Phonemic Awareness Games

Clapping Games

Have children clap the number of syllables in names. Music is especially useful to clap syllables. Each beat is a syllable and can be easily identified and clapped out.

 Picture Cards

Lay pictures on a table and ask your child to find a picture that starts with the sound of /__/.

Play Take the Sound Away

Starting with a compound word, say the word. (example: baseball) Repeat the word, saying only the first half (base). Ask your child, “What part of the word did I take away?” Mix up the omitted syllable, sometimes leaving off the first syllable, and sometimes leaving off the last syllable.

• football
• railroad
• upside
• moonlight
• today
• toothpaste
• hairbrush

Continue dropping a syllable from a multi-syllable word:

• little
• happy
• sofa
• hamburger
• peanut
• jelly

Continue the game until you are successfully dropping the beginning and ending sounds of one syllable words.

• hat
• rain
• bay
• hand
• car

Have your child say a word and ask YOU to identify the missing syllable or sound in each of the activities described above.