Teaching Letters and Phonics
Teach letters and sounds simultaneously. For example, "this is the letter T and it sounds like "t". REMEMBER, the sound is NOT the letter! The letter T is pronounced like "tea". The sound is /t/ and is made by placing the tongue up behind the front teeth and releasing with air but no sound.
Try associating the letter sounds something familiar. For example, the letter sound /s/ is easily associated with the hissing sound of a snake— sssssss.
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| Phonics Song with Old McDonald Tune |
Set up four letter sounds on different audible switches (or on one multi message device). Sing to the tune of Old McDonald Had a Farm...
Old McDonald goes to school- eieio
and in that school he has a T (say the letter)- eieio
with a /t/ - /t/- here and a /t/ - /t/ - there (use the switch to verbalize the sound)
You should model pressing the switch before asking the student to do it.
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| Phonics with Books |
Use a children's book that has multiple words beginning with the target sound. Record the letter sound on an audible switch. When the student hears a word that has the sound, they press the switch.
List of children's books that focus on specific sounds.
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| Tongue Twisters |
Use a multi-message speech device* and record four or five letter sounds on each button. Read a tongue twister that targets one of the letter sounds. Model for the student to press the correct button that corresponds with the tongue twister.
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| Make a Book |
Generate a list of words that begin with the target sound 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. For example, if the target sound is /b/, then use a Birthday Story:
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| Title: My Birthday |
| Pattern: When I am one, on my birthday I would like a box. |
When I am two, on my birthday I would like a ball.
When I am three, on my birthday I would like a bell.
When I am four, on my birthday I would like a book.
When I am five, on my birthday I would like a backpack. |
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.
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