Intervention Strategies
The sound
system
Why this strategy is important
A history of conductive hearing loss since infancy results in a poorly organised
and often inaccurate representation of the sounds in words. This in turn makes it
difficult for the child to reflect on and manipulate the sound structure of words (as
distinct from their meaning) – a skill area commonly called phonological awareness.
Phonological awareness skills such as producing rhymes, segmenting syllables and
sounds, blending syllables and sounds, manipulating sounds and attending to both
(or all consonants) in consonant clusters (or blends) are important in the early stages
of reading, and make a lasting contribution to spelling ability. The evidence is clear,
phonological awareness skills are crucial in helping children to ‘crack the code’ in the
early stages of acquiring literacy.
Children with a history of hearing loss since infancy experience significant difficulty
with speech processing and phonological awareness. This difficulty may be masked
in the early years of schooling by the use of visual processing to spell and read. As
children progress through the grades this weakness in their system becomes more
apparent. Increasing pressure is put on the speech processing and linguistic systems
by the different demands of schooling. Stackhouse and Wells (1997) point out that
some children will not reveal the extent of their literacy difficulties until they are
confronted by more challenging curriculum, and changed teacher expectations. This
may occur from around eight years of age.
Aboriginal children are likely to face a double difficulty when it comes to using
phonological awareness skills in the acquisition of literacy in English. The first
difficulty relates to the very high rates of conductive hearing loss in these children,
which has a negative impact on the development of the speech processing system.
The second difficulty arises for those Aboriginal children who are bi-dialectal or live
in a speech community where multiple languages are spoken. Berry and Hudson, in
their book ‘Making the Jump’ (1997), point out that there are significant and specific
differences between the sound systems of Aboriginal dialects and languages and
Standard Australian English. Even without a conductive hearing loss, Australian
Aboriginal children experience difficulty in managing the differences in the sound
repertoires. For these students it is imperative that the sound systems of all the
language codes they are using are explicitly discussed, compared and contrasted. Just
what this entails will depend on the language learning environments of the children
with whom you are working.
The sound system
There has been little research which looks specifically at the phonological awareness
skills of Aboriginal children. One study which did look at phonological awareness in
Aboriginal children with conductive hearing loss is reported in an unpublished thesis
(Yonovitz 1999). Yonovitz reported that it was typical of the students in the study to
resist attempting any word they did not already know how to spell. Most appeared
to be using few, if any, phonetic skills for reading and writing. Whole word sight
recognition or recall appeared to be the only strategy in use.
Intervention Strategies
A focus on the sound system entails teaching children about the sounds they use in
all language codes. They will need to know how these sounds are produced, and how
the sounds of the two (or more) language codes compare with each other. They will
need to develop knowledge of the differences between the sounds in the different
language codes, and how sounds are combined to form words. If children are to
develop this knowledge they will need explicit teaching which covers all language
codes, and many opportunities to practise. This explicit teaching will need the
involvement of native speakers of all language codes. In remote area schools, the
involvement of Aboriginal teaching staff and community members will be essential.
Classroom principles
to support the strategy
• Talk about sounds in words as well as how they are spelled.
• When talking about sounds, words and letters, be sure that you make a consistent
distinction between sounds (which may be spelled in various ways) and letter
names.
• Sound out’ using sounds, and ‘spell’ using letter names.
• Link sounds to spellings – see Strategy 5.
Activities to implement the strategy
This strategy looks at two main areas – knowledge of the sound systems of language
in use, and phonological awareness (the ability to focus on and manipulate sounds
within words). The activities suggested are organised into these two areas.
Developing knowledge of the sound systems of languages / dialects used by
the child
The sound system
It is essential that children understand the system of sounds used in the language
and / or dialects that they speak. For some children living in remote areas this may
mean learning about the sound systems of three different language codes. As the
chart included here shows, there are many differences between the sound systems
of Standard Australian English and those of Aboriginal languages.
‘Making the jump’ (Berry & Hudson, 1997), contains a section (6.4) entitled “sounds”
which provides details of the sound systems of Standard Australian English and
Aboriginal languages, and suggests ways in which Standard Australian English sounds
may be taught to speakers of Aboriginal languages. You should read this chapter
in order gain an understanding of the complexities involved in helping children
to develop this vital knowledge. It points out the need to focus on what Berry
and Hudson call ‘problem pairs and groups’. These are sounds used in Standard
Australian English that do not exist in Aboriginal languages and dialects. The most
difficult sounds are voiceless sounds (produced with no vibration of the vocal cords)
and vowels. These sounds are particularly difficult for Aboriginal children to produce
and discriminate, and to indicate in their spelling and reading.
Once you have read the chapter, you can work with children to develop their
understanding of the sounds which exist in each language code, the ways they are
produced, and the relationships between them. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
teaching staff will need to work closely together to provide children with skilled
models of the sounds used in the various language codes. Developing understanding
of sound systems involves three different types of knowledge – production,
discrimination and contrast. In practice, these three types of knowledge can be
included within the same activity, but for now we will look at each separately.
Production
Helping children focus on the way sounds are produced will improve their production
of sounds in words, and can be used to help them to see the relationships between
sounds in different language codes. In order to teach the way sounds are produced,
you need to focus on placement (that is, where the lips and teeth are placed) and the
way the air stream is changed (for example, to produce sounds like ‘p’ the air stream
is stopped and then released). Berry and Hudson’s chapter, ‘sounds’ will provide
you with information which will help you to do this. When teaching the sounds
of Standard Australian English, you may find it useful to refer to the ‘Consonant
Production’ chart (see below), which provides information on how each sound is
produced, as well as cues and associations which you might use in teaching their
production. You should also find it useful to try out some of the activities before
attempting them with the children.
A similar chart has been provided to help you to work with the vowels of Standard
Australian English. This has been organised into a number of groups according to the
position of the tongue within the mouth. You may find it will help children learn the
differences between vowels if you work within these groups to start with. You will
also need to pay special attention to the groups of vowels which are likely to cause
problems. Berry & Hudson’s (1997) information on these problematic groups of
vowels will be useful.
Intervention Strategies
The cues and associations suggested here are not intended to be prescriptive –
indeed, you will notice gaps in the chart. You should aim to use cues and associations
which will be meaningful to the children in your class.
Activities which develop knowledge of sound systems provide a context in which
children with a conductive hearing loss can begin to create accurate phonological
representations.
Consonant Production
Association
How to Produce
Cue
p
candle (blow it out)
lips together + air1
b
bouncing ball
lips together + noise2
m
humming, mooing,cow
lips together + hum
tongue sandwich
tongue between teeth point to tongue
+ air
th (thin)
th (that)
hand up to check air
tongue between teeth
+ noise
t
tap (dripping)
tongue tip up + air
d
playing a drum
(‘drum noise’)
tongue tip up + noise
k
gun noise
tongue back, mouth
open + air
g
chop air with index
finger
tongue back, mouth
open + noise
f
fly spray sound
top teeth on bottom
lip + air
v
plane noise
top teeth on bottom
lip + noise
n
mosquitoes (droning)
tongue tip up + hum
sh
‘be quiet’ sound
(put finger to lips)
teeth together, lips
round + air
wave hand from side
to side in front of
mouth to indicate lots
of air is required
s
snake noise/sound
teeth together + air
pretend to pull
chewing gum out to
emphasise long
z
buzzing bee
teeth together + noise
ch
train noise (‘choo choo’) teeth together + air +
short
l
singing (‘la – la –la’)
tongue tip behind top
teeth + ‘la’
r
growling dog
tongue up, mouth
open + noise
w
h
point to teeth over
bottom lip
short chopping
motion to reinforce
short
lips round + air
panting (dog)
open mouth + breathe
out
1
produced with a noticeable airstream – this can be felt by putting a hand in front of the mouth.
2
produced with vocal cord vibration – this can be felt by putting fingers on the larynx (Adam’s apple).
The sound system
Sound
Vowel Production
Sound1
Example word
How to Produce
Cue
Vowels produced at the front of the mouth
The tongue lowers slightly for each vowel.
/ee/ has the highest tongue position, /a/ has the lowest.
/ee/
bee
tongue high, lips stretched + long
/i/
bin
tongue high/mid, lips spread +
short
/e/
bed
tongue mid, lips spread + short
/a/
back
tongue low, mouth open + short
smiling mouth
open mouth
Vowels produced in the middle of the mouth
The tongue lowers slightly for each vowel.
/ir/ has the highest tongue position, /ar/ has the lowest.
/ir/
bird
tongue mid, lips round + long
/u/
bud
tongue mid/low, lips spread
+ short
/ar/
car
tongue low, jaw dropped + long
Vowels produced at the back of the mouth
The tongue lowers slightly for each vowel.
‘oo’ has the highest tongue position, ‘or’ has the lowest.
/oo/
moon
tongue high, lips round + long
/ou/
could
tongue high/mid, lips round
+ short
/o/
top
tongue mid, lips round + short
/or/
ford
tongue mid/low, lips round + long
fish mouth
Intervention Strategies
Moving vowels (diphthongs)
This group of vowels is made by moving the tongue position
from one vowel position to another within the same syllable.
/ai/
tail
moves from /e/ to /i/
/i_e/
tile
moves from /ar/ to /i/
/ow/
cow
moves from /ar/ to /oo/
/oi/
oil
moves from /or/ to /i/
/o_e/
hole
moves from /o/ to /oo/
/u_e/
mule
moves from /i/ to /oo/
The sounds are represented here using a single spelling choice. Be aware that there are many other ways to
represent these sounds in writing. Some of these choices are set down in the THRASS materials (Davies &
Ritchie, 1998). Our focus in this strategy is on the sound, not the spelling. Linking sounds to the writing system
is the focus of Strategy 5.
1
Flash sounds
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3), Middle Childhood (3 - 7)
Outcome:
Children produce appropriate sounds.
Resources:
Cards with different pictures of objects, people, action, places. Use a rapid naming
pack, or develop your own cards.
Description:
Children practise various appropriate sounds, for example voiced / voiceless pairs,
and sounds that are often confused.
Revise with children how to form these sounds with their lips, tongues and vocal
cords (see Consonant and Vowel Production charts).
Children practise saying words that begin with the same sounds e.g. 10 cards with
pictures of objects starting with /sh/ - shell, shop, shut, ship, shoe, shelf.
After practice with one sound as a focus, increase the number of beginning sounds to
two e.g 10 cards with objects, some starting with /sh/ and some with /s/.
Increase the number of different beginning sounds as a focus.
Variation:
The Sound System
Use a end or middle sound as the focus. Similarly commence with one sound as the
focus and increase these as the children practise producing the sounds.
Hearing and making
different sounds
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3), Middle Childhood Years (3 - 7)
Outcomes:
Children discriminate sounds that are often confused.
Children are able to produce Standard Australian English sounds.
Resources:
Chart of sounds that are made with the lips, tongue in mouth and vocal chords.
Description:
Children to record pairs of words that are distinguished by sounds which may be
confused. As children find other words and pictures add these to the chart.
Discuss how these sounds are produced e.g. with the lips, or the tongue on the top of
the mouth or the vocal cords.
Intervention Strategies
Sounds that can be confused and inappropriately used in different contexts are:
/p/ and /b/
/k/ and /g/
/t/, /d/ and /th/
/f/, /v/, /p/ and /b/
/s/, /z/, /sh/, /ch/ and /j/
/r/ and /l/
/ee/, /i/, /e/ and /a/
/a/, /ar/, /u/ and /ow/
/a/, /e/, /ir/ and /ai/
/o/, /o_e/, /oo/, /u/, and /u_e/
/u/, /i_e/, /oi/ and /ai/
/o/, /oar/, /ar/, /oi/ and /ir/
Variation:
Develop a code switching chart to assist to children to select the appropriate sounds
and pronunciation according to the audience, purpose and context.
Source:
The Sound System
Making the Jump. Catholic Education Office, (1997).
Hearing and making voiceless sounds
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3)
Outcomes:
Children discriminate voiceless sounds from other sounds. Children produce
voiceless sounds.
Resources:
Tissues, paper or feathers.
Description:
Discuss the fact that some sounds are made using voice (noise_ and some are made
using air.
Awareness:
Produce a voiceless sound (/p/, /t/, /k/, /th/ (as in thin) /f/, /s/, /sh/, /ch/).
Demonstrate how producing these sounds will move a feather, tissue or piece of
paper held close to the mouth.
Let children put a finger in front of your mouth to feel the air as you say the sound.
Test voiced sounds (/b/, /d/, /g/, /th/ (as in that), /v/, /z/, /j/) by using a finger to feel
the vibration in the voice box.
Production:
Have children imitate voiceless and voiced sounds.
Have children alternate between voiceless and voiced pairs.
Challenge children to ‘turn on the noise’ while producing the pairs /th/ (thin) – / th/
(that), /f/ – /v/, /s/ – /z/ on the same breath stream. They can check their success by
feeling for the vibration in the voice box.
Intervention Strategies
Voice/Voiceless Discrimination:
Produce voiced / voiceless sounds and ask children to tell you whether they were ‘air’
or ‘noise’ sounds.
Challenge children to produce the right sort of sound when you call ‘air’ or ‘noise’. You
might like to allow children to do this in small groups – allow them to collaborate in
the selection of an appropriate sound.
Rapid sounds
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3), Middle Childhood (3 - 7)
Outcome:
Children recognise and produce appropriate sounds.
Resources:
Cards with different pictures of objects, people, action, places. Include some cards
which have pictures that begin with sounds that children confuse (e.g. shop and top).
Use a rapid naming pack, or develop your own cards.
Description:
Children are shown cards and asked to say the word with the correct sound e.g. shop
with the /sh/ sound and not /t/ sound. If they pronounce the sound correctly they
keep the card.
Each card earns the child a point. The aim of the game is for the child to score more
points than he / she scored the previous time. If the child does not produce the
correct sound, say “no, not top” and encourage him / her to try again. If he / she
still does not produce the correct sound, provide a cue (see consonant and vowel
production charts).
Increase the number of different beginning sounds as a focus.
Variation 1:
Use a end or middle sound as the focus. Similarly begin with one sound as the focus
and increase these as the children practise producing the sounds.
Variation 2:
Children practise the sound via flash card exercise. Take the pack of cards that the
children scored as part of the game and these are flashed for quick response. The
children say the words with the correct sounds.
Source:
The Sound System
Time for Talk, Education Department of Western Australia, (1998).
Sound fish
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3), Middle Childhood (3 - 7)
Outcome:
Children recognise and produce sounds of Standard Australian English.
Resources:
Cards with different pictures of objects, people, action, places. Some cards should
have pictures that begin with sounds that children confuse - e.g. shop and top.
Description:
It is important that children’s production of problem sounds is accurately monitored
during this activity, so it requires the involvement of a member of the teaching staff
or an older student.
Fish can be played by 2-4 players.
3-5 cards are dealt out to each player. The rest are placed in a middle pile.
Each player holds his / her cards so that they cannot be seen by other players.
Player 1 is selected via the roll of a dice, and asks for a card from the next person
to try and make up a pair of words containing the same beginning sound. The child
receives the card if they are able to pronounce the word correctly e.g. “Have you got
‘cow’?”
If the child produces the sound incorrectly, provide feedback (“no, I haven’t got a
tow”) and encourage the child to ask again, using the correct sound.
If the child still produces the sound incorrectly, provide a cue (see consonant and
vowel production charts).
Variation:
Use a end or middle sound as the focus.
Source:
Intervention Strategies
Time for Talk, Education Department of Western Australia, 1998
Moving down
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3)
Outcome:
Children discriminate between similar vowel sounds.
Children produce Standard Australian English vowel sounds.
Description:
Model each of the first three vowel groups (see vowel production chart) in sequence,
starting with the sound which has the highest tongue position. Use the information
presented in the vowel production chart and focus children’s attention on the
characteristics of each vowel.
Taking each vowel group (i.e. those made at the front of the mouth, those made in
the middle of the mouth and those made at the back of the mouth) separately, ask
children to imitate the sequence.
The Sound System
Encourage them to attend to the position of the tongue in their mouth, and focus on
the gradual lowering of the tongue position. Alternatively, have them place a finger
on their lower jaw and feel the downward movement that will occur as they produce
the sounds correctly.
Activities to promote
phonological awareness
Activities to develop phonological awareness skills should be carried out in all
languages represented within the speech community. You may need to negotiate
labels for the language codes in use. Aboriginal English, for example, is not a term
which is used by Aboriginal people.
The activities are best carried out in small groups. When working in small groups
children should nominate whether they wish to work with a Standard Australian
English (school) word, an Aboriginal English (home) word, a Kriol word or an
Aboriginal language word.
Phonological awareness requires organisation and practice at the oral level in order
to facilitate the use of the skills in reading and spelling. It is the oral level which is
the focus of this strategy. However, research shows that approaches which use the
teaching of phonological awareness in order to facilitate the development of literacy
are most successful when explicit links are made to the writing system. Ways to make
these explicit links are the focus of Strategy 5. In planning your daily activities it
would be appropriate to move from Strategy 4 activities (ie an oral focus) to Strategy
5 activities (those which make explicit links).
If children are to use ‘sounding out’ as a strategy in reading and spelling, they need
to be able to attend to individual sounds in words. This is not as easy as it may
seem. Spoken language is not segmented, but consists of a continuous stream of
acoustic information. What’s more, the actual sounds used when producing any
one word may be affected by the sounds in the words around it. Segmenting words
takes considerable amounts of practice, at a number of different levels of difficulty.
Children learn to do this first at the level of syllables, and then at the level of single
sounds. At this level, they learn first to attend to the beginning sound in words, then
the end sound, and finally to all the sounds in simple words. Children find it easier
to segment those sounds which can be prolonged (eg /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /sh/, /m/, /n/, /l/,
/r/).
Intervention Strategies
The activities in this section are organised so that they follow this developmental
pattern – you should start with the activities that focus on syllables, and move on to
those that focus on individual sounds.
Syllables and segmentation
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3)
Outcome:
Children to identify the number of syllables contained in a word.
Resources:
Prepared word list. Drums or shakers.
Description:
Prior to the lesson, the teacher selects words that contain one, two, three and four
syllables.
Choose words appropriate to the level of the students. Children select words that
they like, know or find interesting.
Demonstrate the number of syllables in each word by clapping, stamping feet,
clicking fingers, tapping, banging a drum, a number of times.
Children join in.
Ask children to contribute words they know with the same number of syllables.
Repeat activity.
Stun the class with a very long word – triantiwontigongolope is a good one (and then
you can read the poem by C.J. Dennis!).
Write the words on card and physically show the separation of syllables.
Variation 1:
Students form groups of four. In groups, students say their name and demonstrate
the number of syllables in their names. Other children in the group identify the
number of syllables in the name. Teacher rotates around the groups.
Variation 2:
The Sound System
Singing can also help to develop syllabification skills – many songs have one note for
each syllable.
Finding the rhythm/beat in words
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3)
Outcome:
Children recognise the rhythm in words and begin to segment and syllabify words.
Resources:
Noise makers (eg drums).
Description:
Discuss the beat / rhythm of words. Note the emphasis on certain syllables within
words.
Using different noise makers, demonstrate how to beat out the syllables in words.
Start with one and two syllable words.
Carry out this activity as a group to begin with. This will allow you to identify those
particular children who have difficulty with syllabification.
Target those children having difficulty and work in small groups to attend to their
needs. For those children whose hearing drops in and out, this will help them
become aware of the syllables that they may miss hearing.
Some children will need to use this strategy to compensate for a tendency to delete
syllables which are not emphasised in speaking (weak syllable deletion).
Variation 1:
Identify the beat / rhythm in children’s names.
Variation 2:
Use movement to identify the beat / rhythm in words. Children could:
• march, taking one step for each syllable
• sway
Intervention Strategies
• clap
Rhyming
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3)
Outcome:
Children will be exposed to rhyming words
Resources:
Charted copies of nursery rhymes, jingles, poems or other culturally appropriate
material, eg, Big Book Let’s Rap.
Description:
Read a familiar nursery rhyme, jingle or poem (eg, Incy Wincy Spider, Humpty
Dumpty, Jack and Jill) to the children, while children listen.
Re-read the text, encouraging children to provide the rhyming word.
Variation 1:
Use pre recorded nursery rhymes, jingles or poems recited by the children.
Variation 2:
Innovate on the text by changing the rhyming word – e.g. Incy Wincy Spider climbed
up the bathroom wall, Incy Wincy Spider looked like he would fall .................
The Sound System
Have the poems, songs and innovations written on a chart or recorded in a book for
children to read with the teacher or a taped version of the oral recitation.
Sound bingo
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (1- 3), Middle Childhood (3 - 7)
Outcome:
Children to be able to identify the beginning or end sounds in words.
Resources:
Game boards with photographs or pictures of well known objects. Ensure that the
pictures represent words which begin and end with a variety of sounds. Counters.
Description:
Teacher distributes individual ‘Bingo’ game boards.
Let children know whether they should listen for the first or last sound in the word.
As the teacher calls a sound, the children put a counter on the picture representing
the word which contains the sound in the correct word position.
When a row is completed diagonally, vertically or horizontally, children call out
‘Bingo’.
Children name the sound at the beginning (or end) of each word for teacher to check.
Variation :
Intervention Strategies
Complete the same activity using syllables or rhyming words.
Beginning, middle, end sounds via
spatial awareness
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3)
Outcomes:
Children understand the concept of beginning, middle and end.
Children are able to identify the beginning, middle and end sound in a word.
Resources:
Counters or blocks, plastic letters or cards, toy cars, animals or similar.
Description:
Activity 1
Use physical and spatial awareness to teach the concepts of beginning, middle
and end.
Children line up in groups of three and discuss what it feels like to be at the
beginning, middle and end. How are they different?
Repeat the activity specifying who will line up first, last. Discuss the concept of first,
middle and last.
Children use toys objects etc to explore the concept of beginning, middle and end.
Similarly use blocks, toys etc to discuss first, middle and last.
Children identify or choose the object at the beginning, middle and end (or first,
middle and last).
Activity 2
Say a list of words and place the matching object down at the same time. e.g. bear,
ball and bat. Children identify the first, middle and last word.
Extend to using the words without the use of concrete aids. Children identify the first,
middle and last word.
Model the sounds of a word by stretching the word and stepping into hoops as you
say each sound. Children identify the sounds at the beginning, middle or end of
the word.
Variation:
Choose a target sound, have children listen to words and then say whether the target
sound appeared at the beginning, middle or end of the word.
The Sound System
Children take turns in saying 3 words and step into a hoop for each word. Children
identify first, middle and last word.
Sound searches
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (1- 3), Middle Childhood (3 - 7)
Outcome:
Children recognise and identify beginning sounds in words.
Resources:
Magazines, advertising materials, junk mail.
Card, scissors, glue.
Description:
Have children work in small groups. Assign a sound to each group. Using magazines,
advertising and junk mail, children search for pictures representing words that
start with that sound. Cut the pictures out, and glue to a large sheet of paper, or to
individual cards for use in other activities.
Variation:
Intervention Strategies
Look for pictures representing words with particular end sounds, rhyming words, or
a specified number of syllables.
Guess my word
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3)
Outcome:
Children will blend sounds to form words.
Description:
Teacher sounds out a word very slowly, for example
/f/ – /i/ – /sh/ to /fi/ – /sh/ to /fish/
/s/ – /t/ – /i/ – /k/ to /sti/ – /k/ to /stik/ (stick)
Children guess the word.
Some children find it easier to sound in clumps i.e. blending the last two sounds and
then add the beginning
/f/ – /i/ – /sh/ to /f/ – /ish/ to /fish/
/s/ - /t/ – /i/ – /k/ to /st/ - /ik/ to /slik/ (stick)
Variation:
The Sound System
Words are written on cards or a chart and the teacher sounds out one of the words.
Children guess the word from the range of words.
Sound shopping
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3)
Outcome:
Children develop awareness of sounds in words.
Resources:
Card containing ‘shelves’ drawn to represent shopping shelves.
Magazines, junk mail, advertising materials.
Paper and crayons for children to draw their own pictures.
Scissors, glue.
Description:
Children play setting up shop.
Children work in small groups to collect pictures of things to sell in their shop. Model
sorting of pictures into categories according to the beginning sounds. Encourage talk
about the sounds in words.
Some groups may be asked to set up shop according to specific sounds. Other
children can ‘buy’ the items if they can guess the category.
Beginning consonants
/s/ /ch/ /j/
/m/ /p/ /k/ /r/ /t/ salt cherries jam meat pears corn rice toys soap cheese jelly muffins potatoes candy raisins turnips (soup, cereal, celery, strawberries, spaghetti)
(chicken, chocolate, chips)
(juice)
(milk, macaroni, matches, mustard)
(pie, prunes, pork, peas)
(crackers, carrots, cream)
(rhubarb, raspberries, wrapping paper, rib, roast)
(tomatoes, tea)
Intervention Strategies
Variation:
Focus on vowel sounds in beginning and middle position.
Beginning and Middle Vowel Sounds
apples egg cheese cake oatmeal ice cream pop tart ham bread meat steak soap pie olives margarine (jam, pancake, lamb, carrots)
(lettuce, pepper)
(tea, peanuts, cereal)
(potatoes, raisins, dates, paper, plates)
(soda, cocoa, coke)
(rice, pineapple)
(boxes)
(barley)
The Sound System
/a/ /e/ /ee/ /ai/ /o_e/ /i_e/ /o/ /ar/ Ear sharpeners
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3)
Outcome:
Children are able to distinguish between same and different beginning sounds.
Description:
Ask the children to stand beside their chairs and tell them: ‘I will say four words while
you listen. Listen to the sound that starts the first word. When you hear a word that
starts like the first word, put your hand up’. Provide an example.
Ask children to tell you the sound at the beginning of the first word and the sound at
the beginning of the word that is different.
Encourage children who are succeeding to help other children.
Intervention Strategies
Use any of the suggested word groups below or make your own.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. man cake dog fire gone hat joy lamb never pet rice see town wall add egg ice ocean uncle yoghurt ape eat ill October use milk near boy fish goat book jam like now part four sit table went apple Edith idea over you yes ate egg imitate oblong Utah many car day farm plant house juice my near puppy rat Celia touch war ape elf Ida open us your Amy each ice open us name
came
deer
house
go
here
tomato
little
table
lamp
river
Jim
city
run
ant
edge
ill
October
under
want
Annie
eel
important
occupy
usual
Variation 1:
Ask the children to distinguish between like and different end, middle or rhyming
sounds. Example: lip, rap, sit, soap, rope
Variation 2:
Children have cards with letters and hold up the one which represents the sound
they hear as they listen to each word. This links the sound system to the writing
system. See Strategy 5.
Variation 3:
The Sound System
Children work in small groups to determine which word starts with a different sound.
Teaching teddy puppet
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3)
Outcome:
Children display their understanding of various aspects of listening, speaking and
word knowledge.
Resources:
Puppet
Description:
Children teach or help Puppet Teddy with different sounds.
The puppet sounds the words incorrectly or identifies the wrong beginning sound.
Children help the Puppet Teddy by giving it the correct answer.
Intervention Strategies
This activity can be used with any aspect of language – beginning, middle, end
sounds, rhyming, syllables, sounding out, recognition of sounds and symbols.
Barrier games
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3), Middle Childhood (3 - 7)
Outcome:
Children will develop awareness of sounds in words.
Resources:
Barrier Screen. Prepared sheet with different objects pictured. Counters. First Steps
Oral Language Resource Book.
Description:
Use barrier games to focus on the sound structure of words.
Example: have two identical sheets with pictures of different objects.
Pairs of children are given counters. One child selects the sound and gives the
instruction e.g. “put a counter on something starting with /b/”,”put a counter on
something beginning with /s/”, “Put a counter next to something beginning with /l/”.
Children remove the barrier and compare the placement of their counters.
Variation:
The Sound System
Vary the complexity of the sound / symbol clues e.g. put a counter on something that
rhymes with bring (ring).
Words that begin with
the same sound
Phase of Schooling:
Early Childhood (K - 3), Middle Childhood (3 - 7)
Outcome:
Children are able to discriminate sounds in context.
Resources:
Cassette recorder, recording of listening activity, e.g. a text which contains a
beginning sound to be identified, common sounds or letter patterns.
Description:
Record a story - one that is alliterative (has many words beginning with the same
sound) is a useful starting point.
Listen to the story for the meaning and enjoyment.
Introduce a game in which the children listen for words with particular sounds.
As each word is identified, stop the story and talk about the placement of the sound
within the word.
Variation 1:
Listen and clap when nominated sound is heard, e.g. words that begin with /d/, words
that contain /ai/ or end in /m/.
Variation 2:
Link the sounds to written language. As the words are identified, teacher or child
writes the word.
Circle the letters that represent the sound – it may be beginning, middle or end.
For some children it may be helpful to have the text written up on overhead or as a
big book text.
Intervention Strategies
Variation 3:
Place words on cards and distribute. Children use them to play Sound Snap or Word
Sorts.
Sources of activities to develop
phonological awareness
The increasing recognition of the importance of phonological awareness skills for
the early development of literacy has lead to the publication of many resources
containing teaching activities, some of which may already be in your school. While
none of these address the special needs of children who are bilingual or bidialectal,
many of them contain activities which are easily adapted to meet these needs – ie
the need to work in all language codes. Some of these resources are listed below, and
space is provided for you to record other resources which are of use, or which you
may find in your school library or storeroom!
The A.D.D. program: Auditory Discrimination in Depth.
(Lindamood & Lindamood, 1972).
A sound way.
(Love & Reilly, 1995).
Phonemic awareness in young children: A classroom curriculum.
(Adams, 1999).
The Sound System
Sound practice: Phonological awareness in the classroom.
(Layton, Deeny, & Upton, 1997).
Sound chart
Sound production chart
1
Air stream
completely
stopped
2
Air stream
restricted
3
Air stream
through
nose
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
Both lips
Top teeth
and
bottom
lip
Tongue
tip
between
teeth
Tongue
tip behind
teeth
Tongue
blade
on hard
palate
p
b
Intervention Strategies
7
Back of
Tongue
tongue on
tip turned
back of
back
palate
d
t
p/b
th
v
f
th
th
g
k
d/t
j
rd/
tt
n
m
nh
g/k
sh
j
ch
z
s
m
ng
n
ny
m
L
Ly
rL
ng
L
Air stream
around
sides of
tongue
Air stream
over centre
of tongue
rr
w
6
6
r
y
h
Air stream
unrestricted
w
r
y
Beyond the classroom
• Encourage children to let caregivers and community members know what they
have been working on in class.
• Encourage a focus on sounds within the home, particularly the sounds of language
varieties spoken in the home.
• Let parents know the focus of work in the classroom – particular sounds, or a
focus on particular parts of words (eg syllables, first sounds).
• Provide suggestions to help parents focus on similar concepts in the home.
The Sound System
• Enlist the help of community members in working with indigenous languages
within homes.