Sound It Out

kindergarten

Jun 3

I do not usually say the popular phrase: sound it out. At least in the beginning of learning to read. What I noticed was many of the students I was working with did not have a proper sound understanding to know which letters represented which sounds.

Did you know that there are 26 letters in the alphabet?

You probably said duh.

Did you know there are 44 phonemes that can be spelled 250 ways?

If you also said duh… Um maybe reply to this email. I might be hiring.

Anyway… A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound. So think about the word SHOE. Four letters, but do you know how many phonemes?

Two. SH OO (spelled how they sound here).

If I lost you and you're like how do I teach my child isn't is easier to just tell them how to spell the word or to memorize words? The answer is no AND kids are actually able to understand this a lot more than we think.

I know this from my experience working in classrooms, schools, and in digital courses with kids. I've seen tens of thousands of kids have their aha moment about reading and writing when they actually learn the rules.

Click here to grab my free guide: 5 Things to Say Besides Sound it Out

For more tips and insights to nurture lifelong learners, hop over to my Instagram page.

And, don't forget to explore episodes on the podcast, Play On Words, where you’ll hear more about making learning fun and accessible for all.

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I’m the founder of BCR, host of the Play on Words podcast, a consultant for the Chicago Public Library, and more! On the blog, I regularly share my tips, insights, and knowledge on early literacy.