Level 2: Picture Puzzles

Parts of a Word: Connections to Print

Level 2 Activities help develop an “ear” for individual sounds within a spoken word. By playing with the sounds in a word, children discover that a word can be broken into “sound units”; words to syllables, syllables to beginnings (onsets) & endings (rimes), and beginnings (onsets) & endings (rimes) to individual sounds (phonemes).

They then begin to explore the blending of sounds (phonemes) together to form spoken words. This skill is referred to as oral synthesis or decoding, and is one of the key foundational literacy skills for reading. Activities with the alphabet image include connecting the sound to letters, referred to as phonics.

Early Literacy Foundational Skills

• Syllable Splitting

  • listen, detect, & count syllables (beats) within a word

  • listen & detect similar sounds at the beginning (onset) of a word

  • listen & detect similar sounds at the ending (rime) of a word

• Sound (Phoneme) Splitting & Blending

  • listen & detect individual sounds (phonemes) in a word

Picture Puzzles

GOALS: phoneme blending & matching sounds to letters

Materials:

• envelopes

• pictures of objects familiar to the child

• index cards

Preparation:

1. glue object pictures on individual envelopes

2. write the object picture word on an index card

3. cut apart the index card leaving ONE letter per piece

4. place word letter pieces into envelope with corresponding object picture

Directions:

1. Have the child select ONE envelope and say the name of the picture.

2. Ask the child to take out the individual letters.

3. Have the child repeat the picture word and decide which is the first sound they hear. Place that letter in front of them.

4. Have the child repeat the picture word and decide which is the second sound they hear. Place that letter to the right of the first letter.

5. Repeat Step 4 until all the letters have been used.

6. Have the child say the picture word one last time. As they say the word, have the child use their finger underneath the letter as they say the sound.

CHALLENGE:

• Incorporate words with more letters.

• Use consonant blends (EX: bl, spr, dr) but keep the individual letters on individual cards.

HELPFUL TIPS:

• Always model first until the child is comfortable with this activity.

• Begin with short three-letter words.

• Use short vowel words.

• If there are consonant digraphs (EX: ch, sh, th) use ONE card for the ONE sound.

• When using vowel digraphs (EX: ai, ea, ee) use ONE card for the ONE sound.