Isolating and Blending Phonemes in Words With Vowel Teams

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

Overview

In this phonemic awareness small group activity, the teacher will provide instruction on isolating and blending phonemes. The students will segment words into their individual phonemes while using counters to count the number of phonemes in the word. Students will then isolate and produce the medial vowel sound.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit

Phase

Before/Engage

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 1

ELA21.1.6
Demonstrate basic to advanced phonological and phonemic awareness skills in spoken words.

Vocabulary

Demonstrate
Phonological awareness skills
Phonemic awareness skills
Spoken words

Knowledge

Students know:

Basic to advanced phonological and phonemic awareness skills.

Skills

Students are able to:

Demonstrate basic to advanced phonological and phonemic awareness skills in spoken words.

Understanding

Students understand that:

Being able to identify and manipulate the sounds in spoken words will help improve their reading, spelling, and writing abilities.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.

Students will be able to isolate and pronounce an initial medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.

Students will be able to segment spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes).

Activity Details

1. Remind students that sounds are put together to make words. Tell students sometimes vowels can work together to make one sound.

2. Show students the learning tool Basic 4 box Elkonin Boxes and explain that you will use a counter to stand for each sound in the word. Use pennies, chips, or other small counters during the segmentation activity.

3. Place four counters just above the line on the page. Model by saying a word with a long vowel team, such as paid. Push a counter into a box on the Basic 4 box Elkonin Boxes tool for each sound as you segment: /p/, /Ä/, /d/.

4. Place your index finger on the dot under the boxes and slide your finger across the page in the direction of the arrow as you blend the word: paid.

5. Ask students how many sounds are in the word (3). Point out that you pushed up three counters, one for each sound in the word. There are three sounds in the word paid: /p/, /Ä/, /d/.

6. Touch the middle counter and say: What sound is here? /Ä/. The vowel sound we hear in this word is the long a. /Ä/.

7. Provide each student in the group with a copy of the Basic 4 box Elkonin Boxes tool. Then give each student four counters and have them place the counters just above the line on the page.

8. Provide students with guided practice using the words below as their first segment and blend the word and then isolate and identify the medial vowel. Follow the same model as outlined above, this time with the students producing the sounds, pushing the counters, and sliding their finger to blend along with you. After blending, have students touch the middle counter to isolate and produce the vowel sound in the word.

tied (3 phonemes, medial vowel /Ä«/)
rain (3 phonemes, medial vowel /Ä/)
seed (3 phonemes, medial vowel /Ä“/)
boat (3 phonemes, medial vowel /Å/)

9. To culminate, give students one of the following words and observe their performance. Students should first segment and blend the word independently, then isolate and produce the medial vowel sound:

feet (3 phonemes, medial vowel /Ä“/)
light (3 phonemes, medial vowel /Ä«/)
sail (3 phonemes, medial vowel /Ä/)
loan (3 phonemes, medial vowel /Å/)

Use additional words as necessary to continue the independent practice.

Assessment Strategies

Observe students' performance as they independently segment, blend, isolate, and produce phonemes using the basic 4 box Elkonin Boxes. Mastery is achieved when students attain at least 80% accuracy.

Variation Tips

After students have mastered segmenting phonemes and isolating medial vowels using counters, the sound-spelling correspondence may be introduced. To do so, have students use letter tiles instead of counters for each sound, ensuring that the vowel teams are shown on a single tile to reinforce the concept of one sound for the two/three letters.

Background / Preparation

Print and laminate a teacher copy plus one copy for each student of the Basic 4 box Elkonin Boxes tool. Secure enough counters for each student to have four, plus four counters for teacher use.

Owner (Author)

ghenderson

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