Level 3: Sound Dominos

Sequence of Sound

Level 3 Activities focus on the sequence of sounds in a word. Attention is directed to specific positions of sounds within a word. This is the foundational base for segmenting sounds independently. When recognition of beginning, ending, and middle sounds is acquired, emergent readers are better equipped to isolate sounds and hear them separately.

Early Literacy Foundational Skills

• Sounds (Phonemes) Isolation

  • listen & detect individual sounds at the beginning of a word

  • listen & detect individual sounds at the ending of a word

  • listen & detect individual sounds in the middle of a word

Sound Dominos

GOALS: sound (phoneme) isolation & matching

Materials

• Sound Dominos. (for 15 to 20 Sound Dominos)

  • 30 to 40 pictures that have the same beginning sound EX: bed, boat; cat, car; dog, door; etc.

  • craft sticks

  • scissors

  • glue

Directions for New Players - Beginning Sounds:

1. Have child(ren) build their Sound Dominos

   • lay out the all pictures

   • have child(ren) glue the pictures, one picture to each end of the craft stick

   • IMPORTANT: the pictures on the same craft stick should NOT have the same beginning sound

2. Explain that the goal of the game is to get rid of their dominos by matching beginning picture sounds.

3. Each player will get four (4) Sound Dominos. The rest of the Sound Dominos are in a pile in the center of the game.

4. Have one player begin by placing one domino face up on the tabletop or floor.

5. The next player must then match one picture on that domino with one of their own. For example: cat and car picture match because they both have the sound of /c/ at the beginning.

6. If the player has not match, have them choose from the pile until one is found.

7. Players take turns by adding dominos to the pattern. A player wins when he or she runs out of dominos. (*If all extra dominos are used, the player with the fewest unmatched dominos wins.)

Directions for Established Players - Ending Sounds:

Materials

• Sound Dominos. (for 15 to 20 Sound Dominos)

  • 30 to 40 pictures that have the same ending sound EX: bed, hand; cat, boat; sun, fan; etc.

  • craft sticks

  • scissors

  • glue

1. Have child(ren) build their Sound Dominos

   • lay out the all pictures

   • have child(ren) glue the pictures, one picture to each end of the craft stick

   • IMPORTANT: the pictures on the same craft stick should NOT have the same ending sound

2. Explain that the goal of the game is to get rid of their dominos by matching ending picture sounds.

3. Each player will get four (4) Sound Dominos. The rest of the Sound Dominos are in a pile in the center of the game.

4. Have one player begin by placing one domino face up on the tabletop or floor.

5. The next player must then match one picture on that domino with one of their own. For example: bed and hand picture match because they both have the sound of /d/ at the end.

6. If the player has not match, have them choose from the pile until one is found.

7. Players take turns by adding dominos to the pattern. A player wins when he or she runs out of dominos. (*If all extra dominos are used, the player with the fewest unmatched dominos wins.)

CHALLENGE:

• Create Sound Dominos for the middle sound

HELPFUL TIPS:

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

• Begin with one-syllable words.