What’s the Sound?

Phoneme Awareness Procedure 1. Sing the lyrics on the next page to the tune of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” targeting an initial sound . Tell the children that you will sing the first line, and then model their response to show how they should join in as the verse progresses . Encourage their participation so they are saying the sound as well as listening to it . 2. Sing several verses with the same target sound . Then, change the sound you are targeting . 3. Encourage children to contribute other words that begin with the target sound, and sing another verse using their suggestions . Differentiate or Extend ▲ Depending upon children’s familiarity with the words you use, consider showing pictures or objects of the items and naming each before you begin the song . For example, if you have a picture of a parrot and intend to target the /p/ sound, be sure children can identify it as a parrot rather than a bird . ▲ Exaggerate the initial sound in the words as you sing if children are having any difficulty identifying it . Note: Say sounds without adding uh (e .g ., /t/ might be said more forcefully or louder, but it should not be said tuh) . Only elongate continuant sounds (e .g ., /m/ can be stretched to /mmmm/, but /d/ cannot be stretched without adding uh) . ▲ This song may also be used to target final or medial sounds . For example, ask children, “What’s the sound at the end of these words: dog, pig, flag?” or “What’s the sound in the middle of these words: cat, map, ran?” Letter Connection ▲ Display a letter card once children have identified the initial sound . Alternatively, provide each child with several letter cards . Ask them to select the one that represents the target sound as you sing, and have them hold it up when they identify the sound . What’s the Sound? Objective Students will identify initial, final, or medial phonemes in words . Overview The teacher uses the melody of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” to focus children’s attention on the initial sounds of several words that begin the same . Materials letter cards (optional) School-Home Connection Share the song with children’s families along with a list of words that can be used for each of several sample sampletarget sounds .

Phoneme Awareness Lyrics Targeting the /t/ Sound Teacher: What’s the sound that starts these words: tiger, tape, and teeth? Children: /t/! Teacher: /t/ is the sound that starts these words: tiger, tape, and teeth. All: With a /t/, /t/ here, and a /t/, /t/ there Here a /t/, there a /t/, everywhere a /t/, /t/ /t/ is the sound that starts these words: tiger, tape, and teeth. Target Sound Possible Words /b/ baby, ball, big; basket, bounce, beet; balloon, bear, bite /c/ candle, cake, cup; cat, card, coat; cattle, cow, car /d/ daddy, door, deer; dolphin, down, day; daisy, dish, deep /f/ finger, fan, floor; feather, face, flag; fancy, fish, feet /g/ go, green, give; gum, goat, grin; gift, gate, grow /h/ happy, hail, house; hippopotamus, hat, hip; hill, home, heat /j/ jolly, jam, jaw; jelly, jar, jump; joyful, jewelry, jet /k/ kitten, kite, kale; keyboard, kelp, king; kitchen, key, kind /l/ ladder, lock, lamb; lemon, lamp, lid; little, light, loud /m/ mommy, mask, milk; mattress, mop, mow; monster, moon, mouth /n/ napkin, nose, nice; neighbour, nod, nine; noodle, nurse, nap /p/ purple, pig, plate; popcorn, plant, play; pickle, pail, pie /r/ rainbow, roof, rug; rocket, rain, race; reindeer, road, run /s/ seven, sun, sweet; sandwich, stone, sick; stomach, sock, snow /v/ vinegar, vine, vote; victory, vest, vase; volcano, van, vegetable /w/ window, wax, wind; woman, web, wolf; welcome, wish, watch /z/ zebra, zoo, zipper; zero, zone, zither; zucchini, zoom, zap What’s the Sound? (cont.) sample