Sound Blending with Animals
In this game, your child will listen carefully for sounds in animal names and put the sounds together to make the word. Separating and blending sounds that make words is part of “phonological awareness,” an important skill that comes before learning to read and spell.
Learning Area(s): Language and Communication; Reading and Writing
MATERIALS
optional: pictures of animals with one-syllable names
LET'S PLAY
Introduce the activity to your child by saying: “Let’s play a game about animals. What are some animals that you know?” Let your child respond.
Continue by saying: “Wow, you know lots of animals! Now I am going to say some sounds and I want you to put them together to make the name of an animal. If I say /d/ (sound of the letter d) /og/ (sound of the letters “og” together), these sounds make the word “dog”! Now you try.
“What word do these sounds make: /c/ (wait one second) /at/.”
Continue with other animals, separating the first sound from the rest of the word, such as “p- ig”, “f- ox”, etc., and see if your child can put the sounds together and guess the animal. Celebrate your child’s efforts by saying something like: “You’re really listening closely to these sounds and trying to put them together!” or “You got it, it is a fox!”
TIPS
- If your child needs a little help putting together the word, use pictures of the animals for support. You can also provide support by elongating the sounds in the word as you say it slowly. For example, say to your child: “The animal is /f/ /ish/. Can you say that slowly with me? /fffff/ / iiiishhh/.” Let your child repeat after you. Continue by saying: “When we put those together we get the word ‘fish.’”
- Don’t worry if your child cannot do this game the first time you try it. Children typically learn this skill between the ages of 3½ and 4½ years, but they need practice!
- Play this game using other words like items in your grocery cart, facial features, food, etc.
