Phonemic awareness is the ability to recognize the individual phonemes (sounds) in words. This skill is the foundation of all reading. To help children become strong readers, we must take time to teach letter sounds.
Games can make letter sounds a whole lot more fun for kids. What’s in the Bag? is a fun game that encourages children to use words that start with the target phoneme.
Teaching Letter Sounds with What’s In the Bag?
For this activity, you will need:
- A bag
- Option A: objects start with the target phoneme.
- For example, if the target phoneme is /b/, you might fill the bag with a toy bear, a book, a banana, bells, etc.
- Option B: picture cards that start with the target phoneme.
- You can make your own picture cards by drawing objects that start with the target phoneme. Or, if you have a yearly license for Professor Pup’s Phoneme Farm, you can download all of our picture cards for free from the Teacher Portal.
Whether you’re using objects or picture cards, be sure to include at least one for each student in the class. (If you have 25 students, try to include 25 objects or cards.) This will ensure that each child gets a chance to pull something from the bag.
When teaching letter sounds, it is important to be as explicit and clear as possible. Start out by introducing the children to the phoneme that they will be practicing. Next, say, “Today, I’m going to need your help unpacking my bag of objects that start with the sound /b/.” Be sure to confirm that they understand the activity before getting started.
One at a time, have each student reach into the bag and pull out an item. Have him or her hold up the object for everyone to see. Get everyone involved! Have your students identify the object, clearly pronouncing the target phoneme. To further clarify the phoneme, you might say, “Bear—/b//b/—bear.” Children will learn best if they hear the phoneme clearly and repeatedly.
Repeat this with all the students and all the objects inside of the bag. Once the activity is complete, review what the children have learned. For example. You may say, “Today, we practiced many words that begin with the sound /b/. Good job!”
Learning how to read can be a tough process for some kids. Consequently, games like What’s in the Bag? is a great way to help children feel comfortable and engaged while they practice their phonemes. Furthermore, they’re building the skills that they’ll need in order to make those important connections between spoken sounds and written text.
Teaching Letter Sounds with Professor Pup’s Phoneme Farm
Our goal at Professor Pup’s Academy is to make every child a proficient reader, and to make teaching letter sounds as simple and accessible as possible. Games such as What’s in the Bag are an excellent way to accompany exercises in Professor Pup’s Phoneme Farm.
Do you need another activity for class? Check out the supplemental materials in your Teacher Portal. Plus, we have a new activity coming to you every day this week.
If you have not yet implemented Professor Pup’s Academy into your classroom, please visit our page for teachers. We offer a free 30-day trial for all educators.