Level 5: Word Detectives

Manipulation of Sounds: Connections to Print

Level 5 Activities are the highest level of phonemic awareness. The focus is to manipulate sounds (phonemes) within words; adding, exchanging, deleting, or transposing sounds (phonemes) to form new words.

Children ready for Level 5, have solid knowledge of how language works before attempting this level. Children need to be able to mentally blend sounds (phonemes), modify words, and segment sounds (phonemes) in order to make the sound (phonemic) transference. The ability to manipulate sounds (phonemes) strongly correlates with beginning reading acquisition.

Early Literacy Foundational Skills

• Sound (Phoneme) Substitution

  • identify and substitute beginning sound in a word

  • identify and substitute ending sound in a word

  • identify and substitute middle sounds in a word

• Sound (Phoneme) Deletion

  • identify and omit beginning sound in a word

  • identify and omit ending sound in a word

  • identify and omit middle sounds in a word

Word Detectives

GOAL: sound (phoneme) deletion & matching sounds (phonemes) to letters

Materials:

• Words Within Words: index cards with the following words written on:

  • will fast ball candy fist

  • then that must call slip

  • meat cold wins tent plant

  • bus done fit chill pink

  • this list onto boxer stop

  • sled pond horn inch fond

  • twig skin grant mend pout

  • clap hand twin farm upset

    To make reusable cards may be laminated

    To make reusable the words may be typed and printed on paper

• pencils or crayons

Directions for New Players:

1. Hand the child(ren) a word index card or the typed paper with all the words. Explain that sometimes smaller words are “hiding” in larger words.

2. Say the first word. Have the child(ren) repeat the word.

3. Have the child(ren) circle the smaller word within the larger word. Then have them share why they circled the smaller word.

4. Repeat steps #2 and #3 for the rest of the words.

Directions for Established Players:

1. Using the words from above, time the child(ren) as they complete the “Words Within Words”.

CHALLENGE:

Create compound words for the child(ren) to break the words apart. There may be more than two words within a word.

Examples:

• sometimes doghouse rainbow fireman

• starfish sunshine football butterfly

HELPFUL TIPS:

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

• Caution with beginnings or endings with consonant digraphs (EX: ch, sh, th). Assist the child(ren) in these examples.

• Caution if using vowel digraphs (EX: ai, ea, ee). Assist the child(ren) in these examples.