MA Standards:
Foundational Skills: RF.PK.MA.2.c Identify the initial sound of a spoken word and, with guidance and support, generate several other words that have the same initial sound.
Head Start Outcomes:
Language Development/Receptive Language Attends to language during conversations, songs, stories, or other learning experiences.
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.
Word Play: Tell Me What You Hear (/m/)
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ELA Focus Skills: Phonological Awareness (Beginning Sounds)
Tell children they are going to listen for the /m/ sound at the beginning of some familiar words. Use the “Tell Me What You Hear” routine with children.
Repeat the routine a second time using the words mouse, mom, mop and moon.
Tell Me What You Hear Routine
Recite this chant with words that begin with the target sound.
Listen, listen, loud and clear (cup your hand to your ear)
What’s the first sound that you hear?
Music, magic, monster.
(emphasize the /m/ sound)
Tell me, tell me, what you hear! (children say the /m/ sound)
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.