Fonix is Phun! Some Seriously Good Ideas for Introducing Single Sounds Using 100s of Everyday Fun Classroom Activities

This book is written for teachers/educators to assist with the introduction of single sounds to their students. The ideas are grouped in multi-curriculum areas so that no matter what subject is being studied, there are opportunities to reinforce the teaching of single sounds.

The ideas presented here are also teaching activities suitable for a classroom theme or just great fun teaching ideas.

Order of presenting letters

The authors believe that the order in which the single sounds are presented to children is a matter of personal preference and perhaps dictated by the topic under discussion.

Of the 26 letters of the alphabet, there are two kinds: consonants and vowels. The consonants of the alphabet are: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z. The vowels are a, e, i, o, and u.

Note that the letter y is classified as a consonant, but sometimes acts like a vowel.

Introducing a letter/ sound

When introducing each letter, tell students that each letter is like an animal. Each has a name, but also makes a certain sound. For example, the name of the animal is cat and it says meow. The letter b is called bee and it says ‘buh’ as in bus. These sounds are called phonemes. The name of the letter never changes although the sound may (like c in cup and circle or e in egg and emu).

Each letter of the alphabet also has a shape. Even though the name of a letter does not change, a letter can have different shapes. Refer to print examples of the letter being introduced, in various publications such as newspaper, magazines, library books, on pages on the Internet, and so on… a a a a.

When introducing a letter, present both upper case and lower case form. Explain that the capital letter or upper case letter looks different from the lower case letter. Point out examples on alphabet cards around the room. Explain and demonstrate how the letter looks when we write it.

On the board, write a student-suggested list of words beginning with each new letter as it is introduced, and illustrate each word. (Even if illustrations are just stick figures, it will help students identify word meanings as they use and refer to the list during the week) This word list should remain in view and be added to for the duration of the study of that letter. From time to time during the week, point to a word on the list, say it, and ask various students to use the word in a sentence.

Students should have alphabet strips on their desks or tables or somewhere in their workspace. Refer to them in the following ways by having students:

* touch and name the letters of the alphabet

* find and touch the initial letter or the final letter of various words

* touch and name letters from A– Z ( practice touching and naming letters until fluent )

Students should be given many opportunities to trace over the shape of the letter from a given starting point. Because of differences in handwriting style, space is allowed on worksheets for teachers to write letters before photocopying. Large letter shapes should also be given out on sheets of art paper for students to paste over textural materials such as confetti, cotton balls, glitter, sand or sandpaper bits. When the letters are dry, students can use the textured letters as placards and every time a word that begins with the sound is said, (in sentences or a story read to them) the children hold their letter up in the air.

Teaching them to write a letter.

First do the writing as ’skywriting’. Using index finger of dominant hand, students trace the letter in the air as the teacher skywrites the letter backwards so it looks the right way round for them. Looking at a model of the letter written on the board by the teacher, students then trace the letter in the air to ‘copy’ the writing . Emphasise the correct starting position for writing the letter and direction the line goes.

Second, have them trace over a ‘model’ letter that has been photocopied and given to each student. Trace first with the index finger ‘of the hand you use for writing’, and then with a pencil. Again, note the correct starting position to make the correct formation of the letter. Have them trace over the letter several times to help develop rhythm and pencil control.

Third, have them turn over the photocopied model and write the letter from memory.

Whole Alphabet Activities

When all letters are known, revision and practice should be ongoing. Some of the individual letter games or activities can be expanded to include more letters or adapted to whole alphabet. In addition, here are some further ideas:

1. Alphabet Bingo

Each player has a card marked in a 3 x 3 grid, and 9 counters. Each square contains either a picture or a single letter. The leader holds up a card with a single letter or picture, or says a sound or word. As sounds/words are said or shown, players put a counter on a matching square on their cards if they can.

Winner has covered all squares on their card. As a variation, the winner can be to the first to get 3 counters in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

2. Make alphabet lists, e.g animals, dinosaurs, film characters etc.

See http://www.kidcyber.com.au/animal-allsorts-animal-alphabet

2. Alphabet dominoes

Make dominoes: small cardboard rectangles with a picture and a letter. Students match up letters and pictures as they lay out the dominoes.

3. Learning Alphabetical order

Make missing letter packs of alphabet cards similar to the ones below.

a b _; b c _ ; c d _; and so on.

Another pack will be like this

a _ c; b _ d; c _ e; and so on.

A third pack will be like this missing the initial letter

_ b c; _ c d; and so on

Practise each pack in alphabetical order until students become proficient with the sequence and then shuffle the cards and present in random order.

4. Alphabet songs …to watch and learn (teaching point: these say zee not zed)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBQOOpXs3ns&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvNCmb9a6Qc&feature=related

Using this book

For each letter there is a menu of activity ideas in random order for teachers to choose from, as appropriate for their students.

Activities are grouped in curriculum areas, each designated by a logo:

Useful Class Resources

Some useful items to have for whole class activities or games:

Auditory discrimination games

Make ‘cushion’ using 1 sheet of colourful wrapping paper or light card and rattly materials (scrunched foil, metal bottle tops, buttons). Fold the paper in half, staple round 3 sides and put in enough noisy materials to ensure it is difficult to move silently. Staple the last side. For a dog’s ‘bone’, the same game played for the letter d or b, fold paper and cut a large bone shape, then proceed stapling as above.

To play, students sit in a tight circle with the cushion in the centre. One child chosen to be the cat lies down ‘asleep’ next to the cushion. Silently select a student to steal the cushion by picking it up and sitting back in their place, hiding the cushion behind their back as silently as possible. The class calls ‘Wake up Pussycat, who’s got your cushion?’ The cat