or written ”B”).
Head Start Outcomes:
Literacy Knowledge/Phonological Awareness Identifies and discriminates between sounds and phonemes in language, such as attention to beginning and ending sounds of words and recognition that different words begin or end with the same sound.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Reading and Literature 8 Listen to, identify, and manipulate language sounds to develop auditory discrimination and phonemic awareness.
English Language Arts/Reading and Literature 9 Link letters with sounds in play activities.
Learn About Letter Sounds Together: Bag of Sounds (/b/)
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
ELA Focus Skills: Letter Recognition, Phonological Awareness (Beginning Sounds)
Remind children that the word build begins with the /b/ sound. Hold up the book and say the word build slowly, emphasizing the /b/ sound. Ask, Can you hear the /b/ sound? Say the word with me, build.
- Display the bag and the pictures of objects that begin with the /b/ sound, along with the few pictures of objects that don’t begin with the /b/ sound. Name each item.
- Tell children that only pictures of things that begin with the /b/ sound belong in the bag.
- Spread the pictures on a table.
- Hold up the picture of the ball and ask, Does the word ball begin with the same sound as the word build? Say, ball, build. Yes, they both begin with the /b/ sound. Who would like to put the picture of the ball in the bag?
- Invite children to take turns picking up an object, naming it, and saying whether it belongs in the bag or not. Continue until all items have been sorted.
Educator Tip: Guided and independent letter, sound, and word practice continues to take place in center activities. If desired, you can set up the literacy center immediately after the direct instruction and repeat instruction before children work in the literacy center identifying letters.