Teaching Strategies

• What Word? Target five words that include two syllables (e.g. ap-ple, puz-zle). Record each syllable of the target word on a different switch. Press each switch, placing a definite pause between the syllables, to hear the word.  Repeat the word with a smaller pause while pushing the switches closer together.  Ask the student to identify the word using pictures respresentations.  When the word is identified, push the two switches together, press, and repeat the word.

Guess the Word

• Record target words on a multi-message speech device* labeled with the picture and/or the written word. The teacher blends an initial sound onto a word by using the jingle, "It starts with /l/ and it ends with ight, put it together, and it says ___." The student completes the jingle by pressing the correct button.

Phonics with Books

• Read a book using a puppet who speaks "funny" by saying words syllable-by-syllable or sound-by-sound. Pick target words in the story for the children to figure out. Initial clues can be provided by displaying three pictures, one of which is the word being said by the puppet or put the words on a multi-message speech device*. The puppet can confirm or negate a student response by picking up the picture and saying the word being segmented: "/f/-/i/-/sh/ — I said fish!"

Guess the Name

• Record classmate names on a multi-message speech device labeled with a picture and the written word. The teacher blends by using the jingle, "It starts with /s/ and it ends with ara, put it together and it says ____." The student completes the jingle by pressing the correct button on the device that corresponds to the student named.
• Variation of this idea: The teacher says a nonsense word that rhymes with a student’s name. The student responds by indicating which student the teacher is referring to by pointing to pictures and/or written words.

Make a Book

• Generate a list of food item words that have two syllables and have the words respresented by either pictures or the written word. Develop a pattern sentence and let the student choose the word to complete it.
• Title: This Week
• Pattern: On Monday, I'll eat a ____.
• On Tuesday, I'll eat a ____.
• On Wednesday, I'll eat a ____.
• On Thursday, I'll eat a ____.
• On Friday, I'll eat a ____.
• Record the word choices on a multi-message device and print the patterned one sheet book for the student to take home to read and practice.