These activities are intended to be done orally and for short periods of time (5-7 min.) repeatedly, during everyday life. Examples: at the store, in the car, in the bath tub, waiting for appointments, waiting in line, etc.

RHYMING ACTIVITIES:

To Parents: Our English language spelling system is based (mostly) on rhyming patterns: phonetics. It is important that children learn to recognize and produce rhymes before they can effectively use formal reading instruction.

1. Parent reads a nursery rhyme, song, poem, or jingle aloud.
Child identifies the rhyming words that he/she heard.

2. Rhyme Hunt
Parent thinks of a one syllable word; for example, "you."
Parent chants, "Let's make a rhyme for "you."
Child answers: "stew"

Sample word list:
book-cook
tree-flea
try-fly
two-blue
tea-bee
pot-hot
wall-call
play-day
cat-fat

3. What Does Not Belong?
Parent gives the child three words. Two of the words rhyme. Child finds the word that does not belong (does not rhyme).

Example:
Parent: "rat, men, hat"
Child: "men"

Sample Word List
hit-sit-fat
hen-Tom-pen
man-can-bell
hill-mop-top

WORD PLAY

1. Blending and Segmenting Words (putting together words and taking them apart). Be sure to say the sounds -- not the names of the letters.

Initial sounds:
Parent says, "Start with 'l', add 'unch.' What's the word?"
Child: "lunch"

Parent: "Start with 's' and add 'andwich.' What's the word?"
Child: "sandwich"

Final sounds:
Parent: "Start with 'superma', add an 'n' sound. What's the word?"
Child: "Superman"

Parent: "Start with 'stam,' add a 'p' sound. What's the word?"
Child: "stamp"

Continue the above activities with any familiar words.

2. Middle Sounds:
Parent says three words with same middle vowel sound.
Parent: "teeth, cheek, deep. What sound do you hear in the middle?"
Child: "ee"

Continue activity with different vowel sounds.
Sample word list:
sack-mack-tack
heat-seam-meal
hop-mom-pot
dock-lot-Tom
sank-tank-thank
comb-poke-wrote
hen-yell-pet
hill-tick-sip

3. Whole Word (from part to whole)
Parent gives the child a one-syllable word to blend, one sound (not letter) at a time.

Parent: "b...i...g" What's the word?"
Child: "big"

Parent: "s...t...o...p" What's the word?"
Child: "stop"

Helpful Hint: A great time to accomplish these activities is in your car. You can read street signs and other print that you may come across.

4. Whole Word (from whole to part)
Parent says entire word: "big"
Child says each individual sound: "b...i...g"

Sample word list (any words will work)
nest
sand
mop
when (remember, the "h" is silent -- so your child won't hear it.)
top
game
rug

5. Change the Name Game

Parent: "Say 'man'"
Child: "man"

Parent: "Say it again, but this time say 't' instead of 'm'."
Child: "tan"

Parent uses word families to continue playing the game substituting beginning sounds to make new words.