Cindy Cupp
Currently, President, Cupp Publishers, Inc.
Retired, Director of Curriculum and Reading,
Georgia Department of Education
Always, A Reading Teacher

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2005 August/September Newsletter
by Dr. Cindy Cupp

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Cindy Cupp
Currently, President, Cupp Publishers, Inc.
Retired, Director of Curriculum and Reading, Georgia Department of Education
Always, A Reading Teacher

 

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Section A: Fluency-Comprehension Activities (Feb-March 2003)

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Teaching Tips and Games - Free Comprehension Games to use with very beginning readers

Sunday Cartoons

Teacher notes from Dr. Cupp:

  The January/February/March 2003 edition of Reading Research Quarterly (Volume 38, Number 1) has a great research study on using wordless books to help beginning readers develop comprehension strategies and oral language.  The title of this research article is “Assessing Narrative Comprehension in Young Children.” 

 Problem:   In order to implement many of the strategies mentioned in this article, the teacher needs wordless books.  I have found it  both expensive and difficult to find a large selection of books without words. 

 Solution:  The cartoon section in most Sunday papers is in color.  Ask your friends and family to save the Sunday cartoon section for you each week.  If your largest reading group has eight students, you will need eight copies of the cartoons each week.

 In the cartoon section of last week’s Atlanta Journal and Constitution, I found three cartoons I considered appropriate to use with five-and six-year- olds to develop oral language and comprehension strategies.  The cartoon should show a story line that the young child can follow.  One cartoon had a few words.   I used white out and eliminated the words.

Steps for preparing the cartoons:

    1. Read the cartoons and decide the ones appropriate for your students.  Cut out the cartoons you have selected, glue the cartoon on cardstock and place a number in the box of each picture segment of the cartoon. For example:  If the cartoon is divided into six segments, then number each segment beginning with one in the first box and ending with the number six in the last box.  By placing a number in each box of each cartoon, you can discuss with the student what is happening in that particular box. 

    2.    Laminate your cartoons for the week and place them in an 8x10 mailing envelope with one copy of the cartoon pasted on the outside of the envelope.  Place a number on your new Cartoon Comprehension Activity.

Steps to use during instruction:

    1. Give each student in the group a copy of the cartoon.

    2. Have students look at each picture from the beginning of the cartoon to the end.

    3. Tell students there are many possible stories that describe the cartoon.  Students need to know there is not one right answer.

    4. Each student takes a turn telling what he or she thinks is happening in the picture.

    5.   Variation  – The teacher may have students cut the cartoons in segments and put the cartoon back together back again.

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February 2004
Oral Fluency Practice

If students are not fluent readers, the following suggestions might be helpful:

1. “Sing” Hop’n Pop - When students practice saying their words during Hop’n Pop, ask them to sort of sing the words. Their voices should not stop between words.

2. Tape record reading - Tape record students individually reading a paragraph from Dr. Cupp Readers® booklet. Students should practice the paragraph and then tape record their reading again.

3. Echo reading – One student reads the paragraph or sentence.  The teacher calls on the next student to echo back or re-read the text.

4. Buddy Reading - Students take turns reading the paragraph to a buddy.

5. Reading for an audience – Students think of a situation where they might orally read in front of an audience, brother, sister, etc.  Students practice reading and then actually read in front of an audience. 

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April 2004 - Comprehension Games and Teaching Tips

Beat the Tiger

Beat the Tiger is a game we play for comprehension.  The following cheer is a new twist for the game:

As students practice reading stories, the teacher records the score for Beat the Tiger.  The goal of the game is for the kids to earn all the points, and the Tiger to have a score of zero.  If the Tiger does not get any points on pages 2 or 3, students and the teacher have reason to celebrate.  Reading success is based on hard work and many opportunities to celebrate successes.  A celebration for two days of no points for the Tiger might include:  The successful group members stand in front of the entire class holding a pompom.  The class does the Beat the Tiger Cheer in honor of the successful group.

Teacher:  “Who Beat the Tiger?”   Successful Group: “We Beat the Tiger!”  Repeat line

Whole Class:  “Way-to-Go!  Way-to-Go!  Go-Kids-Go!”   Kids shake their pompoms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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November 2004
Oral Fluency Practice
 

If students are not fluent readers, the following suggestions might be helpful:

1. “Sing” Hop’n Pop - When students practice saying their words during Hop’n Pop, ask them to sort of sing the words. Their voices should not stop between words.

2. Tape record reading - Tape record students individually reading a paragraph from Dr. Cupp Readers® booklet. Students should practice the paragraph and then tape record their reading again.

3. Echo reading – One student reads the paragraph or sentence.  The teacher calls on the next student to echo back or re-read the text.

4. Buddy Reading - Students take turns reading the paragraph to a buddy.

5. Reading for an audience – Students think of a situation where they might orally read in front of an audience, brother, sister, etc.  Students practice reading and then actually read in front of an audience.

6.  Modeling by the teacher – The teacher listens to the student read.  The teacher then reads the text back to the student.  The student rereads the text to the teacher.

 

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Summer 2005
Catch on to Reading by Mandy Walker

This is a game that can be used all year long to increase fluency in reading.

Objective:  To help students gain fluency in reading.

Materials:  Fish bowl, marker, and foam shaped fish (these can be found on the scrapbook isle at Wal-Mart) 

Players:  3-6 

How to Play:  If the student reads his/her Jack and Jilly story with accuracy and fluency they will be able to put their name onto a foam fish and drop it into the fish bowl.  At the end of the day, the teacher will draw a name out of the fish bowl and that student will receive a prize from the prize box.  (Small treats that have been placed in our Treasure Tub)

 

 

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Section B: Sight Word Activities (Feb-March 2003)

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Teaching Tips and Games
Side-by-Side™ Hop’n Pop

Objective: To help students’ transition from reading words on cards or on lists to reading words in text.

Why will this game help some students?  If students have been practicing sight words using index cards or word lists, some students have trouble reading the same words if the words are placed side-by-side on a page of reading text.  Students are not accustomed to seeing the sight word with other words coming before or after.  In order to help students make this transition, Side-by-Side™ Hop’n Pop has been helpful for some students.

Material needed:

Timer and Side-by-Side™ Hop’n Pop practice sheet.

Steps to make this game:

    1. Select the sight words students will practice.

    2. Make a Side-by-Side™ Hop’n Pop practice sheet (see below).  Line one has four spaces between each word; line two has three spaces between each word; line three has two spaces; and lines four and five have one space.

    3. Each student has a copy of the Side-by-Side™ Hop’n Pop practice sheet.  One child is selected to read the lines.  The teacher sets the timer for 30 seconds and the selected student tries to beat the 30 seconds.  If the student can read all words in 30 seconds, the student catches Hop’n Pop.  Each child in the group will have a turn.

Side-by-Side™ Hop’n Pop 

 

1.   my    cat    can    see    you    Can 

 

2.   you   cat   my   see   can   Can   You

 

3.   can  you  cat  You  see  my  Can 

 

4.   Can you see my cat?                    

 

5.   You can see my cat.

 

Student’s name_______________________

Directions:  Set the timer for 30 seconds.  Students try to read all the words in 30 seconds.  There are 30 words. Enter the number of words read within 30 seconds.  Begin in box one and write the score for the first attempt at reading all 30 words.  Continue to enter the score in boxes 2-10 or until they can read all 30 words in 30 seconds.

 

  
 

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Summer Newsletter 2003
Pop-It-To-Me

This game is taken from the new Readiness Teacher’s Manual for Pre-K and beginning kindergarten students using Dr. Cupp Readers®. 

Pop-It-To-Me is designed to provide a fun way to practice alphabet letter names, letter sounds, and basic sight words.  It may also be used to teach punctuation marks as well as math facts or any information you would like for students to know automatically.

Directions for the game Pop-It-To-Me:

Teacher preparation

Make a deck of Pop Cards

Make three decks of Practice Cards – sound deck, letter deck, sight word deck

Pop Cards

The teacher needs 8 blank index cards.  These eight cards will be called Pop Cards. The teacher writes the following on the Pop Cards:

2 cards – write the word Letters

2 cards – write the word Sounds

2 cards- write the word Words

2 cards – write the words Wiggle and Jiggle  (both words on each card)

These Pop Cards are folded and placed in a container.  In Step 3, students will take turns drawing a Pop Card from the container.

Practice Cards - The teacher will need to make three decks of Practice Cards.  The teacher will need a deck with letters, one with sounds, and one with sight words. 

Steps to play the game

   
1.    All students sing the Pop-It-To-Me song and make the hand signs.

Note:  In future lessons, this song will be the “hook” to help students understand punctuation marks.  During this lesson, the terms:  period, question mark and exclamation mark are not used.

Before the lesson begins, the teacher writes the following on chart paper:
 

        Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me Now.

        Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me How?

        Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me WOW!
 

The teacher “sings” the first line of the song, and the students sing the line back.

        The teacher “sings” the second line of the song, and the students sing the line back.

The teacher “sings” the third line of the song, and the students sing the line back.

        The teacher then repeats the song.  The students sing back each line to the teacher.
 

“Now, I am going to teach you how to make a new hand motion at the end of each sentence.  When you say the word Now, I want you to make a fist with one hand and place it in the palm of the other hand.”  Students will make their fist look like a period.

“Now, when we sing the word How, I want you to shrug your shoulders and make your hands go palm up.”  Students look like they don’t know the answer when someone asks them a question.

“Now, when we sing the word WOW, I want you to raise one arm like you are saying YES!  Students will look like they are an exclamation mark.

The teacher and students repeat the song with the hand motions. 
 

    2.    After singing the song, a selected student draws a Pop Card from the container.  There are 8 Pop Cards to choose from (see 1 above).   When the first student draws a Pop Card from the container, the teacher will read what is on the card, and all students will participate in the answer.  Example:  If the first student draws a Pop Card that says Sounds, then the teacher picks up the card deck that has the sounds the students have learned and all students say the sounds for letters.  If the next student draws the Pop Card that says Letters, the teacher picks up the card deck that has the letters the students have learned and the students say the names of the letters.   If the next student draws the Pop Card that says Words, the teacher picks up the card deck with all the sight words the students have learned, and the students say the sight words.  If the Wiggle and Jiggle Pop Card is drawn, the students stand up and wiggle and jiggle. 

 

    3.    All Pop Cards are put back in the container, and the game then starts again.  The students sing Pop-It-To-Me and four more students are selected to draw Pop Cards.

 

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November 2003
Old Friends and New Friends

When the PayDay Updates came in for September, I saw that the kindergarten sight words scores at Cleveland soared.  I called the folks at Cleveland and asked them what they were doing to cause such an increase in sight words. Cleveland teachers responded with the following idea that they call “Old Friends and New Friends.”  

Ashli Williams, kindergarten teacher at Cleveland Elementary in Fayette County, Georgia writes: 

When students start Story 1 in Dr. Cupp Readers®, they are presented with a “reading box.” The reading box is a plain VHS tape container.  A poem (see below) and a silver ring are place inside the reading box.  After introducing the first four sight words (Jack, Jilly, can, play), the words are written on index cards and placed on the child’s silver ring.  The reading box goes home every night Monday – Thursday for practice. As a student passes Hop’n Pop and moves on to a new story, four new words are added to the ring.  By the time a student reaches Story 30, he or she will have 115 words on the ring.

   

 The reading boxes are color coded by the students’ small (reading) group.  Some boxes have purple labels (average/on-grade level readers), some have yellow labels (slower readers), and some have orange labels (higher readers).  I use the boxes during reading instruction at least one time each week.  By Story 6, students have enough words on the ring to begin making simple sentences.  We use the cards for many different activities.   The reading box is a wonderful assessment tool as well.  At the end of each nine-week period, I assess each student on all cards on his or her ring.  This makes report cards very easy.

 

 

POEM: “Now That I Can Read”

I used to need somebody,

to sit and read to me.

I’d look on every page they read

and listen carefully.

 

But now that I am in Kindergarten,

I’m filling up a shelf.

With stories, poems, and other books

that I can read myself.

          -Author Unknown

 

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December 2003
Christy Kable, Sara Harp Minter Elementary School,  Fayette County

I was working with teachers at Sara Harp Minter Elementary School in Fayette County when Christy Kable shared this idea with me.  Instead of just saying the words on Hop’n Pop’s page, her students sing these words to the tune of “Happy Birthday.” The teachers in training tried this, and we had a great time.  We even sang sight words to “Row, row, row your boat!”
 

    

From Christy Kable:

Here is my idea about singing the Hop'n Pop words to the tune of "Happy Birthday."  I use this tune because you can sing it a little slower if needed.  If the tune runs out on word #19 on Hop’n Pop’s page, then we start it over immediately.  In other words, we keep singing and singing and singing.  We may go through the words 6 or 7 times and the children don't even realize it.  They absolutely love doing this and it's a fun change-up from just saying the words over and over.  Plus all children succeed!  The pictures above show my children happily singing Hop'n Pop words.

Christy Kable, Sara Harp Minter Elementary, Fayette County 

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Feb. 2004
Game - Hop’n Stop
 

This is a game variation for Hop’n Pop.  Students work as a team to catch Hop’n Pop in their reading groups.

Preparation:  The teacher needs a timer and a list of sight words.

Steps:

1. The timer is set for the Goal Time for saying the sight words.
 

2. The timer is started and the first child goes down the first list of words and says as many words as possible.  If the student makes an error, the teacher stops the child and helps the student correct the error.  The next student then picks up where the first student was stopped.  The second student says as many sight words as possible until an error is made.  When the second student makes an error, the error is corrected and the game is picked up by the next student.
 

3. Students continue to say the words as quickly as possible until either the timer goes off or the word list is completed and the Goal Time is met.
 

4. If the students beat the timer, they catch Hop’n Pop!  If one student says all the words without missing a word, then the team gets a bonus point.  The game continues until all students have a turn.
 

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April 2004
Sight Word Games and Teaching Tips 

1. Variation for Hop’n Pop

Usually, students are recognized when they catch Hop’n Pop.  Try this variation:  All students attempt to catch Hop’n Pop on the first round.  The scores are recorded.  Students are told a prize will be given to the student who can improve the most.  Award a special prize to the student who increases his or her score the most.  A prize might be leading the line, a smiley face drawn on his or her paper, etc. 

2. Sight Word Graph – Adairsville Elementary School, Adairsville, Georgia

Submitted by Dawn Caldwell

This great idea is from Adairsville Elementary in Adairsville, Georgia.  To make a strong connection between mathematics and reading, graph the Hop’n Pop words.  When students learn five new words, they can color in a box on their graph.

 

	Joe	T.J.	Faith	Sonia	Mimi
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

 

3. Buddy Hop’n Poppers

Buddy Hop’n Poppers – If students need a little motivation, the teacher may invite the class to join the Buddy Hop’n Poppers Club.  The teacher will assign each student a Buddy.  Buddies work together during the day to learn their sight words.  Each time either one of the Buddies catches Hop’n Pop, they get to color in a point. 

Buddy Hop’n Poppers

Buddy Hop’n Poppers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
John and Tom
Sue and Tasha
T.J. and Monte

 

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May 2004
Feature School of the Month: 
Rosemont Elementary, Troup County

Hello,

Rosemont Elementary is proud to be featured as the Spotlight School for the Jack and Jilly Reading program. The Kindergarten classes use the program everyday in a small group setting. We would like to share some ideas to make sound blending or reading sight words exciting for your students.

Sight Words:

BANG!:
Write your Jack and Jilly sight words on cards and place in a bag. Write the word BANG! on several cards and place in the bag also. Pass the bag around the small group. The child selects a card and reads the word. If  the word is read correctly, the child may keep the card. If a BANG! card is drawn, the child must put all the cards back in the bag. At the end of the game, the child with the most cards wins the game! They love it!!! 

*Write high and low on either side of a poker chip or any type of disc.

 

Swat It:
Place Cupp Cards on reading table. Ask a child to swat the word:  ?   ! The child gets one cube for swatting the word and two cubes if the child can use it in a sentence. Count cubes at the end of the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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September 2004
Catch Hop’n Pop

In order to “Catch Hop’n Pop,” students try to beat the timer.  If you would like to try a different way to play the game, try this suggestion:

    1. Do not limit the amount of time or errors the student makes on the Hop’n Pop page.  The timer begins at zero and continues to count the number of seconds until the student says all the words on the designated page.  The student’s score is the total amount of time taken to say all the words plus the number of errors.  The score is written in the box at the bottom of the page.  For example:  The student takes 24 seconds to say the words, and the student makes 4 errors.  The score is written as 24-4.

    2.    The student continues to practice saying the words with a goal of improving the Goal Time by at least two seconds

 

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October 2004

Carol Chambers - Huddleston Elementary School, Fayette County

While visiting at Huddleston Elementary School in Fayette County I heard a cheer the teachers use to begin the Hop’n Pop Cheer Cards.  The “pom poms” are called “cheer sticks.”  Carol Chambers writes, “The students and teachers with Cheer Sticks shaking all yell, ‘We’re not cheerleaders, we are word readers!’”

Jennifer Rigsby - Daughtry Elementary School, Butts County

Jennifer Rigsby of Daughtry Elementary School in Butts County added to the Hop’n Pop Cheer by ending the cheer with “My turn, Your turn.”  She turns the Hop’n Pop Cheer cards down so students can’t see the words and says, “My turn….J-A-C-K.”  Then she looks at the students and says, “Your turn.”  The students then spell Jack without seeing the word.

 

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November 2004
Hop’n Stop

This is a game variation for Hop’n Pop.  Students work as a team to catch Hop’n Pop in their reading groups.

Preparation:  The teacher needs a timer and a list of sight words.

Steps:

1. The timer is set for the Goal Time for saying the sight words.
 

2. The timer is started and the first child goes down the first list of words and says as many words as possible.  If the student makes an error, the teacher stops the child and helps the student correct the error.  The next student then picks up where the first student was stopped.  The second student says as many sight words as possible until an error is made.  When the second student makes an error, the error is corrected and the game is picked up by the next student.
 

3. Students continue to say the words as quickly as possible until either the timer goes off or the word list is completed and the Goal Time is met.
 

4. If the students beat the timer, they catch Hop’n Pop!  If one student says all the words without missing a word, then the team gets a bonus point.  The game continues until all students have a turn.

 

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January 2005
Games and Activities

Finding Nemo – The rules are the same as the Race Track Game.  I printed Dory, Marlin and Nemo from the computer.  I just entered “Disney Clipart” into the search engine.  I hot glued Dory and Marlin to linking cubes for markers.  It’s so easy to prepare, yet the kids think they have a brand new game.  You can use any type of cartoon that is popular at the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scooby Doo (The Ruth Game)-I got the basic idea for this game from www.TheSmartieZone.com.  The pictures of Scooby Doo and FREE cards are available there.  I took cards from the Phonics Toolbox or Cheer Cards.  I used the cards for the phonics skill or sight words a group was working on.  I taped a picture of Scooby Doo on two of the cards and FREE on two of the cards.

Spread the cards out face down on the floor or table.  The children take turns choosing a card.  If the student can read the card he keeps it. If he cannot read the card he throws it back in the pile.  If the student draws the FREE card he keeps it.  If the Scooby Doo card is drawn everyone says, “Rut Roh!” (like Scooby saying “Uh-Oh”) and the child throws all of his cards back into the pile.  At the end of the game the child with the most cards wins.


                                                                        Playing Scooby Doo

   

 
Beat the Tiger with Ms. Malave                                   Rolling the Dice for a turn

   

Hop ‘n Pop

 Read the Room


Peer Tutoring
 

Turkey, Turkey - Use either Cheer Cards or Phonics Toolbox cards.  Tape a picture of a turkey to two cards.  Spread the cards on the floor or table face down.  Go around the group drawing and reading cards.  When the Turkey card is drawn all the students stand up, spin around and say, “Gobble, gobble, gobble!”  The teacher says, “Turkeys Sit!” and everyone sits down.  This is similar to Wiggle and Jiggle and could be used with sound and letter cards as well.  Change the Turkey from month to month for the seasons.  You could use Santa, reindeer, leprechauns, etc.   You can also use different animals and plants to correlate with other subject areas being studied.

 

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April 2005
Pop-It-Pop-It!
by Margie Snow 

The teacher will have index cards made up with sight words from the Jack and Jilly lesson.  The students will be divided into two groups, (A-team and B-team).  A player from each team will start the game.  The teacher will lay one card down at a time on the table and the student must hit the table and say the word correctly in a matter of seconds.  If that student cannot say the correct word, the opponent has a free try.  Each student keeps the cards that he/she says correctly.  At the end of the game the cards are counted.  The team with the most points is rewarded.  (This game is a little like Slap Jack)

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Ice the Competition
by Heather Edwards 

Objective:  This game will help students with recognizing sight words or phonics skills.

Materials:  Ice cube tray and anything small enough to put in the tray. 
It is up to the teacher.  I used some Easter candy. 

How many players:  6-8 players

How to play:

    1. Divide the group into 2 teams.

    2. Explain to the students that one side of the tray is team one’s side and the other side is team two’s side.

    3. Hold up sight word cards or phonics card and if they get it right, drop an item in their side of the tray.  If they do not get it right, skip that square.

    4. Continue on until one side of the tray is full, that team wins.

Modifications:  The tray can be used with sight words, phonics, or even math facts.  It can also be adjusted by changing the item that is dropped in the tray.

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Gone Fishing

This game is called "Gone Fishing". I bought all of the materials from the Dollar Tree. It's really simple...but the kids LOVED it! I made word cards on the computer and attached the words with paper clips to paper fish. The students take turns "fishing" in the bucket with a magnetic fishing pole. The student must sound out the word to keep the fish. If he/she is unable to sound the word out, he/she returns the fish to the bucket. I also put "MUD FISH" in the bucket. If a student catches a "MUD FISH" he/she has to return all of fish back to the bucket. The student with the most fish is the winner.

The word cards were created from Deck 23 in the Toolbox. It would be very simple to change the words as the students master them.

 

This game is lots of fun. The students did not want to stop playing!

Created By: Crystal Bell
Special Education Teacher -Okapilco Elementary
 

 

 

 

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Leap Frog Game

Materials: game board, frog game pieces, and treats 

Object of the game: To motivate students to stay on task and do their best.

Directions: Divide students into 2 teams. The game can be used for any section of the Jack & Jilly Reader. The teacher moves the frog every time the students read, and when they are on task as others are reading.  It can also be used during phonics when the students read words correctly and stay on task. 

 

 

 

This game has definitely motivated my students! 

Created By: Michelle Wilkes
First Grade- Okapilco Elementary School 

 

 

 

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Easter Egg Hunt at Pleasant Grove Elementary
Jack and Jilly’s Easter Egg Hunt 

Materials: 12 Plastic eggs filled with candy with sight words written on them and, sight  word list per child, marker per child. 

Directions: Each child will hunt 12 eggs or whatever amount you determine.  Each child’s eggs will have the sight words that he/she is working on. Child will be given a list of words to look for. The child may only pick up the eggs that are on his/her list. When the child has picked up the word on list, he/she checks it off and goes to another word on list. When all 12 eggs are checked off, then the child has helped Jack and Jilly fill the Easter basket and will get a special prize. Each child should have 12 different words in his/her basket.

Other options for game: Build a word, Number recognition, etc. 

Sample: 

Help Jack and Jilly Fill the Easter Basket
 

• Go

• Come

• Jack

• Jilly

• See

• Me

• He

• This

• The

• And

• We

• want

Created by: Carol Ann Blaich
Pleasant Grove Elementary

 

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Section C: Sound Blending  (Feb-March 2003)

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Teaching Tips and Games
Sound blending

Are your students having trouble sound blending?  If so, try the strategies described below.

Note to teachers from Dr. Cupp:

If you want 100% of your student to learn how to sound-blend, use onset and rime.  Period.  Students should practice blending the short a sound with consonants.  Students should automatically be able to read the following: 

ab, ac, ad, af, ag, am, an, ap, as, at, av, az.

As students learn to read each of the rimes listed above, then begin making new words.  For example:  If the word is tap, students must make the /t/ sound first, and then the rime /ap/.  The /ap/ must be pronounced smoothly with no pause between the /a/ and /p/.

Common errors:

    Problem – For example:  Student sounds out /t/ /ap/ and then says another word like cap or map.  Students may also just guess any word.

Solution – Place pictures of the word the student will sound out on the table.  For example:  Place a picture of a cat, rat, and bat on the table.  Ask students to name the pictures after you.  When you are sure students know the names for the pictures, then show them the word cat.  Point to the word cat and tell students to sound out the word cat.  After the word is sounded out, the student should point to the picture of the cat.  Continue with students sounding out words and matching the word with a picture or an object on the table. 

Problem – Student sounds out /t/ /ap/ and then says pat.  The student flips the last letter to the front of the word.

Solution – Sit beside the student and take the student’s left hand in your hand.  Have the student point to the word with his or her index finger of the left hand.  As the student sounds out the letters in the word tap, the student moves his or her index finger under the letters.  As soon as the letters are sounded, the student moves his or her index finger back to the front of the word and “hits” the first letter of the word with the index finger.  This “hitting” of the first letter causes the student to focus back on the beginning sound.  It works.  

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October 2003
Game idea for little AlphaMotion®

 

 

I made this game board in about fifteen minutes using the red Little AlphaMotion® Card deck.  This game board may be used in center time.  Students can work independently to match the sound cards with the letter cards.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steps for the game board:

1. Place the sound cards in six columns.  I used four cards in the first four columns and six cards in the last two columns.  Glue these cards in place. 
    

2. Use a permanent marker and write the number found on the back of each card on the front of each card.  This allows students to check themselves.
    

3. Write the column number at the top and bottom of each column.
    

4. Laminate the game board.
    

How to play:
 

1. Students try to match the yellow little AlphaMotion® cards with the red sound cards. All yellow cards are placed on the board.  Students then turn the cards over and check to make sure the numbers match.

2. Students may repeat the same matching game using the green little AlphaMotion® upper case alphabet deck.

3. If students are not ready to match sounds with letters, use this game for matching pictures that are alike.  Take another red little AlphaMotion® sound card deck and students will match like red cards.

You may also create a game board using the yellow or green decks.  Students then match the yellow sound cards to the correct letter on the game board(s).
 

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November 2003
Short vowels

Ginger Logue from North Harlem Elementary demonstrated the following great way to help students remember the short vowels during the AlphaMotion® Song. When the students sing “Short A, Short A” or any of the short vowel names, the students bend their knees and squat down a little as they say “Short A, Short A”.  After doing the modified squat twice as they say “Short A, Short A”, they go directly into making the raised hand sign for Short A.  This is fun to do, and the students have another mnemonic device for remembering short vowel sounds.
 

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February 2004
Sound blending words –  This information is VERY important!

If you have any students who cannot sound blend a word, please follow these suggestions: 

1. Students must be automatic on both the initial consonant sound (onset) and the vowel and final consonant sound (rime or word family).  Example:  If you want a student to sound out the word cat, the student should automatically say /c/ /at/.  If students are not automatic on both the consonant sound and the “a” rime you want them to use when sounding out the word, stop phonics instruction until students are automatic on both the onset and rime.

2. It is very important that students automatically know the “a” rimes.  I have written a little song that will help students learn these “a” rimes.  See Section Six below–  Teacher, Teacher- Teach Me to Read™

3. The teacher will select a three-letter word beginning with a consonant sound the student knows automatically.  The word must contain an “a” rime the student knows automatically as well.  The student will practice sound blending the onset and rime and then say the entire word together.  For example:  /c/ /at/   /cat/.

4. As new consonant sounds and “a” rimes are introduced, students MUST become automatic on these sounds and rimes before he or she tries to use them in sound blending words.

Game – Vowels Rock

Students and teachers at Tyrone Elementary helped me refine this game. They also helped me name the game.  Preparation:  Teachers will prepare a card deck of three-letter words that have an “a” in the middle. 
Example:  cat   bag   man   tap           

Prior student knowledge:  Students should know how to sound blend a word with an “a” in the middle. Students should also know the short vowel sounds automatically.

Steps: 

1. The teacher holds up any word card with a three-letter word containing a short “a” sound. The first student sounds the word out.  The teacher tells the student to pretend the “a” was erased and the letter ___ was put in its place.  The teacher names any of the other four vowels.  The student must be able to substitute the new vowel sound and say the word.  Example:  The word shown is tap.  The student sounds out the word tap.  The teacher then says, “Take out the ‘a’ and replace it with an ‘i’.”  The student must then be able to say tip.

2. If the student answers correctly, the teacher says, “Short ‘i’ rocks.”  The student then turns to the child sitting next to him or her and names the next vowel.  The next child must then substitute the new vowel.  If the student is correct, the teacher responds with, “_____rocks.”  The game continues until everyone has a turn.  If a child makes a mistake, the teacher helps the student say the word correctly.  The student corrects the error and continues with the game. 

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March 2004
Portal Elementary School, Bulloch County
 

We are the Kindergarten teachers at Portal Elementary School and we are really enjoying our first year of Jack and Jilly!  We have seen a lot of progress in our students this year with their abilities to recognize letters, sounds, and sight words, as well as, beginning to read at a much faster pace than our past years of teaching Kindergarten students.  We like the consistent drill and practice the readers give the students and the excitement they get when trying to beat Hop’n Pop!  A couple of ideas that we added to the program are listed below.  We hope these ideas are helpful to you as they have been for us.

Portal Elementary Kindergarten Teachers (left to right)

Front row:  Glenda Best, Thea Porter, Janet Boggs, Donna Hodges

Back row:  Rita Thompson, Cindy Reddick, Nan Finch, Donna Lowery, Sheree White
 

 

 

 One idea that we have used in addition to the Jack and Jilly readers is the use of word family books.  The students work on a word family three times a week by writing words they create the first day, copying the words they created the second day, and making up sentences using the word family words on the third day.  We have seen much progress with the students’ abilities to write and create sentences of their own.  The students really enjoy reading what they wrote to you as well!

          

Say it, Use it (variation) – Mrs. Finch’s Kindergarten

Every Friday, each child has one minute on the timer to say the word on the flash card, then make a sentence using it.  If both are correct, the child is handed a craft stick.  When the timer goes off, the child counts the craft sticks he/she has and the number is recorded on a class chart.  We try to beat ourselves every week!

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April 2004
Phonics/Spelling Games and Teaching Tips

1.   Spelling Games – Spelling Bee - Revised

Students line up in two lines.  Team captains stand beside the board or chart paper to record the score.  The teacher calls out one word to the first student on Team A.  If this student attempts to spell the word, but does not spell it correctly, the student earns one point for trying.  The teacher spells the word correctly.  The student spells the word back to the teacher.  The teacher then calls out a word for the first student on Team B.  If this student spells the word correctly, Team B earns two points.  Students earn one point for trying and one point for spelling the word correctly.  No student ever sits down until the game is over.  If anyone breaks a rule or talks out of turn, the teacher directs the Team Captain to deduct two points from the score of the team member that broke the rule.

2.  Flip It

The teacher will select Toolbox Cards from either Deck 33, 34, 35 or 36.  Words selected should be words the student understands.  The teacher deals out a card to each child in the group. 

First round – Each student attempts to sound the word out while only looking at the front of the card.  Students do not pick the card up and do no look to see how the word is divided on the back.  The cards must stay flat on the table. 

The teacher allows each child to take turns pronouncing his or her word.  If the student correctly pronounces the word, the student is given another card.  If the student misses the word, the teacher says, “Flip It.”  Students who miss their words should flip their cards over and work to pronounce the word correctly as the teacher continues to move around the group. 

Second round – The teacher goes around the table again and each child pronounces his or her word.  If the student says the word correctly, the student gets a new word.  If the student misses the word, the teacher says, “Flip It.”  If the word has already been flipped and the student still misses the word, the teacher will help the student until the student says the word correctly.  The student then receives a new card.  Do Not Ever let a student hold a card for more than two rounds.  The student will become frustrated.  Help students if they missed the card on the first round and still could not get it on the second turn.
 

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May 2004
2 Straight Quiet Lines:


Divide your small reading group into partners. Have them sit or stand in 2 straight quiet lines beside his or her partner. Flip a sight word over and have the first pair of partners race to read the word. Continue “racing to read” the words with the partners next in line. This game is also fun with the whole class.

 

  

 

 

 

Sound Blending:

High/Low: Pass out five Cupp Cards to each child in the  reading group. Have each child read his or her top word. After each child has read one word, have all of them roll their die. Then flip a High/ Low chip to see if the low number or high number wins the round. If the chip lands on high, then the highest number rolled wins the round. If the chip lands on low, then the lowest number rolled wins the round. Continue with round 2 by reading Cupp Cards and rolling the dice.

 

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October 2004
The Silent Game

Directions:  The students know the hand signs for the AlphaMotion® Cards.  The teacher selects a word he or she is going to spell to the students using AlphaMotion® hand signs. 

Steps:

    1. The teacher stands in front of the class and makes the hand sign for the first letter in the selected word.  If the students know the letter name that is represented by the hand sign the teacher has made, they give a thumbs-up sign to the teacher.  The teacher calls on one student to give the answer for the correct letter name.  The teacher writes this letter on the board or chart paper. 

    2. The teacher then continues to give the hand signs for the other letters in the selected word.  The teacher stops after signing each letter and asks the students to give a thumbs-up if they know the letter name.  The teacher calls on one student to give the correct letter.  The letter is written on the board or chart paper and the game continues until the word is spelled on the board.

    3. The teacher then leads the class in sounding out the word they have just spelled.

    4. As students master the skills needed for spelling, the teacher can sign the entire word and ask students to spell it on their individual papers.  For advanced students, the teacher may sign the entire word and ask students to give a thumbs-up if they know the word.

Special note:  It is important to ask students to give a thumbs up instead of just calling out the answer.  Give slower students time to think and give their thumbs up.  Slower students will stop thinking and trying if they know they will never be required to give a response.
 

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November 2004
Suggestions for Monitoring Phonics Instruction

During the last month, I have observed teachers following this plan for phonics instruction in Readers 1-15.

a.  The teacher introduces the new phonics lesson.

b.  The paraprofessional works with students in the rotation to provide practice for the students.  The paraprofessionals record the students' responses on the Form provided on the web page for Phonics Readiness Charts.

c.  The teacher monitors phonics progress by ending his or her fluency/comprehension lesson with students demonstrating their phonics skills with the appropriate chart.

d.  Students are moved to the next lesson when they know the sounds of the letters.  Students are not required to say the letter names at this time.  Students are not required to blend words until Reader 15.

Introducing "big" words -  Great fun!!

Once you have reached Ten Minutes Phonics Lesson 3 in Reader 3, end each phonics lesson by selecting a word from Deck 33 in the Toolbox.  Deck 33 has easy two or more syllable words.  These are the steps I follow to introduce "big" words to students:

a.  Show students the "big" word and tell them that big words are little words put together. 

b.  Use your finger and show the students how to split the word in parts.  At this time, I ask the students to close their eyes.  I tell them I am going to do something magic....they usually giggle and shut their eyes.  I turn the card around and show them the backside of the card. 

c.  Students look at the backside of the card and we sound out each syllable together.  I then say the syllables quickly.  Usually at least one student can figure out the "big" word. 

The purpose of beginning this early is to allow students to become comfortable with seeing large words in text.

Sound blending

Question #1- I teach 20 kindergarten students.  Seventeen students easily sound-out unknown three letter words.  The other three students still struggle to blend the sounds together to make a word.  What can I do to help these three students successfully learn to sound-out words? 

Answer from Cindy:  There are many “fixes” for this problem, but students will need to have the following skills mastered before they can successfully sound-blend words: 

Skill 1 – Students must understand that the little squiggly marks (letters) on the page represent letters, letters represent sounds, and these sounds blend together to make words that have meaning. 

If your students are automatically making the correct sounds for the letters, but they blend these sounds and say a word that is nothing like the letter-sounds, these students may not understand that these sounds represent a word.  For example:  The student automatically makes the correct sounds for c at and then says something “off the wall” like the word mother.

During inservice training, I say these students “have not come to the well.”  I use this phrase because it calls to mind a scene from the movie The Miracle Worker.  This movie tells the story of Helen Keller’s life.  Patty Duke plays the part of Helen Keller.  In The Miracle Worker, Helen finally makes the connection between the word water and the hand-sign for water when water is being pumped on her hand.  After Helen makes this one connection with the word water, she transfers this understanding to many other words.  After “coming to the well,” Helen understands that objects may be represented by hand-signs.

In order to help students make the connection between letters on a page and words they understand, I only ask students to sound-out real objects they can see.  I use either the object or a picture of the object. For example:  If the student is trying to sound-out c at, then I will have three pictures in front of the student, one of these pictures will be a cat.

Before beginning practice in sound blending, I ask all students to name the pictures I have placed on the table in front of them.  I repeatedly explain to the students that they will be sounding-out words, but the words they are sounding-out must have a picture on the table.  If they then say c  at, they must show me a picture of a cat.

Until students understand that the letters and sounds go together to make a word and the word has meaning, they are merely going through the motions of doing what the teacher asks them to do.  Without understanding that print on the page represents something else, students will have great difficulty benefiting from further phonics instruction.

Skill 2 – Students must automatically know the sounds in the word he or she is trying to sound-out.  For example:  If students are trying to sound-out the word cat, and they can’t automatically make the c and the at sound, then students need to work on the sounds for c and the rime at.  I teach sound blending using onset and rime.  My Readiness Manual in Dr. Cupp Readers® gives details on using onset and rime.  Students must be able to pass the assessment in the Readiness Manual beginning on page 151.

Once students can automatically make the sounds for the letters, and they understand that they are making words, then we are ready to address other problems that students often have in learning to sound-blend words. 

 

Little tricks to help students sound-blend words
 

1. Hit the Word – If a student is sounding out the word correctly and the sounds are automatic, but then the student flips the letters so that the last sound in the word is flipped to the front of the word, I ask students to take their index finger and “hit” the front of the word before they say the word.  For example:  The student sounds out t  ap and then says pat.  When students are asked to “hit” the first letter in the word with their index finger, this draws the students’ eye back to the front of the word and in many cases the students correctly say the word.

2.  A Pinch of “A” – In order to teach sound blending, I use only three letter real words with the short a sound in the middle.  For example:  I use words like rat, cat, man, pan, hat, rag, lap, sat, bag, etc.

When students have mastered Skills #1 and #2 described above, and they still have problems blending the words together, I will ask them to keep saying the onset and rime for the word.  As they say the onset and rime, I will quietly give just a “pinch” of the first two sounds.  For example:  If the student is saying c  at,

c  at, but they can’t seem to be able to blend the word, I will quietly say ca. 

I don’t say the ending t sound.  This helps some students make the connection between the onset and rime.

Game – Vowels Rock

Students and teachers at Tyrone Elementary helped me refine this game. They also helped me name the game. 

Preparation:  Teachers will prepare a card deck of three-letter words that have an “a” in the middle. 

Example:  cat   bag   man   tap     
      

Prior student knowledge:  Students should know how to sound blend a word with an “a” in the middle. Students should also know the short vowel sounds automatically.

Steps: 

1. The teacher holds up any word card with a three-letter word containing a short “a” sound. The first student sounds the word out.  The teacher tells the student to pretend the “a” was erased and the letter ___ was put in its place.  The teacher names any of the other four vowels.  The student must be able to substitute the new vowel sound and say the word.  Example:  The word shown is tap.  The student sounds out the word tap.  The teacher then says, “Take out the ‘a’ and replace it with an ‘i’.”  The student must then be able to say tip.

2. If the student answers correctly, the teacher says, “Short ‘i’ rocks.”  The student then turns to the child sitting next to him or her and names the next vowel.  The next child must then substitute the new vowel.  If the student is correct, the teacher responds with, “_____rocks.”  The game continues until everyone has a turn.  If a child makes a mistake, the teacher helps the student say the word correctly.  The student corrects the error and continues with the game.

      

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January 2005
Nina Pritchard and Students
Seminole County Elementary School, Seminole County, Georgia

This year I am an EIP Augmented kindergarten teacher, serving three classrooms.  We are implementing the 3-group rotation in these classes, with each lasting for an hour and a half daily.  The only reading material I use in these classes it the Dr. Cupp Program, Jack and Jilly.  Many of the students had no concept of letters.  I used the alpha-motion cards along with the readiness manual.  Once they had mastered the letters for readiness, the other letter names seem to fall in place, although they were still having trouble matching upper and lower case letters.  I printed the upper and lower case letters on heavy paper and cut them out.  I made several copies and had the students match them up.  I also went to Jan Brett’s web page where I found very colorful upper and lower case letters on little flags that I printed and glued on craft sticks.  The children liked this because the pictures were colorful and different.  http://www.janbrett.com/index.html



My granddaughter is in kindergarten this year and many of the games I use were developed to help her.  She was having trouble with the onset rime, which she doesn’t have to master until Reader 15, but she just couldn’t get the concept.  I printed the onset and rime and the words on flash card paper.  I cut these out and we played a game making as many words as we could out of them.  For example: the rimes at, an, am, ap; the onsets: P,m,n,r,c,p,S; the words: Pam, Sam, can, ran, tan, man, rat, cat, pat, mat, sat, cap, map, nap.  She loved this and it worked for her. 

I made several copies and used it with my groups.  The like it, can match the onset rime, and say the word.  The students then check to see if the word matches what they have put together.  I now do it with each ten-minute phonics lesson and throw in some of the earlier lessons for review.

 

 

 

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April 2005
Hop on Words by Sandra Evans

This is a game that can be used to help students with blending and sounding out words using onset and rime.
 
Objective:  To help students become familiar with word families.

Materials:  Game board made from cardboard with pictures of frogs sitting on a lily pad or any type of animal that you would like to use.  Game pieces can be any type of plastic insect that could be “eaten” by the frog. 

Players:  3-6 players can be accommodated.  

How to Play:  If the student can blend 5 words using onset and rime in a specific word family they can move their insect from lily pad to lily pad.  As the student progresses with word families you can add to the number of words required to move from lily pad to lily pad.  Whoever reaches the finish lily pad first is the winner.  (All of the students love just making it to the finish line regardless of who finishes first.)

As a special treat when a word family is achieved, students are given gummy treats like worms to eat.

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Cookies Anyone? by Rita Wills

This game is a new face for our old favorite, the Race Car Game.

Objective:  To introduce new phonics skills and to assess these skills.

Materials: 

• Toolbox Card Decks

• Game Board

• Game Pieces

The game board is simple to construct.  Cut a poster board in half.  Draw a vertical line down the center of the board.  Place ten sticker dots vertically down each side of the board.  You can use any materials you have readily available.  I used plastic cookies and plates.  On St. Patrick’s Day, we used gold coins and a pot.  I think changing up the game pieces will keep the game exciting and fun.
 

Players:

Divide your reading group into two teams.
 

How to Play:
 

    1. Students take turns sounding out words.  Each team has a team leader who is in charge of moving the game piece.  If the student sounds out the word correctly, the game piece is moved one dot.
 

    2. If the student is unable to sound out the word the teacher will help, but the game piece is not moved.
 

    3. If anyone breaks a rule, the game piece is moved back one dot.
 

    4. The first team to get their cookie on the plate is the winning team.

 

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Letter Leap by Sheryl Gehle

This is a game to be used at the first of the kindergarten year for all students or later in the year for struggling students. 

Objective:  To give students additional practice in letter and/or letter sound recognition.

Materials:  Game board, markers and die (I found oversize dice at the Dollar Tree which are great for little hands.) 

Players:  2-3 students. 

How to Play: 
 

    1. The student with the name that comes last alphabetically goes first.
 

    2. First player rolls the die and moves his/her marker the number of spaces shown.  If he/she cannot name the letter, the letter marker is moved back to the starting point.
 

    3. The next person has a turn.
 

    4. The goal is to roll the die and be able to name the letter at that number of spaces.  If the letter is unknown or misnamed, the marker is placed back at the previous marked space.  The first one across the finish line wins.
 

Variation:

As a variation, letter sounds may be substituted for letter names. 

 

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Gone Fishing
by Myrna Bennett

Materials:  Onset and rime words or sight words, chips, and fish board.  (Fish board is a piece of poster board with different kinds of fish pictures on it.

How to Play:
Place onset and rime word cards down on the table bottom side up, student draws from the top of the deck, and then pronounces the word on the card.  If the student gets the word right, they will add a chip to a fish that is on the board.  If they miss pronounce the word they do not get a chip.  At the end of the game, students add up how many chips they have on their fish. 

 

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Focus School – Okipilco Elementary School, Moultrie, Georgia

Bunny Blends

Materials: game board, bunny game pieces, and treats. 
 

Object of the Game: Students recall words that have blends learned from Jack and Jilly Readers 44 & 45.
 

Directions: The students will divide into 2 teams. Each team will have one person to move their rabbit. The teams will take turns going first ( I let my team captains pick a number between 1 and 10 to see which team goes first) . Each time a student moves their bunny to an egg, they must think of a word with the blend that is on the egg.  If they are correct, they will get to move to the next egg (I ask the student to use their word in a sentence as a variation).

 

 

 

 

If the student can’t think of a word with the blend in it, they lose a turn and remain on that egg. When it is that teams turn again, the next person will say a word with that same blend. A team cannot move to the next egg until a word has been made with each blend. The teams will continue taking turns until a team gets to the end of the trail.  The winning team gets a chocolate egg!

 

 

 

Created By: Noel Giles
Okapilco Elementary
 

 

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M&M Racing

Materials:  game board, M&M figure game pieces, Cupp Multi-syllable words, dice, and M&M candy. 

Object of the Game:  Students will recognize where to break words into syllables to be able to read the words. 

Directions: Divide students into 2 teams with a team captain for each team.  The captains will be in charge of moving the game pieces around the board.  Students will roll dice to see who goes first.  Each student will read a multi-syllable word.  If he/she can read it the first time without turning the card over to see it broken apart, then the captain can move 1 space and the student can have 1 M&M candy.  If that same student has to turn the card over to read the word, then the captain cannot move 1 space, but that student may still have 1 M&M candy.  The first team to get to the finish line wins and gets a bag of M&M candy or some other trophy. 

This game is very useful with other reading concepts that students need to learn and practice.  

 

Created By: Nada Cox
Okapilco Elementary School- First Grade
M&M is a registered trademark.

 

 

 

 

 

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Batter Up

Directions: Students divide in two teams. (Red team & Blue team) Each team has a leader. The team leader bats for all team members. 

Teacher selects a word card from 1^st base pocket and shows to the first student at bat for Red team. The student will take a swing by sounding the word out.  If he/she sounds the word correctly, the team leader moves player to 1^st base and stays there. If student can’t say the word or needs help, it is an automatic out and student can’t advance to 1^st base. Then a student from the Blue team will step up to bat at the next word. If student sounds the correct word, he/she will advance to 1^st base.  The game continues with each team taking turns at bat. Each word said correctly, the players advance to next base. The first team to make it across the plate first will win a free trip to the concession stand (will get a treat).
 

 

 

 

Created By: Martha Hobbs
Okapilco Elementary

 

 

 

 
 

 

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Mouthwatering Words

Dish up refreshing onset and rime practice! 

Label disposable bowls with rimes from the phonics section of the Jack and Jilly Readers.  Use ping pong balls (ice cream) for the onsets.  Place the ping pong balls in a clean empty ice cream carton.  The students will use an ice cream scoop to get the ping pong balls out of the carton. He or she will  place the scoop of ice cream (ping pong ball) in a bowl labeled with a rime that forms a word with the onset.  He or she will then read the word out loud to the group.  He or she can also make a complete sentence with the word.   How tempting! 

The students enjoyed playing this game.  They loved their pretend ice cream and got to practice making words!

Carol Ann Blaich
Horne First Grade
Okapilco Elementary School

 

 

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Section D: Grammar

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January 2004
The Punctuation Game

Before the lesson begins, the teacher shows the students the picture of Jack, Jilly and Hop’n Pop making hand signs.  The teacher writes the following on chart paper:

           Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me Now.

           Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me How?

           Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me,  Pop-It-To-Me WOW!
 

           The teacher “sings” the first line of the song, and the students sing the line back.

           The teacher “sings” the second line of the song, and the students sing the line back.

   The teacher “sings” the third line of the song, and the students sing the line back.

           The teacher then repeats the song.  The students sing back each line to the teacher.
 

The teacher says, “Now, I am going to teach you how to make a new hand motion at the end of each sentence.  When you say the word Now, I want you to make a fist with one hand and place it in the palm of the other hand.”  Students will make their fists look like periods. "This hand sign looks like a period.  We place a period at the end of a sentence."

    “Now, when we sing the word How, I want you to shrug your shoulders and make your hands go palm up.”  Students look like they don't know the answer when someone asks them a question.  "This hand sign means we have asked a question.  We place a question mark at the end of a sentence that is a question."

    “Now, when we sing the word WOW, I want you to raise one arm like you are saying YES!”  Students will look like exclamation marks.  "This hand sign will be used at the end of a sentence to show we are excited about what we have said."

The teacher and students repeat the song with the hand motions.  The teacher then leads in a game called The Punctuation Game.  The teacher will make up a sentence and then use the correct hand sign to punctuate the sentence.  Students will take turns making up sentences and then giving the hand sign for the punctuation that will end the sentence.
 

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April 2004
Semantic Feature Analysis

Graphic Organizers – Semantic Feature Analysis

Semantic Feature Analysis can be a fun way to visually show students how people or characters are alike and different.  This sample Semantic Feature Analysis will also introduce the terms noun and adjective. 

The teacher introduces this lesson by saying, “Boys and girls, today I want you to help me make a chart showing how we are all alike in some ways and different in other ways.  I am going to write everyone’s name on this chart.”  Students will continue to add adjectives to the chart until every child has a different score.

Semantic Feature Analysis

Describes person

Name of person	tall	short	blonde hair	brown hair	black hair	blue eyes	brown eyes
Cindy	-	+	-	+	-	+	-
T.J.	+	-	+	-	-	+	-
Tasha
Maria

 

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January 2005
Slap Down Game

One of the students’ favorite games is what we call the “slap down game” (students named this game).  I started with the students’ names.  I have six in most of my groups, so I printed each child’s name six times or however many were in the group.  I gave each child a set with a set for me.  I call out a child’s name and slap the card face town on the table.  Each child slaps the card I call out face down.  On three we turn the cards over to see if we are right.  If a child does not get the right card, they can then find the one that matches the rest of ours.  I started with names of the children so they would be successful and understand that letters make words.  After a few days of this, I introduced the words, Jack, Jilly, can, and play.  We used the letter cards to match upper and lower case to spell out these words.  We used the cheer cards to see how to spell these words.  They love the cheer cards.  I tell them that when I grow up, I want to be a cheerleader and that I need their help in learning the cheers.  Now we are ready to play the “slap down game” with the new words from Jack and Jilly.  I use this for every reader.  Some groups do not need this so we skip it, while others need it over and over.

When they have mastered the words we make sentences out of the cards.  For example:  Jack can play.  Also, I made a large question mark, period, exclamation mark, and comma.  We talk about these and used them at the end of the sentences we make.

 

 

 

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Section E - Every Day Activities Parents Can Do

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Sorting:

Sort laundry by color

Sort food by food groups

Sort buttons

Sort M&M’s, Skittles

Sort own clothes by type

 

One-to-One Correspondence

Set table

Lay out clothes for the next day

 

Counting

Count everything you see

Count as far as you can every day

 

Shapes

Find and learn the names of the shapes in your environment

 

Positional Words

Talk about over, under, behind, in between, in front of, left, right

 

Number Sense and comparison

Fewer, less that same as more, less taller, shorter, equal

 

Money

Penny, nickel, dime, quarter, dollar bill

Have child identify money.

Empty out your pocket change. If child can identify it, let child put in piggy bank.

 

Word Problems

Make up word problems and have your child solve them

 

Follow Directions

Give your child one, two and three step instructions ONCE and have them follow them

Play Simon Says

 

Gross Motor

Practice skipping, galloping, hopping on one and both feet, balancing on sidewalk curb

  

Fine Motor

Tying shoes

Lacing

Zipping

Snapping

Buttoning

Cutting zigzag, curvy and straight lines

Play with play dough

 

Listening Comprehension and Oral Language

Retell story that has been read

Have child speak in complete sentences

 

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Section F:
Parent Activities to Help Children Succeed in Kindergarten

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Reading Board Games

This is a fun way to integrate reading skills with thematic units or parents can use purchased game boards to play with their child.

Materials:

Poster board to make game with or previously purchased game such as Candy Land, Sorry, Trouble, etc.

Flashcards with letters, words or any other skill

Game pieces, dice, etc.

How to play: This game is played like any typical board game. Roll the dice; make your move, read your card. First one that gets to the end is the winner.

 

The Picnic Game

This is great for listening skills and beginning, ending sounds, blends, and vowels.

Materials: None

How to play: I am going on a picnic and I am going to take…

For Example: I am going to take a ball, basket and bat. If you want to go what will you take? ( Child must say a word that begins with b.)

If child says something that goes with the skill, they can go.

 

Robot Talk

Skill- Auditory closure 

Materials: None

How to play: Tell the children that you are a robot and you are trying to learn to speak like people and that you need help. Drag your words would and have them tell you what you are trying to say. Ex. T-a-g- Tag.

 

Sound It Out, Say It Slow, Read It

Skill- helps to bridge the gap from sounding out to reading words.

Materials: Flashcards with words that can be sounded out on it.

How to play: Show the word card

Have the children- sound it out, say it slow, read it.

 

Mystery Word

Skill- decoding

Materials: Chalkboard and chalk

How to play: Write a big word that can be sounded out on the board. Talk the children through decoding the word by breaking it into the small nonsense parts that they can read. Sound it out slow, read the word.

Ex. Fantastic

F-an  t-as  t-ic, fan tas tic, fantastic

 

Look for Letters - Look for Words

Skills- word and letter recognition

Materials: Nothing 

How to play: While riding in the car, look for signs with each letter or a word for each letter on it. First one to go through the alphabet wins.