MANIPULATION
Delete Syllables from Words
Age: First Grade
1. Word Breakdown
Explain to the children that they will be taking apart big words to make another small word. Provide the children with multi-syllable words and a chunk of hotdog shaped play-dough. Begin the activity by demonstrating the cutting up of words such as hotdog and airplane. Say the word while holding the chunk of play-dough, then break the play-dough in two pieces. Each piece will represent a syllable. Point out the small word left after you have broken the play-dough. Be sure to keep the children on their toes by alternating between the first word and the last word when the big word is broken down.
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2. Syllable Haircut
Explain to the children that they will be making words shorter by giving them a haircut. Using the materials provided here, cut out each word into a strip. Apply these strips to a dolls head with the “-ing” ending at the bottom of the strip. Demonstrate by holding up a strip and reading the word aloud, then cut off the “ing” part, letting it drop to the floor. Explain to the children that there is a word left after the “-ing” is cut off as you have only taken off a part of the word.
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3. Silly Words
Provide each child with four connecter pieces of a toy or game (e.g., Legos, pop-beads, trains). These connected pieces will represent each syllable in a four syllable word. Take off the first or last connector piece while also removing the first or last syllable of the word (e.g., kindergarten (4 syllables) becomes kindergar (3 syllables) when you take off the last connector piece). Other words to use are provided here.
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4. People in Action
Using the materials provided here, show the children pictures of people doing things. Have the children take turns guessing what the person is. As an extension, you could ask them which one they would like to be. When the children have identified the person, ask them what the word would be if you took the “-er” off.
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Age: First Grade
1. Word Creation
Using the materials provided, present each compound word to the children. Cut them into two parts as you go, laying them in a pile. When all the words are cut, have the children pick up two strips to make a silly word. As an extension, the children can draw a picture of what their object would look like.
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2. Name Game
Sitting at a table, provide the group with some small blocks (one red block and several blue blocks). Designate the one red block as representing the word “bat” and the rest to represent the syllables in the children’s names. Line the blocks to represent the first child’s name (e.g., Madison=3 blocks). Show the children that each block represents a syllable in her name. Then, have the red block replace a blue block and change her name to “BATison” or “MadiBAT.” Go through each child’s name and then focus on objects around the room.
3. Snack Talk
At snack time, choose a special syllable to use. All of the snacks (and conversations about them) have to contain that syllable at the beginning of each word. For example, if the snack was apple juice and graham crackers, they could be zoo-ple juice and graham zoo-kers. Encourage the children to talk in this new “language” during the entire snack time. Initiate several questions and conversations about the snacks to give them numerous opportunities.
4. Silly Syllable Songs
Try activity number three with one of the children’s favorite sing-a-long songs. Change keys words in the song by substituting the “zoo” syllable (or any other syllable) for the first syllable in the original words.
Delete Sounds from Words
Age: First Grade
1. First Drop Off
Cut out the pictures provided here and place them in a basket. Have a child draw out a picture and name it. That child can then call on another child to tell the group what that word sounds like when you remove the first sound of the word (e.g., “cat” becomes “at”). That child can then draw the next picture, name it, and then call on another child.
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2. Cotton Cups
Provide each child with 10 cotton balls and a plastic cup. While reading a book to the group, occasionally leave off the first sound of some of the words. When the children notice this, they are to quietly place a cotton ball into their cup. Take a break to discuss what sound was left off, and then continue the story. When all the cotton balls are gone, make sure every child filled their cup.
3. First and Last Drop Off
Using the materials provided here or your own, give each child a picture of an object. Ask each child to first name the object, say it again without its first sound, and then say it again without its last sound (e.g., pin/in/pi). If one of their deleted sound words is a real word they can turn in their card for another one and earn one point (e.g., in). Continue until all of the children have at least five points.
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4. Name Change Game
Make nametags for the children, removing the first sound in their names. When the children arrive, they must find their nametag among the others on a table. Be sure to wear a nametag with your name changed as well. Encourage the children to wear their nametags and refer to each other by that name for the rest of the day.
Substitute Sounds in Words
Age: First Grade
1. Sound Focus
Using the materials provided here, cut out the words and place them in a basket. Be sure to use one set of words at a time. Have a child draw out a card to read to the other children. Have the children take turns changing each word by taking off the first sound and exchanging it for the sound indicated.
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2. Letter Play
Assign each child to represent a letter; it may be helpful to provide them with a piece of paper with their letter. Choose the children to stand in front of the group to spell out a word (e.g., cat). After the group has identified the word, have the child representing the letter “s” replace the child representing the letter “c.” The new word would then be “sat.”
3. New MacDonald
Inform the children that they will be singing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” but in a new way. When singing the “E-I-E-I-O,” substitute some of the parts with other sounds (e.g., O-E-O-E-Ah). Encourage the children to make up other verses by substituting different sounds.
4. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” Substitution
Sing the first verse of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” in the traditional way. For additional verses, change the initial sounds of key words within the verse to the same sound. For example, for “b” sing:
Bow, bow, bow your boat
Bently down the beam.
Berrily, berrily, berrily, berrily,
Bife is but a beam.
5. Sound Reverse
Using words with three sounds, have the children reverse the first and last sounds (e.g., ten/net). Provide the children with three blocks to represent the three sounds. You may want to write the word on the board and call on a child to reverse the letters and read the new word.
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6. Name Play
Engage the children in choosing a special letter for the song. Sing the following to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” Continue until all the children's names have been used. For variation, you may want to switch the special letter when switching to another name.
If you change the /k/ in Kerri to a /b/,
If you change the /k/ in Kerri to a /b/,
Then Kerri turns into Berri,
If you change the /k/ in Kerri to a /b/.
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