SEGMENTING ACTIVITIES
Segment Sentences into Words
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
1. Counting Words
Tell the children, “We are going to count words.” Using blocks or other objects with many pieces, have the children build a tower according to how many words are in the phrase.
-Tip: When generating phrases, try to use phrases relevant to the children and their environment. For example, “Jenny’s wearing blue today,” or “Alex likes to play soccer.” These sentences will help keep their attention on the activity.
2. Words are Parts
Have three children stand side-by-side in front of the room with the teacher. The teacher will read a three worded phrase. When the first word is read, the first child will jump and so on for the other two words. Begin by pointing to each child when it is their turn to jump. When facing the three children, have the child on the left start first. This will allow the class to see the left to right motions of reading print.)
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3. Words are Parts II
Read short phrases to the children. When you have finished reading, have the children clap the amount of words or parts that phrase had.
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4. Collage of Words
Using a magazine or newspaper, have the child identify any words that they can. If they are unsure of how to find a word, show them that the spaces between words tell us where one word ends and another one begins. Have them cut out words and glue or tape them on a piece of construction paper to create a collage of words.
5. Scrambled Sentences
Using the materials provided here, cut each sentence strip into words, yet keep each sentence in its own pile. Read the sentence aloud to the child, and then have the child rearrange the words/pictures to make the sentence. Once the child has placed the words/pictures in the correct order, have them read the sentence to you.
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6. Sentence Match Up
Using the materials provided here, give each child a picture card to represent a word in a phrase. The teacher will call out the words, asking the child with that card to stand up. Once all the cards are called for that phrase, have the children go to the front of the room and stand in order from left to right. As the children and teacher read the cards together, have the children hold up their card as it is read.
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7. Roll Along Words
Sit on the floor across from the child. The teacher will say a phrase, and then the child and teacher will repeat the phrase while rolling a ball back and forth on each word. For example, with the phrase “I love to laugh,” the teacher and child will repeat as follows: “I” (roll ball to child), “love” (child rolls ball back), “to” (roll ball back to child), “laugh” (child rolls ball back).
-Tip: If working with a group of children, have them take turns rolling the ball between all of them.
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8. Game Board Fun
Choose any game board that has spaces to move. Using phrases or sentences, read one for each child at a time. Have the child decide how many words their phrase or sentence had. This number is the number of spaces they can move on the game board. Continue playing until someone reaches the end!
9. Hunting & Hiking for Words
Choose a set of footprints from the materials provided here. Choose animal footprints for hunting, or human footprints for hiking. Tell the child that you are going down the “word trail.” Reading a phrase or sentence, have the child take one step for each word that was read in the sentence. After they have taken their steps, have them tell you how many words were in their sentence.
-Tip: For groups of children, give each child a set of footprints to follow. Whoever finishes the trail first wins the hike or catches their animal first.
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Segment Words into Syllables
Age: Preschool-Kindergarten
1. Words Have Parts
Using the materials provided, introduce a car, semi-truck, and train to the children (you may want to hang the pictures up). Show the children that a car has one part, a semi-truck has two parts (cab and bed), and the train has three or more parts (engine, box car, and caboose). Tell the children that words have parts too. Using words or pictures, assist the children in deciding how many parts each word or picture has. Place each word or picture with the corresponding vehicle.
-Tip: Mount each vehicle on the inside of a manila folder and laminate. Place Velcro pieces around the vehicle and on the back side of each word/picture. Have the children Velcro the pieces to the correct folder.
- Materials: Vehicles
- Materials: Word list
- Materials: Picture list
2. Name Game
Write all of the children’s names on index cards and place in a basket. Sit in a circle and pass the basket from one child to the next when the music begins. When the music stops, whoever is holding the basket pulls out a card and reads the child’s name on the card. The class repeats the name and claps out the number of syllables or parts as they say the name (e.g. Mor-gan has 2 claps, Em-i-ly has 3). Continue with the music until all names have been pulled from the basket.
- Tip: When instructing the children, it may be easier to describe syllables as the different parts of the word. Be sure to give them examples.
3. Syllable Haircut
Using the materials provided, cut out the words into strips. Tape the strips to a baby dolls head (bald babies work best!). Tell the children they will be giving the dolls haircuts. To make sure they have the right length, they must cut the word in half, dividing it into two syllables (doghouse would then be cut between the word dog and house). Tell the children they have to cut the long word to make two short words.
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4. Line Time
Using four pieces of construction paper, number each paper 1-4. Tape them to the floor near the door to the room. As the children are lining up for their next class or activity, tell them that they are going to line up by the number of syllables or parts they have in their names. As you call each child forward, have him listen carefully to the number of syllables or parts in their names and stand on the corresponding paper. As other children come forward have them form lines behind the first child. Choose one of the lines to go first down the hall. For variation, try using last names, middle names, or mother’s names.
5. Drumming to the Beat
Give each child a foil pie plate and a marker. Have a list of several objects within a category (e.g., animals, food, clothing, etc). As you read each name, have the children beat out the syllables on the pie plate with the marker and have one child tell you how many beats or parts they counted. Try it again to make sure all the children are hitting the pie plate the correct number of times.
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6. Sorting Treasure
Have the children start out sitting in a circle. Set out 4 lunch boxes decorated to look like treasure chests on a table near the group. The children will be given 30 seconds to find several pictures placed around the room (all pictures will be objects that have 1, 2, 3, or 4 syllables in their names). The children will come back to their circle and decide how many syllables are in each word and then take them to the treasure chests where they are sorted into the right chest. The teacher then opens up each treasure chest and the whole class checks to see how they did. Any cards that were placed in the wrong box are set aside and sorted correctly.
- Materials: Treasure Chests
- Materials: Picture Cards
7. Syllables Song
Have the children go through the motions of touching, in order, their “Head, shoulders, knees and toes” to syllables. The children will touch each body part to different syllables in a word you say. For example, if you say the word “elephant” (3 syllables), your child would touch his head “el,” his shoulders “e,” and his waist “phant.” Go in the following order: head, shoulders, waist, knees, toes, and back. That way there are enough body parts for a multi-syllable word.
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8. Sing: “Hickity Tickity Bumble-Bee”
Teach the children the simple song below:
~ Hickity tickity bumble-bee, will you say your name for me? BZZZZ!
Sing the song together (works well in large groups) and on the “Bzzzz,” the teacher points to a child. That child says her name and the class “claps out” the syllables in the child’s name. While singing, pat the syllables or parts on the legs. Repeat until all children have said their name.
- Extension- Have the children identify the number of syllables in each name.
- Extension- Can adapt to segment phonemes or sounds in words, identify initial and final phonemes or sounds.
Segment Words into Sounds
Age: Kindergarten-First Grade
1. 1-2-3 Sounds
Using masking tape, mark one or more 3X1 rectangles on the floor. Provide the children with a container that holds several pictures of 3-sound words (e.g. dog, cat, lick, car, etc). Demonstrate for the children how you can separate the word into its 3 parts and hop in each section of the rectangle as you say each sound. Have the children each take a turn, then leave the cards nearby and let them practice whenever they cross over the rectangle during the day.
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2. Head-Hip-Feet
With the children standing, instruct them to listen as you call out words and their sounds. When the first sound is introduced, have the children place their hands on their head. When the second sound is made, the children will place their hands on their hips. As the last sound in the word is made, the children will touch their feet. Use several words containing three sounds until the children consistently identify them.
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3. Merry-Go-Round
Instruct the children to form a large circle and hold hands. One child will be selected to stand in the middle of the circle. Play music and instruct the children to move clockwise until you stop the music. At this time the child in the middle will draw a picture card and break the word into its three sounds. That child can then choose the next child to be in the middle and trade places with them.
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4. Objects for Sounds
With the children seated at tables, give each child five objects such as markers, blocks or Legos. Have each child line up their objects in front of them. While reading a book to the children, occasionally stop and call attention to a word containing one to five sounds. Repeat the word and ask the children to push forward an object to represent each sound in the word (e.g., d-o-g=3 objects). For each child that had difficulties, have them try again while you repeat the word.
5. Puzzles
Using pictures of objects provided here, cut each picture into the number of parts indicated (e.g., “saw” will be cut into two parts as the word has two sounds) turning them into puzzles. Give each child their own set of “puzzles.” Begin with words containing two sounds such as “saw, shoe, and zoo.” Have the children tell you the first sound and second sound in the word as they take the puzzle pieces apart. After the children have completed words with two sounds, provide them with the words that contain three sounds. Be sure to explain to the children that some sounds may have two letters. One example is the “sh” in “shoe,” it contains two letters, but together they make the sound “shhhh.”
-Tip: Laminate the puzzle pieces to use again later.
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6. Sound Sing Along
Using the verses provided here, add in various words containing two to three sounds. Sing the song to the tune of “Pop Goes the Weasel.”
For words containing two sounds, sing:
“What are the sounds you hear in day?
What are the sounds in day?
How many sounds do you hear in day?
What sounds have you heard?”
“/d/ is the first sound in day.
/a/ is sound number two.
I hear two sounds in day.
Day has two sounds, it’s true.”
For words containing three sounds, sing:
“What are the sounds you hear in net?
What are the sounds in net?
How many sounds are in net?
What sounds have you heard?
“/n/ is the first sound in net.
/e/ is sound number two.
/t/ is the last sound in net.
Net has three sounds, it’s true.”
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