If you’ve read my language and learning article, you’ll know that one of the best, and most natural, ways to encourage a child’s pre-literacy development is by reading with them. However, you might like some more specific ideas on how to extend their sound awareness, and these games and activities will give you plenty of ideas to do just that!
Syllable awareness
- Encourage awareness of syllables in words by clapping, stamping, or using drumsticks/tapping sticks to tap out the ‘beats’, or syllables, in words. Take it in turns to choose a word, and vary the length of words to add to the challenge.
- Any games with counters or tokens, such as Connect 4, Pick up Sticks, Kerplunk and Jenga, can be used to count out syllables in words. Put down a counter for each syllable you say (eg. 3 counters for e-le-phant), then when you’ve used up all the counters, have fun playing the game!
Rhyming
- Take it in turns to think of other words that rhyme when you’re reading or singing
- Play rhyming tag – when the person ‘tags’ you, you need to think of a rhyming word
- Make rhyming jars – write different words on jars then fill them with words that rhyme
- Play guessing games eg. what’s a farm animal that rhymes with wig (this helps develop vocabulary skills too)
- Have fun listening to nursery rhymes in the car
Identifying the first sounds in words
- Play I Spy, but use the SOUND not the name of the first letter
- Draw or cut out pictures of words that begin with the same sound, and paste them into a book (one sound per page like an alphabet book – but make sure you are emphasising the sound, not the name of the letter)
Generic games that work across all these areas include What’s the Word Mr Wolf? (one step for each syllable, one step for each rhyming word or word that begins with same initial sound), My Grandmother went to Market (words that rhyme or begin with the same initial sound), and Pass the beanbag/ball (toss the beanbag to each other and think of rhyming words or ones with the same initial sound), or any games with tokens (see above).
Next time we’ll have a look at games you can play to help expand your child’s vocabulary!
