This is a short activity that introduces young children to the concept of segmenting things that they hear into their component parts. Segmenting sentences into words is easier for most children than segmenting words into syllables or phonemes. It is also useful for strengthening children's concepts of word and sentence. Students require some basic number concepts to understand the directions. Increase your use of concrete demonstrations with children who appear to need this support.





























These variations extend students' abilities beyond those of phonemic awareness as they also involve print.



















You need not hesitate to include children in your class who have names that begin with digraphs like Charlie or Sheila. This type of informal activity establishes a natural context for incidental teaching/learning of these sounds. This holds true as well for names that begin with a blend. While you would not teach digraphs and blends formally to emerging learners, you can incorporate them as appropriate in such meaningful contexts as "the sounds in our names".
























With older children, do not use this activity more than once or twice before moving to the use of the Making Words strategy instead (p. 104). Making Words gives students more opportunities to combine letter-sound recognition and to spell words from meaningful and familiar texts for use in later decoding or writing activities. That is, it is a more integrative and useful strategy.

Count the Words

• Paper or plastic cups or small containers (one for each child)
• Counters (plastic chips, tiles, unifix cubes, popsicle sticks, etc.).

1. Give each child a container and set of counters. Ask students to start with their containers empty and their counters on their desks.
2. Tell students that the game you are going to play is called "Count the Words". Demonstrate the game for students by saying a sentence, pausing, and then saying "I am going to say that sentence again. This time I will pause after each word so you can count the words in this sentence. Put one counter in your container for each word. If my sentence has three words, your container should have three counters. I will use counters too. You can watch me count the words as a practice." Say the sentence again, pausing and placing one counter in your container after each word. Demonstrate a few more times if necessary.
3. Continue the game, allowing students to count the words in each sentence that you say independently. Gradually increase the length of your sentences.
4. Appreciate students' efforts. Rather than checking each child's accuracy, take note of who appears to be having difficulty and plan some additional help for him/her either individually or in a smaller group.

Clapping Syllables

• Experience charts and markers (optional).

1. Tell the children that you are going to demonstrate a new listening game. Say the name of someone in the class whose name has only one syllable. Clap once after you say it. Tell the children, "____'s name has only one syllable or beat, so I only clapped once." Ask students to listen again while you say a two-syllable name and clap twice. Say, "_____'s name has two syllables or beats". Do not use the word "Sounds" or say that a one-syllable name has one sound. This may confuse students later when asked to segment names like Dan into three sounds (phonemes).
2. Ask the children to join you in clapping the syllables or beats after each name that you say. Allow the whole class or group that you are working with to join in rather than singling out individuals at this point.
3. When you feel all children are confident with this activity, you could call on individuals to clap the syllables in their names individually. As well, you may want to turn this into a game where one child names another; the child named responds with the appropriate number of claps and then names the next child.

• When children have the idea of this activity, it can be integrated with vocabulary development as you create lists of animals, vegetables, fruit, or colours for them to respond to by clapping out the syllables.
• When you think children are ready, try having them clap out all the syllables in short sentences. Put sentences from a familiar book, poem, or Language Experience Chart on the board for children to see as well as hear.
• Distribute print versions of lists and/or sentences for children to mark. Have them show the syllables by putting a check or line above each syllable as you say it aloud. Demonstrate this several times before asking students to do it.
• You can extend this further by having children say the words to themselves, count the syllables, and write the appropriate numeral for the number of syllables under each word. Ask, "Which word has the most syllables? The fewest syllables?"

Oral Word Segmentation and Blending Activities

• Books and name tags for children in the class
• Chart paper and markers.

1. To begin with, use the segmentation and blending activities in informal situations such as, to call children one at a time to line up to get ready for recess or a trip to the school library. Ask the children to listen closely, and to come and stand by you only when they hear their own name. Tell them that you are going to say their name in a special way. Begin with children whose names are only one syllable that starts with a single consonant. Segment their names into their phonemes by stretching out the sounds (for example, T-o-dd). Progress to two, then three syllable names, segmenting them into the phonemes they contain (for example, C-ar-l-a or S-u-s-a-n).
2. After reading a book, chanting, reciting a poem, or singing a song, choose a few one-syllable words from this material to segment. Tell the children you are going to say some words from the book, poem, or song in a special way. Ask them to listen and tell you what word they think you are saying (for example, say J-i-ll and h-i-ll after chanting Jack and Jill). Depending upon the particular circumstance, you may record each word on the chalkboard or a chart after children have identified it.
3. During Shared Language time, segment the children's names alternately with the names of favorite characters from books. Ask, "Whose name is this?" and allow individuals or the whole class to respond.

• Place a number of children's favourite books in a line on the chart stand or chalkboard ledge. Tell children you are going to say the name of a character in one of the books in a special way. Segment a storybook character from one of the books into its phonemes. (For example, "W-i-nn-ie th-e P-ooh"). Ask, Can you point to the book that this character is from?" This activity would also work with a group of name tags.
• Build word families orally starting from a familiar rime such as "at". Say, "C-at, what word is that?" Follow this with "b-at, f-at", etc. each time having the children say what the word is. As they are ready, let them suggest words that would fit the "at family". Record the words as you or the children say them. Give them the opportunity to comment on the visual similarities before drawing their attention to them.
• With children who have sufficient letter knowledge or show a desire to "have a go", ask the children to write how they think the word would look.

Representing Phonemes with Concrete Materials

• Coloured plastic chips and/or small tiles--enough for each individual that is participating to have his/her own set.

1. Give children each a set of six chips, tiles, or other small manipulatives. Tell students that you are going to say some words they know in a special way that makes use of every sound in the word.
2. To begin with, say each word normally before segmenting it. Segment the words into phonemes by saying them very slowly and drawing out each individual sound (for example, say "Hot. H-o-t"). Demonstrate for students what to do with their chips by setting one chip down for each sound you make.
3. Begin with one-syllable words and progress to longer ones. Ask questions such as, "How many sounds did you hear in "dog"? How many chips did you need for "dog"?

As a short routine for times such as dismissal, ask children to either blend phonemes together and tell you what word they say or to segment a known word into phonemes. (For example, "Put these sounds together m-a-p. What do they say?" or "Tell me all the sounds in the word map".)

"Say that Word Again but Don't Say ____"

• Chalkboard or experience charts
• Books used for Shared or Guided Reading (optional).

1. During Shared Language or as part of transition routines, tell children to repeat a word after you. Then ask them to say it again with one part of the word missing. Start with compound words. For example, "Say baseball. Say it again without the base. Say basketball. Say it again without the basket. Say basketball. Say it again without the ball."
2. This game can progress to removing initial consonants or ending consonants. For example, "Say tack. Say it again without the 't'. Say tack. Say it again without the 'ck'."

Following Shared Reading or Guided Reading of a story, choose words from the story for segmentation and blending. Write the selected words one at a time on the board or chart. Following the writing of each word, ask the children to say the word. Then ask them to say it again with a designated part missing. Mask the missing part with your hand, a card, or tape. They can look at the part that is left when they say it.