The Look and Feel of Phonemes
Multisensory Phonemic Awareness
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 0: Foundation for LiteracyAges:
4-6
Grade Range:
PreK KFood Groups:
Primary: Phonemic Awareness
Activity Description
Preparation:
1. Select 2 phonemes to introduce to students
Implementation:
1. Pronounce the first phoneme in an exaggerated way
a. Ask students to watch your mouth and describe what it is doing
2. Ask students to repeat the phoneme slowly
a. Have them pay attention to the sensation of pronouncing it
3. Repeat first two steps with a second phoneme
4. All together, alternate with the students, saying the two phonemes and paying attention to the differences in the way the phonemes look and feel
Adaptations For
English Language Learners/ESL:
- Relate activity to how phonemes look and feel different in different languages
- Use pictures of different mouth formations to further illustrate
LD/Reading & Writing Difficulties:
- Review differences between different phonemes on a regular basis
Cultural Appropriateness & Diversity:
- Ask students to identify words in their home language and share the phonemes
Differentiated Instruction:
- Have students work in pairs saying and monitoring mouth position and phoneme production
- Have students use mirrors to monitor their position of their mouths when saying phonemes
Related References
Evidence:
Moats, L.C. & Farrell, M.L. (2005). Multisensory structured language education. In Birsh, J.R. (Ed.). Multisensory teaching of basic language skills (pp. 23-41). Baltimore, MD: Paul Brookes Publishing.
Activity Objective
The goal of The Look and Feel of Phonemes: Multisensory Phonemic Awareness is to help students see and feel the difference between phonemes by modeling the way in which they look and feel differently when the mouth is producing them.
What You Need
Prep Time:
1 minute - Decide which phonemes you would like to examine
Task Time:
10 minutes
- Teacher introduces phonemes and students watch how they are produced by the mouth
- Students practice saying and feeling the phonemes
Materials Required:
- large mirror or hand mirrors
What You Do
Teacher Role:
Modeling:
- during pronunciation of phonemes
Supporter:
- as students attempt to practice phonemes
Student Grouping:
Whole Class:
- during teacher modeling, while practicing phonemes
Assessment Ideas:
- Informally observe students progress and record their accuracy in producing target phonemes
Quick Tips
Activity Extensions:
- Provide students with a hand mirror so that they can observe their own mouths producing the phonemes
- Engage the class in discussion about how changing the shape of the mouth changes the sound that is produced
Additional Comments:
- This activity should be repeated regularly, reviewing previous phonemes and practicing new ones.
