Building Phonemic Awareness

Curriculum Area & Grade Level

• Subject: English Language Arts
• Grade Level: Year 1 (First Grade)
• Standard: Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2)
  • Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
  • Blend and segment sounds in spoken single-syllable words.

Lesson Duration

60 Minutes

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify and isolate phonemes in spoken words.
2. Segment words into individual sounds.
3. Blend segmented sounds to form whole words.
4. Apply phonemic awareness to read simple decodable words.

Key Vocabulary

• Phoneme – The smallest sound in a word (e.g., /c/ in "cat")
• Segment – Breaking down a word into separate phonemes
• Blend – Combining phonemes together to form a word
• Decode – Using letter-sound knowledge to read words
• Sound it out – A strategy for reading unfamiliar words

Materials

• Magnetic letters or letter tiles
• Whiteboards and dry-erase markers
• Picture flashcards with CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) words
• Small toys or objects representing simple words (e.g., a small cat figure for "cat")
• Speaker system for pronunciation examples
• Handheld mirrors for students to observe mouth movements

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Warm-Up (Whole Group) – 10 minutes

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and engage students in sound recognition.

• Start with a "Guess My Word" game
  • Say a word slowly, stretching out the phonemes (e.g., /d/ /o/ /g/)
  • Students raise hands to guess the word.
• Quick review of letter sounds
  • Display letters a, e, i, o, u and ask students to produce their sounds.
  • Show picture cards and have students say the initial phoneme.

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2. Guided Practice (Whole Group) – 15 minutes

Objective: Model segmentation and blending through direct instruction.

1. Teacher Modeling:
   • Use magnetic letters to demonstrate word segmentation.
   • Example: Say the word “sun” aloud → break it into /s/ /u/ /n/ while placing letters down.
   • Blend back together: Say each sound, increasing speed until it re-forms ("sun").
2. Interactive Practice:
   • Students use handheld mirrors to feel how their mouths move when making sounds.
   • Call out a word, and students use the mirrors to observe articulation.
3. Whole-Class Activity: "Move With Sounds"
   • Assign physical motions to sounds (e.g., jump on /d/, clap on /o/).
   • Say a segmented word, and students perform motions for each phoneme before blending.

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3. Small Group Rotations – 25 minutes

Objective: Provide differentiated support based on student needs.

1. Teacher-Led Station (Intervention Group)

   • Work with struggling students using hands-on manipulatives (letter tiles).
   • Guide them through segmenting and blending simple words like "mat" or "hop."

2. Peer Practice Station

   • Partner students up. One student stretches a word, the other blends it.
   • Example: "p-o-t" → "pot!"

3. Independent Practice Station

   • Students match picture cards with the correct segmented version (e.g., "cat" card goes with "/c/ /a/ /t/").
   • Use a dry-erase board to write and segment new words.

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4. Closure & Reflection (Whole Group) – 10 minutes

Objective: Reinforce learning and check for understanding.

• Quick Fire Blending:
  • Teacher says segmented words (/h/ /a/ /t/), and students respond by blending them.
• Think-Pair-Share:
  • Ask students: “What was the easiest or hardest part of blending today?”
  • Turn to a partner and discuss.
• Exit Ticket:
  • Provide students a picture card of an object (e.g., dog), and have them write down the segmented phonemes.

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Assessment & Differentiation

Formative Assessment

• Observe student participation in blending activities.
• Listen for correct segmenting and blending in small-group interactions.

Differentiation Strategies

• Struggling Students: Use additional scaffolding, like finger tapping for sound segmentation.
• Advanced Students: Challenge with four-phoneme words (e.g., "stop").

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Reflection & Next Steps

• Teacher Reflection: Evaluate student engagement and identify trends in errors.
• Next Lesson: Introduce digraphs (e.g., "sh" and "ch") to build on blending skills.

This highly interactive, multi-sensory approach ensures engagement for young learners, making phonemic awareness intuitive and fun! 🎉