Phonemic awareness

I found the use of cues particularly interesting in our reading this week. Our readings discussed two different forms of cues: teaching/coaching and concrete manipulative cues. The teaching cues section was very useful for giving specific examples of questions and statements we can one day use with our developing readers. I think it is important to use both general cues to prompt thought and cues to prompt specific actions. In order for a teacher to determine which should be used in a certain situation, that teacher must know the individual well enough to determine what form of scaffolding will benefit them most. If they simply need an encouraging nudge the general cues would be best in order to not underestimate the readers capabilities. If they need more assistance specific actions can be shared to guide them forward.
Concrete manipulative cues can include auditory cues, visual cues, and kinesthetic cues. These cues create a more interactive atmosphere and can be quite enjoyable for students making the learning experience valuable.

 Below are activities using these cues:

Auditory Cues-

Word and Syllable Awareness

Play ‘Word Clap’. Parent says "Sailboat."
Child says (while clapping), "Sail…boat" (claps two times for the two parts)
Sample Words:

playground	sandbox	crayons	chair	friend	classroom
paint	paper	kitchen	bedroom	bathroom	computer

If your child has mastered 2 syllable (part) words, try 3 syllables.

Visual Cues-
How Many Sounds? (All the same) 1, 2 or 3
Teach your child to use blocks to stand for sounds.

• One sound will need one block.
• Two sounds will need two blocks (both the same color to show that the two sounds were the same).
• Three sounds will need three blocks (all the same color to show that the sounds were the same).

Ask your child to show you, with blocks, from one to three sounds. For example:

• You say ‘sss, sss, sss’ -- and the child selects three colored blocks (all the same color) to show that there were three sounds, all the same.
• You say ‘p, p’--and the child selects two blocks (both the same color) to show that there were two sounds, both the same.

Kinesthic Cues-