Written by

Jo Fitzpatrick

Editor: Kim Cernek

Illustrator: Darcy Tom
Cover Illustrator: Bernard Adnet
Designer: Corina Chien
Cover Designer: Corina Chien
Art Director: Tom Cochrane
Project Director: Carolea Williams

© 2002 Creative Teaching Press, Inc., Huntington Beach, CA 92649

Reproduction of activities in any manner for use in the classroom and not for commercial sale is permissible.
Reproduction of these materials for an entire school or for a school system is strictly prohibited.
 Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Level Sequence of Sounds
3
All about Phonemic All Aboard! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Picture Dominoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75
Five Levels of House of Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78
Phonemic Awareness . . . . . . . . . . .5 Three-in-a-Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Scavenger Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
First or Last? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Level Rhythm and Rhyme Mystery Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
1 Where’s That Sound? . . . . . . . . . . .91
Rhyming Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Out You Go! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Color-Coded Sounds . . . . . . . . . . .95
Full House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Read My Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96
Rhyming Concentration . . . . . . . .15
Go Rhyme! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Level Separation of Sounds
Rhyming Tic-Tac-Toe . . . . . . . . . . .17 4
Penny Push . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
Snake Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Count the Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Puzzle Match . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Towers of Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Flip-a-Rhyme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Sound Sorting Houses . . . . . . . . .108
Rhyme Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Spin and Take . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111
Syllable Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Number Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
Syllable Race . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Syllable Sort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Graph It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Level Manipulation of Sounds
Tower Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 5
Change It . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Zigzag Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Level Parts of a Word
2 Criss-Cross Words . . . . . . . . . . .121
Link ’Em Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Word Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Onset/Rime Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Now It Says . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
Say It, Take It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Spin a New Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Word Family Fun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Start and Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133
Build a Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Star Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136
Slowpoke Slide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Alphabet House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Ghost Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Flip-Flop Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142
Basketball Blending . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Elastic Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
 Introduction
Children develop basic reading skills long before they are introduced to written language. As children
learn to speak, they experiment with individual sounds and then connect those sounds to make words.
Consequently, children do not understand the letter–sound relationship in written language until they learn
to hear, reproduce, and manipulate the separate sounds within words (phonemic awareness). These skills
are prerequisites for learning to read.

Getting Ready to Read directly addresses the phonological needs of preschool students, emergent
readers, second-language learners, and other children who have not made these connections because
of limited exposure to oral language. The center activities in this book help children learn how to analyze
and apply the five levels of phonemic awareness (rhythm and rhyme, parts of a word, sequence of sounds,
separation of sounds, and manipulation of sounds) in isolation before applying those levels to written
language.

Getting Ready to Read offers over 40 center activities presented pictorially and in print. Children working
at centers can look at the illustration on an activity card and immediately identify the requirements of the
task. A self-correcting feature provides positive reinforcement and enables children to learn from their
mistakes. Each activity also includes a card with clear, written directions for an adult volunteer to read in
a small-group setting or for a parent to follow when you send the activity home for extra practice.

There could not be an easier way to help children develop a phonological foundation for reading. Simply
copy the directions card, and gather the materials necessary to complete the activity. Then, introduce the
activity to the class, model it, and place the directions and the corresponding materials at a center for
children to explore on their own. At the end of the day, encourage individual children to take home the
activity for some additional oral language practice.

You can maximize the value of the activities in this resource with minimal effort. As children in your class
practice and master the phonological skills presented in this book, they will be ready to read!

Introduction 3
 All about Phonemic Awareness
It is important to understand what phonemic awareness is and how it impacts the way a child learns to read.
Phonemic awareness concentrates on oral language and precedes phonics instruction.

What Is Phonemic Awareness and Phonics?

Phonemic awareness focuses on the sound units (phonemes) used to form spoken words. Phonics
associates sounds to written symbols (i.e., the alphabet). Together, both forms of instruction help
children develop critical word-recognition skills. Children can then apply the sound–symbol
relationship to read print.

Phonemic awareness is essential because children must be able to hear and manipulate oral sound
patterns before they can identify these patterns in print. Reading programs that include systematic
instruction for connecting oral language to print lead to higher achievement in word recognition
and spelling.

Why Teach Phonemic Awareness?

Children must first be able to hear the sounds and patterns in words before they can identify what letters
represent those sounds. Therefore, children must be given extensive experience learning phonemic sounds
and applying them repeatedly. Children who recognize the connection between oral language and print
become successful readers. Phonemic awareness is the first essential step in this process.

How Is Phonemic Awareness Taught?

The goal of phonemic awareness is to help children hear specific sounds, identify sound sequence, and
understand the role phonemes play in word formation. Phonemic awareness is basically oral in nature.
Meaningful, interactive games and activities give children the best practice in phonemic awareness.
Because phonemic awareness is multileveled and progresses through sequential stages, individual
progress will vary and improve as children intermittently repeat a variety of activities at each level.

4 All about Phonemic Awareness

 Five Levels of Phonemic Awareness
The activities in this book are grouped according to the following five developmental levels.

Rhythm and Rhyme

Level
1 This level helps children develop stronger auditory discrimination and awareness. Level 1
activities give children exposure to and experience with hearing and identifying similar
word patterns (sound matching) and listening for and detecting spoken syllables (count-
ing syllables).

Level
Parts of a Word
2 This level encourages children to listen for sounds within a word. As children discover
that speech can be broken down into smaller sound units—words to syllables, syllables
to onsets and rimes, and onsets and rimes to phonemes—they begin to blend these
sounds together to form spoken words. Level 2 activities encourage children to identify
onsets and rimes (syllable splitting) and blend individual sounds to form a word
(phoneme blending).

Level
Sequence of Sounds
3 When children reach level 3, they learn to direct their attention to the specific positions
of sounds within a word. The activities at this level help children identify where they hear
a given sound in a word (approximation) and identify beginning, middle, and ending
sounds in a word (phoneme isolation).

Level
Separation of Sounds
4 At this level, children are ready to acoustically divide words into separate sounds
or phonemes. Level 4 activities help children count the number of phonemes in a
word (phoneme counting) and identify individual sounds within a word (phoneme
segmentation).

Level
Manipulation of Sounds
5 As children reach this highest level of phonemic awareness, they begin manipulating
sounds within words. The activities at level 5 give children experience substituting
beginning, middle, and ending sounds of a word (phoneme substitution) and omitting
beginning, middle, and ending sounds of a word (phoneme deletion).

Five Levels of Phonemic Awareness 5

 Getting Started
Each activity in this book has three different sections, including a self-correcting feature that allows children
to check their work independently. Read the information below to learn how to prepare an activity for use in
a center or to be sent home for extra practice.

Section One
The top of the activity page features the level, title, and task involved in the activity, a list of materials,
and the directions for preparing the activity and applying the self-correcting feature. Cut apart this top
section, and retain it for your own reference. Copy the reproducibles on card stock, and laminate them for
durability. Make a few extra sets of cards, and keep them on hand in case some of these materials
become lost or damaged.

Section Two
The activity directions for a parent or adult volunteer to read appear in the middle of the page. Cut apart
this middle section, and place the directions in a large envelope along with the materials for the activity.

Section Three
An illustration that shows children how to independently complete the activity appears at the bottom of
the activity page. Cut apart this bottom section, and tape or glue it to the front of the envelope that con-
tains the directions and materials.

6 Getting Started
 Level Rhyming Chain
1
Task: rhythm and rhyming Materials
✰ Rhyming Chain
Cards (pages 8–9)
Preparation ✰ scissors
Copy the Rhyming Chain Cards. (Each page includes two sets of six cards.) Cut
✰ hole punch
apart the first six cards, write the same number on the back of each card, and
✰ plastic links
laminate the cards. Repeat this process with the remaining three sets of cards.
Punch a hole before and after the picture on each card. ✰ paper lunch sack
(optional)

Rhyming Chain
Scatter the cards faceup on a flat surface. Invite a child to find two pictures of words that
How rhyme and attach the cards with a plastic link. Tell the child to continue linking other rhyming
to cards until he or she has linked six cards. Invite the child to find two different pictures of
play rhyming words and begin a new chain. For play with two or more children, give each player a
different rhyming picture card and place the remaining cards in a paper sack. Have one player
draw a card. If the card rhymes with the card in his or her hand, that player may use a link to
attach the cards together and take another turn. If the card does not rhyme with the card in his
or her hand, the player places the card back in the sack and passes it to the next player. Tell
children to continue playing until each child has attached six rhyming cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
There is a number on the back of each card. Cards with the same number belong in the same chain.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Rhyming Chain

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 7

8
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Rhyming Chain Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 9
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Rhyming Chain Cards
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Out You Go!
1
Task: rhyming oddity
Materials
✰ Rhyming Cards
Preparation (pages 11–12)
Copy the Rhyming Cards, and cut apart the three cards in the first row. Note that
✰ scissors
two pictures rhyme and one does not (e.g., pie and cry rhyme and pail does not)
and two pictures begin with the same sound (e.g., pie and pail begin with /p/ ✰ pocket chart
and cry does not). Decide whether you want the children to practice rhyming
words or beginning sounds. Then, choose the picture that does not belong, draw
a circle around the number below that picture, and laminate the cards. Repeat
this process with the remaining seven sets of cards.

Out You Go!

Choose a set of three cards, and place them facedown in the first row of a pocket chart. Place
How a different set of cards in each of the remaining rows. Invite a child to turn over all the cards in
to
play the first row, and name each picture. Ask the child to decide which card is different from the
other two and remove it from the pocket as he or she says Out you go! Tell the child to repeat
the activity with the cards in the other rows.

Self-Correcting Feature
The card with a circled number does not belong in a row.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Out You Go!

10 Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme

 Rhyming Cards

1 1 2

3 3 2

4 4 5
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

6 6 5

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 11

 Rhyming Cards

7 7 8

9 9 8

10 10 11 Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

12 12 11

12 Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme

 Level Full House
1
Task: rhyming match Materials
✰ House reproducible
Preparation (page 14)
Make four copies of the House reproducible. Copy the Rhyming Chain Cards, ✰ Rhyming Chain Cards
and cut apart the first six cards. Write the same number on the back of each (pages 8–9)
card and one house. Glue one of the cards to the roof of the house. Laminate ✰ scissors
the house and the cards, and place the cards in a paper lunch sack. Repeat this ✰ glue
process with the remaining three sets of cards and houses. ✰ paper lunch sack

Full House
Place each house faceup on a flat surface, and ask a child to name the picture on the roof of
How each house. Invite the child to draw a card from the paper sack, name the picture on the card,
to and place the card on the house with the rhyming picture. Have the child continue to draw
play cards and place them on the correct house. For play with two or four children, give each player
a pair of houses or a single house. Ask a player to draw a card. If the picture on the card
rhymes with the picture on the roof of his or her house, the player may place the card on his or
her house. If the picture on the card does not rhyme with the picture on the roof of his or her
house, the player places the card back in the sack and passes it to the next player. Have chil-
dren repeat this process with the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
There is a number on the back of each card and each house. The number on each house indicates which
cards should go on that house.
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Full House

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 13

14
House

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Rhyming Concentration
1
Task: rhyming match
Materials
✰ Rhyming Cards
(pages 11–12)
✰ scissors
Preparation
Copy and cut apart the Rhyming Cards, and laminate them.

Rhyming Concentration
Invite two to four children to play this game. Place the cards facedown in a grid. Invite the
How players to take turns turning over two cards at a time. If the pictures on the two cards rhyme,
to the player keeps the cards and takes another turn. If the pictures on the two cards do not
play rhyme, the player places the cards facedown, and the next player takes a turn.

Self-Correcting Feature
There is a number on each card. Cards that rhyme with each other have the same number.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Rhyming Concentration

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 15

 Level Go Rhyme!
1
Task: rhyming match Materials
✰ Rhyming Cards
(pages 11–12)
✰ scissors
Preparation
Copy and cut apart the Rhyming Cards, and laminate them.

Go Rhyme!
Invite two to four children to play this version of Go Fish. Have a child shuffle the picture cards,
How place them in a pile, and deal four cards to each player. Tell the dealer to scatter the remaining
to cards facedown to create a “fishing pond.” Invite the player to the dealer’s left to ask another
play player for a card that rhymes with a card in his or her hand. If the second player has a rhyming
card, he or she must give the card to the first player, and the first player may take another turn.
If the second player does not have a rhyming card, the first player should “fish” for a card in
the scattered pile. Play continues with the next player to the left. Have children repeat this
process with the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
There is a number on each card. Cards that rhyme with each other have the same number.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Go Rhyme!

16 Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme

 Level Rhyming Tic-Tac-Toe
1
Task: rhyming match Materials
✰ Tic-Tac-Toe Cards
(page 18)
✰ Tic-Tac-Toe Boards
Preparation (pages 19–20)
Copy and cut apart the Tic-Tac-Toe Cards, laminate them, and place them in a ✰ scissors
paper lunch sack. Make a few copies of the Tic-Tac-Toe Boards, and laminate ✰ paper lunch sack
them.
✰ game markers (e.g.,
plastic counters,
pennies)

Rhyming Tic-Tac-Toe
Invite one or two children to play this game. Give each player a Tic-Tac-Toe Board and
How some game markers. Invite a player to draw a card from the paper sack, name the picture
to without showing it to the other players, and place it back in the sack. If the player has a
play picture on his or her board that rhymes with the card, he or she may place a game marker
over only one rhyming picture on the board. Have players take turns drawing cards and
marking their board until they cover three pictures in a row. Tell children to exchange
boards, and repeat the activity.

Self-Correcting Feature
The number on each card matches the number where it belongs on the board.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Rhyming Tic-Tac-Toe

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 17

18
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
1

5
3
Tic-Tac-Toe Cards

6
2

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Tic-Tac-Toe Board

2 1 4

6 2 5
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

4 3 6

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 19

 Tic-Tac-Toe Board

1 3 6

3 2 1

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

5 4 5

20 Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme

 Level Snake Race
1
Task: rhyming match Materials
✰ Snake reproducible
Preparation (page 22)
Make four copies of the Snake reproducible. Cut out the pieces, and glue them ✰ Rhyming Chain Cards
together along the tabs to make four snakes. Copy the Rhyming Chain Cards, (pages 8–9)
and cut apart the first six cards. Write the same number on the back of each ✰ scissors
card and one snake. Glue one of the cards to the head of the snake. Laminate ✰ glue
the snake and the cards, and place the cards in a paper sack. Repeat this ✰ paper lunch sack
process with the remaining three sets of cards and snakes.

Snake Race
Have a child place the snakes faceup on a flat surface. Ask the child to name the picture on the
How head of each snake. Invite the child to draw a card from the paper sack and name the picture.
to Tell the child to place the card on the snake with the rhyming picture on its head. Have the child
play continue to draw cards and place them on the matching snake until no cards remain. For play
with two or four children, give each player a pair of snakes or a single snake, and have players
take turns drawing and placing cards on their snake(s).

Self-Correcting Feature
There is a number on the back of each card and each snake. The number on each snake indicates which
cards should go on that snake.
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Snake Race

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 21

22
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Snake

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level Puzzle Match
1
Task: rhyming match
Materials
✰ Puzzle Match Cards
(page 24)
Preparation
Copy and cut apart the Puzzle Match Cards, and laminate them.

Puzzle Match
Have a child place all of the puzzle pieces faceup on a flat surface. Tell the child to find two
How pictures that rhyme and fit them together to make a puzzle. After the child completes all ten
to puzzles, invite him or her to read aloud each pair of rhyming words.
play

Self-Correcting Feature
Only pieces with rhyming words fit together to form a complete puzzle.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Puzzle Match

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 23

24
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Puzzle Match Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level Flip-a-Rhyme
1
Task: rhyming match Materials
✰ Flip-a-Rhyme Book
Preparation reproducibles (pages
26–27)
Copy the Flip-a-Rhyme Book reproducibles. Cut apart the strips along the bold-
faced lines, and arrange the strips in a pile. Bind the pile above the pictures on ✰ scissors
the top strip. Cut along the dotted lines on each strip to create separate cards. ✰ plastic binding
Turn over the book, and write the same number on the back of each set of three machine/binding
rhyming cards.

Flip-a-Rhyme
Give a child the Flip-a-Rhyme Book, and tell him or her to flip the pages so that three rhyming
How pictures show at one time. Encourage the child to name all three pictures and then flip to a
to different set.
play

Self-Correcting Feature
There is a number on the back of each card. The three pictures that rhyme have the same number.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Flip-a-Rhyme

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 25

26
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Flip-a-Rhyme Book

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 27
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Flip-a-Rhyme Book
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Rhyme Time
1
Task: rhyming match
Materials
✰ Clock reproducible
(page 29)
Preparation ✰ Rhyme Time Cards
Make an enlarged copy of the Clock reproducible and the Rhyme Time Cards. (page 30)
Cut out the clock, and laminate it. Cut apart the cards, write on the back of ✰ scissors
each card the number from the clock for the rhyming word, and laminate them.

Rhyme Time
Place the clock on a flat surface, and scatter the cards faceup around it. Invite a child to select
How a picture card and match it to a rhyming picture on the clock. Have the child repeat the process
to with the remaining cards. Encourage the child to name the pictures in each rhyming pair begin-
play ning with one o’clock.

Self-Correcting Feature
The number on the back of each card matches the number of its rhyming word on the clock.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Rhyme Time

28 Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme

 29
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
3

4
2

5
1
Clock

12

6
11

7
10

8
9
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
30
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Rhyme Time Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level Syllable Puzzles
1
Task: recognizing syllables
Materials
✰ Syllable Puzzles
(pages 32–33)
Preparation ✰ scissors
Copy and cut apart the Syllable Puzzles, and laminate the pieces.

Syllable Puzzles
Have a child place the puzzle pieces faceup on a flat surface. Tell the child that two pieces fit
How together to make a picture. As the child completes a puzzle, have him or her slowly name the
to word for the picture to emphasize the separate syllables.
play

Self-Correcting Feature
The picture will be incomplete if you assemble the wrong pieces.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Syllable Puzzles

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 31

32
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Syllable Puzzles

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 33
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Syllable Puzzles
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Syllable Race
1
Task: counting syllables Materials
✰ Racetrack repro-
Preparation ducible (page 35)
Make four copies of the Racetrack reproducible, color each car on a paper a ✰ Syllable Cards
different color (use the same four colors on each paper), and laminate them. (pages 36–37)
Copy and cut apart the Syllable Cards. Draw a small colored dot that matches ✰ crayons
the color of the first car on the back of each one-syllable word card. Repeat ✰ scissors
with the two-, three- and four-syllable word cards and their corresponding col- ✰ paper lunch sack
ors. Laminate the cards, and place them in a paper sack.

Syllable Race
Place a racetrack on a flat surface. Invite a child to draw a card, name the picture on it, and
How decide how many syllables are in the word. Tell the child to place the card on the car with the
to same number as the number of syllables in the word. Have the child repeat the process with the
play remaining cards. For play with two to four children, give each player a racetrack, place the
cards faceup in a pile, and have players take turns drawing cards and placing them on their
racetrack until each car has a card on it. If a player draws a card with the same number of
syllables as another card already on a car, he or she should return the card to the bottom of
the pile. To increase the difficulty of the activity, have children play sequentially (i.e., they can
only place a card with two syllables if a card with one syllable is already on the racetrack).

Self-Correcting Feature
The colored dot on the back of the card matches the car to which it belongs.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Syllable Race

34 Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme

 35
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Racetrack
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
36
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Syllable Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 37
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Syllable Cards
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Syllable Sort
1
Task: recognizing syllables
Materials
Preparation ✰ Syllable Cards
Copy and cut apart the the Syllable Cards. Draw a small colored dot on the (pages 36–37)
back of each one-syllable word card. Use a different color to repeat the ✰ scissors
process with the two-, three-, and four-syllable word cards, and laminate them. ✰ crayons
Place the cover of a shoe box on a flat surface, cut in a horizontal line along ✰ shoe box
the top four small slots that are the width of a card, and put the top back on the ✰ craft knife (optional)
shoe box. Use the same color as the dot on the one-syllable word cards to
write 1 above the first slot. Repeat with the coordinating colors for slots 2–4.

Syllable Sort
Place the shoe box on a flat surface. Shuffle the cards, and place them faceup in a pile. Invite a
How child to draw a card, name the picture, and decide how many syllables are in the word. Tell the
to child to slip the card through the slot on the box that matches the number of syllables in the
play word. Have the child repeat the process with the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The colored dot on the back of the card matches the slot in which it belongs.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Syllable Sort

38 Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme

 Level Graph It
1
Task: counting syllables
Materials
✰ Graph reproducible
Preparation (page 40)
Make two copies of the Graph reproducible, and tape them together to make ✰ More Syllable Cards
four columns of eight. Label below the bottom row of boxes from 1 to 4, and (pages 41–42)
laminate the graph. Copy and cut apart the More Syllable Cards. Count the ✰ tape
number of syllables in each word, and draw the same number of dots on the ✰ scissors
back of each card. Laminate the cards.

Graph It
Place the graph on a flat surface, shuffle the cards, and place them faceup in a pile. Invite a
How child to draw a card, name the picture, and decide how many syllables are in the word. Tell
to the child to place the card in the column on the graph with the same number as the number of
play syllables in the word. Have the child repeat the process with the remaining cards. Ask the child
questions about the graph, such as How many four-syllable words are there? or How many
syllables do most of the words have?

Self-Correcting Feature
The correct number of syllables is shown in dots on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Graph It

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 39

40
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
Graph

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 41
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
More Syllable Cards
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
42
Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme
More Syllable Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level Tower Power
1
Task: recognizing syllables
Materials
✰ More Syllable Cards
(pages 41–42)
Preparation ✰ scissors
Copy and cut apart the More Syllable Cards. Count the number of syllables in
✰ paper lunch sack
each word, and draw the same number of dots on the back of each card.
Laminate the cards, and place them in a paper sack. ✰ linking cubes

Tower Power
Invite a child to draw cards from the paper sack until he or she picks a one-syllable word. Ask
How the child to place the one-syllable card and one linking cube on a flat surface. Tell the child to
to return the unused cards to the sack and then draw cards again until he or she pickes a two-
play syllable word. Have the child connect two linking cubes. Have the child place the two-syllable
card and “tower” beside the one-syllable card and tower. Have the child repeat this process
with three- and four-syllable cards. For play with two or more children, have the players take
turns drawing cards in sequence and building their own towers.

Self-Correcting Feature
The correct number of syllables is shown in dots on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Tower Power

Level 1: Rhythm and Rhyme 43

 Level Link ’Em Up
2
Task: counting syllables
Materials
✰ More Syllable Cards
(pages 41–42)
Preparation ✰ scissors
Copy and cut apart the More Syllable Cards. Count the number of syllables in ✰ paper lunch sack
each word, and draw the same number of dots on the back of each card. ✰ plastic links
Laminate the cards, and place them in a paper sack.

Link ’Em Up
Have a child draw a card from the paper sack and name the picture on it. Ask the child to con-
How nect the same number of links as the number of syllables in the word. Tell the child to continue
to drawing cards and adding the correct number of links to the chain until no cards remain. For
play play with two or more players, have the children take turns drawing cards from the sack and
forming their own chains until no cards remain.

Self-Correcting Feature
The correct number of syllables is shown in dots on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Link ’Em Up

44 Level 2: Parts of a Word

 Level Onset/Rime Puzzles
2
Task: splitting syllables
Materials
✰ Onset/Rime Puzzles
(pages 46–47)
Preparation ✰ scissors
Copy and cut apart the the Onset/Rime Puzzles, and laminate the pieces.

Onset/Rime Puzzles
Have a child place the puzzle pieces faceup on a flat surface. Tell the child that two pieces fit
How together to make a picture. Have the child say the onset (all of the sounds in a word that come
to before the first vowel) and the rime (the first vowel in a word and all the sounds that follow) of
play the word for the picture, such as /b/ /ike/ for the bike puzzle, as he or she connects the puz-
zle. Have the child repeat this process with the remaining puzzles.

Self-Correcting Feature
The two parts of each word fit together to form a complete puzzle.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Onset/Rime Puzzles

Level 2: Parts of a Word 45

46
Level 2: Parts of a Word
Onset/Rime Puzzles

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 47
Level 2: Parts of a Word
Onset/Rime Puzzles
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Say It, Take It
2
Task: splitting onsets and rimes
Materials
✰ Say It, Take It
Preparation reproducibles
Copy the Say It, Take It reproducibles. (Each page includes four sets of four (pages 49–50)
cards.) Cut apart the first four cards, and write the beginning sound of the word
✰ scissors
on the back of each card. Laminate the cards, place them in an envelope, and
✰ envelopes
write 1 on the envelope. Repeat this process with the remaining seven sets of
cards using numbers 2–8.

Say It, Take It

Invite two or more children to play this game. Give the group of players one envelope. Ask one
How player to shuffle four cards, and place them faceup in a row. Invite another player to look at the
to pictures on the cards and say the beginning sound of only one of the cards. Tell the other play-
play ers to look for the card that begins with that sound. The first player to say the second part of
the word and make the complete word wins the card. For example, the first player says /s/ and
another player says /un/ to make the word sun. Ask the player who won the card to say the
beginning sound of one of the remaining cards, and repeat the process. When no cards remain,
have children repeat the activity with a new set of cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The beginning sound of the word is written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Say It, Take It

48 Level 2: Parts of a Word

 Say It, Take It

1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

4 4 4 4

Level 2: Parts of a Word 49

 Say It, Take It

5 5 5 5

6 6 6 6

7 7 7 7 Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

8 8 8 8

50 Level 2: Parts of a Word

 Level Word Family Fun
2
Task: splitting syllables
Materials
✰ Word Family Fun
Preparation Cards (page 52)
Copy the Word Family Fun Cards. Cut apart the first four cards, and write ✰ Letter Cards (pages
the word for each picture and 1 on the back of each card. Laminate the cards, 53–54)
place them in an envelope, and write 1 on the envelope. Repeat this process
✰ scissors
with the remaining three sets of cards using numbers 2–4. Copy and cut apart
✰ envelopes
the Letter Cards, and laminate them.

Word Family Fun

Give a child a set of letter cards and an envelope. Tell the child to name the picture on one of
How the cards and use the letter cards to spell the word. Have the child choose a new card and
to name it. Tell the child that he or she will change one of the letter cards to spell the new picture
play word. Ask the child to repeat this process with the remaining two cards. Give the child a new
envelope, and have him or her repeat the activity.

Self-Correcting Feature
All cards have the name of the picture written on the back.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Word Family Fun

b h m c a t
Level 2: Parts of a Word 51
52
Level 2: Parts of a Word
Word Family Fun Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Letter Cards

a b c d
e f g h
i j k l
m n o p
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

q r s t
Level 2: Parts of a Word 53
 Letter Cards

u v w x
y z a d
e g i l
m n o p Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

r s t u
54 Level 2: Parts of a Word
 Level Build a Picture
2
Task: oral blending
Materials
✰ Build a Picture
reproducible
(page 56)
Preparation
Copy the Build a Picture reproducible, cut apart the strips, and laminate them. ✰ scissors

Build a Picture
Scatter the strips for one of the pictures faceup on a flat surface. Have a child connect the
How strips to form a picture. Tell the child to slowly name the picture as he or she connects the strips.
to For example, as the child assembles the picture of the cake, he or she would say /c/ /a/ /k/.
play Have the child repeat this process to make seven more pictures.

Self-Correcting Feature
The picture will be incomplete if you assemble the wrong pieces.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Build a Picture

Level 2: Parts of a Word 55

56
Build a Picture

Level 2: Parts of a Word

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Slowpoke Slide
2
Task: oral blending
Materials
✰ Slides reproducible
(page 58)
Preparation ✰ Blending Cards
Copy the Slides reproducible, cut out the slides, and laminate them. Copy and (pages 59–60)
cut apart the Blending Cards, and laminate them. ✰ scissors

Slowpoke Slide
Place a slide on a flat surface, and give a child a set of cards. Have the child select a card and
How place it at the top of the slide. Encourage the child to move the card down the slide and slowly
to say the name of the picture while stretching out the sounds until the card reaches the bottom.
play Tell the child to repeat the process with the remaining cards. For play with two or more chil-
dren, give each player a slide, and distribute the cards evenly between the players. Have the
players take turns sliding cards and slowly saying the names.

Self-Correcting Feature
The last sound of the word should be said as the card reaches the bottom of the slide.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Slowpoke Slide

Level 2: Parts of a Word 57

58
Slides

Level 2: Parts of a Word

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 59
Level 2: Parts of a Word
Blending Cards
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60
Level 2: Parts of a Word
Blending Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level Ghost Talk
2
Task: oral blending
Materials
✰ Ghost reproducible
(page 62)
Preparation ✰ Ghost Talk Strips
Copy the Ghost reproducible, cut out the ghost, laminate it, and cut a slit along (pages 63–64)
the boldfaced line on the mouth. Copy and cut apart the Ghost Talk Strips, and
✰ scissors
laminate them.

Ghost Talk
Place the ghost on a flat surface, and give a child a set of strips. Have the child select a strip
How and place it behind the ghost’s head and through its mouth. Encourage the child to slowly pull
to the strip and name the picture, stretching out the sound until the strip is completely pulled
play through the ghost’s mouth. Tell the child to repeat the process with the remaining strips.

Self-Correcting Feature
The last sound of the word should be said as the end of the strip is pulled from the ghost’s mouth.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Ghost Talk

Level 2: Parts of a Word 61

62
Level 2: Parts of a Word
Ghost

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 63
Level 2: Parts of a Word
Ghost Talk Strips
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
64
Level 2: Parts of a Word
Ghost Talk Strips

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level Basketball Blending
2
Task: oral blending
Materials
✰ Basketball Blending
reproducible
Preparation (page 66)
Copy the Basketball Blending reproducible, and laminate it. Cut a slit along the ✰ Blending Cards
boldfaced line on the basketball net. Copy and cut apart the Blending Cards, (pages 59–60)
and laminate them. ✰ scissors

Basketball Blending
Place the Basketball Blending reproducible on a flat surface, and give a child a set of cards.
How Have the child select a card and place it over the basketball player. Ask the child to name the
to picture on the card. Tell the child to move the card along the dotted line and slowly repeat the
play name again until the card reaches the basket. Have the child place the card through the slot in
the basket. Tell the child to repeat the process with the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The last sound of the word should be said as the card is inserted through the slot.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Basketball Blending

Level 2: Parts of a Word 65

66
Level 2: Parts of a Word
Basketball Blending

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level Elastic Words
2
Task: oral blending
Materials
✰ Blending Cards
(pages 59–60)
Preparation ✰ scissors
Copy and cut apart the Blending Cards, and laminate them. ✰ piece of elastic

Elastic Words
Shuffle the cards, and place them facedown in a pile. Tell a child to draw a card and name the
How picture on it. Give the child a piece of elastic, and have him or her hold one end of the elastic in
to each hand. Tell the child to slowly repeat the name of the picture as he or she pulls the piece of
play elastic as far as it will go. Invite the child to repeat the process with the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The last sound of the word should be said as the elastic is completely stretched.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Elastic Words

Level 2: Parts of a Word 67

 Level All Aboard!
3
Task: isolating beginning sounds
Materials
✰ Train reproducible
Preparation (page 69)
Make eight copies of the Train reproducible, and cut out the trains. Write one of ✰ Beginning Sound
the following letters in each engine of a train: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, and k. Laminate Cards (pages 70–71)
the trains. Copy and cut apart the Beginning Sound Cards. Write the beginning ✰ scissors
sound of the picture on the back of each card, laminate the cards, and place ✰ paper lunch sack
them in a paper sack.

All Aboard!
Place the trains on a flat surface. Invite a child to draw a card from the paper sack and place it
How on a car of the train with the matching beginning sound written in the engine. For example, a
to child would place the duck picture card on a car of the train marked d. Have the child repeat
play the process with the remaining cards. For play with two or more children, give each player a
train. Have the players sit in a semicircle and place their train beside them where everyone can
see it. Invite a player to draw a card and place it on a car of the train with the matching begin-
ning sound. Have the players repeat the process with the remaining cards. To extend the activi-
ty, copy the remaining Beginning Sound Cards (pages 72–74), and repeat the preparation
process and activity with the letters l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, y, and z.

Self-Correcting Feature
The beginning sound is written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

All Aboard!

68 Level 3: Sequence of Sounds

 69
Train

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds

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70
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
Beginning Sound Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 71
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
Beginning Sound Cards
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72
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
Beginning Sound Cards

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 73
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
Beginning Sound Cards
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
74
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
Beginning Sound Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level Picture Dominoes
3
Task: matching beginning sounds
Materials
✰ Dominoes
reproducibles
Preparation (pages 76–77)
Copy the Dominoes reproducibles, and cut apart the dominoes. Write the ✰ scissors
beginning sound for each picture on the back of each domino, and laminate
the dominoes.

Picture Dominoes
Scatter the dominoes faceup on a flat surface. Ask a child to select a domino and name both
How pictures on it. Have the child find another domino with a picture that begins with the same
to sound as one of the pictures he or she just named. Tell the child to arrange the dominoes so that
play the matching pictures touch. Have the child select another domino with a picture that matches
the beginning sound of one of the two unattached pictures. Tell the child to continue the
process with the remaining dominoes. For play with two or three children, give each player six
dominoes. Place the remaining dominoes in the center of the playing area, and have the players
take turns placing dominoes. If a player is unable to find a match on his or her turn, he or she
must pass to the next player. Have children play until they have placed all the dominoes.

Self-Correcting Feature
The beginning sound of each picture is written on the back of each domino. Matching dominoes have the
same letters.
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Picture Dominoes

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 75

76
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
Dominoes

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 77
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
Dominoes
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level House of Sounds
3
Task: isolating beginning sounds Materials
✰ House reproducible
Preparation (page 14)
Make eight copies of the House reproducible, and cut out the houses. Write one ✰ Beginning Sound
of the following letters in each roof of a house: l, m, n, p, q, r, s, and t. Laminate Cards (pages
72–73)
the houses. Copy and cut apart the Beginning Sound Cards. Write the beginning
sound of the picture on the back of each card, laminate the cards, and place ✰ scissors
them in a paper sack. ✰ paper lunch sack

House of Sounds
Place the houses on a flat surface. Invite a child to draw a card from the paper sack and place
How it on the house with the matching beginning sound. For example, the picture of the leaf would
to be placed on the roof marked l. Have the child repeat the process with the remaining cards. For
play play with two or more children, give each player a house. Have the first player draw a card.
The player may keep the card if it has the same beginning sound as the sound on the roof of his
or her house and then draw again. If the sounds do not match, tell the player to place the card
back in the sack and pass it to the next player. To extend the activity, copy a different set of
Beginning Sound Cards (pages 70–74), and repeat the preparation process and activity with
the new beginning sounds.

Self-Correcting Feature
The beginning sound is written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

House of Sounds

78 Level 3: Sequence of Sounds

 Level Three-in-a-Row
3
Task: matching beginning sounds
Materials
✰ Three-in-a-Row Cards
Preparation (page 80)
Copy the Three-in-a-Row Cards, cut apart the first row of cards, and write 1 on
✰ scissors
the back of each card. Repeat this process with rows 2–4. Laminate all of the
✰ paper lunch sack
cards, and place them in a paper sack.
✰ pocket chart

Three-in-a-Row
Invite a child to draw a card from the paper sack and place it in the first row of a pocket chart.
How Tell the child to draw another card. If the second card matches the beginning sound of the first
to card, have the child place it in the same row. If the beginning sounds on the two cards do not
play match, have the child place the card in a new row of the chart. Tell the child to repeat the
process with the remaining cards. For play with two or more children, have each player draw a
card until each player has a card with a different beginning sound. Tell the players to take turns
drawing cards and keep only those cards that match the beginning sound on their card. Have
children repeat the process with the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The three cards that have the same beginning sound have the same number on the back.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Three-in-a-Row

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 79

80
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
Three-in-a-Row Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level Scavenger Hunt
3
Task: identifying beginning Materials
and ending sounds ✰ Scavenger Hunt
reproducible
(page 82)
Preparation ✰ Beginning Sound
Copy the Scavenger Hunt reproducible, and laminate it. Copy and cut apart the Cards (pages
Beginning Sound Cards. Write on the back of each card the first letter, a blank 70–74)
line, and the last letter of the name of the picture. Laminate the cards, and ✰ scissors
place them in a paper sack. ✰ paper lunch sack
✰ transparency marker

Scavenger Hunt
Give a child the Scavenger Hunt reproducible. Invite the child to draw a card from the paper
How sack and place it over the first box on the reproducible. Tell the child to name the picture on the
to card and use the transparency marker to write on the reproducible the beginning and ending
play sounds before and after the picture. Have the child draw another card, place it on the next box,
and repeat the process with the remaining cards. Ask the child to clean the reproducible.

Self-Correcting Feature
The first and last letters of the word are written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Scavenger Hunt

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 81

82
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
Scavenger Hunt

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level First or Last?
3
Task: matching beginning Materials
and ending sounds ✰ First or Last?
Preparation reproducibles
(pages 84–85)
Copy the First or Last? reproducibles. Cut apart the position cards and the tar-
get letter cards, and laminate them. Cut apart each set of picture cards along ✰ scissors
the boldfaced lines. Fold each set of picture cards along the dotted line, and ✰ glue
glue them together to create two-sided cards. Cut apart the picture cards.
Write the target letter on the back of each picture card, and then laminate
the cards.

First or Last?
Choose a target letter. Place the matching target letter card on a flat surface, and place the
How two position cards below it. Give a child a set of four picture cards with the same target letter.
to Invite the child to look at a picture card and decide if the target letter appears at the beginning
play or ending of the word. Tell the child to place the picture card under the matching position card.
For example, for the target letter d, a child would place the dog card under the beginning letter
position card. Have the child repeat the process with the remaining three picture cards. For
play with two children, give each player a position card. Have the players take turns choosing
a picture card and placing it under the correct position card.

Self-Correcting Feature
The target letter and its placement in the word are written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

First or Last?

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 83

 First or Last?
Position Card Position Card

Target
Letter
d Target
Letter
l
Target
Letter
n Target
Letter
t
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

84 Level 3: Sequence of Sounds

 85
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
First or Last?
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Mystery Picture
3
Task: identifying beginning
Materials
and ending sounds ✰ Mystery Picture
Frames reproducibles
Preparation (pages 87–89)
Copy the Mystery Picture Frames reproducibles, cut apart the strips (rows), and ✰ Mystery Picture
laminate them. Copy and cut apart the Mystery Picture Cards. Write the first Cards (page 90)
letter, a blank line, and the last letter of the name of the picture on the back of ✰ scissors
each card, and laminate the cards. Place the cards in a paper sack. ✰ paper lunch sack

Mystery Picture
Place the strips on a flat surface. Invite a child to draw a card from the paper sack and name
How the picture on it. Ask the child to identify the beginning and ending sound of the word and then
to place the card in the center of the strip that shows those sounds. Have the child repeat the
play process with the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The first and last letters of the word are written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Mystery Picture

t
b f n
86 Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
 Mystery Picture Frames

b t
g m
m n
f n
d k
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

c n
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 87
 Mystery Picture Frames

b g
d s
m t
c n
t k Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

c t
88 Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
 Mystery Picture Frames

b g
d m
p n
c t
t n
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

n t
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 89
90
Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
Mystery Picture Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 Level Where’s That Sound?
3
Task: approximating sounds
Materials
✰ Dog reproducible
Preparation (page 92)
Make five copies of the Dog reproducible, write g, k, l, p and r on separate ✰ Where’s That Sound?
dishes (one letter per dish), and laminate the papers. Copy one set of the Cards (page 93)
Where’s That Sound? Cards. Cut apart the first row of cards, turn over the ✰ scissors
cards, and write the target letter on the back of each one. Draw a dot below ✰ paper lunch sack
the letter to the left, middle, or right to indicate the position of the target
sound, and laminate the cards. Repeat this process with the remaining rows
of cards.

Where’s That Sound?

Place a dog on a flat surface, and place in a paper sack all of the cards for the target letter on
How the dog’s dish. Have a child draw a card from the sack, name the picture on it, and decide if the
to target letter is the beginning, middle, or ending sound of the word. Tell the child to place the
play card on the shoulders of the dog if it is a beginning sound, on the belly if it is a middle sound,
and on the hindquarters if it is an ending sound. Invite the child to repeat this process with the
three remaining cards. Repeat the activity with a new target letter and the corresponding set
of cards. To extend the activity, copy the other Where’s That Sound? Cards (page 94), and
repeat the preparation process and activity with the letters b, n, p, s, and t.

Self-Correcting Feature
The target letter and its placement in the word are written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Where’s That Sound?

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 91

92
Dog

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Where’s That Sound? Cards

p
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 93

 Where’s That Sound? Cards

p Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

94 Level 3: Sequence of Sounds

 Level Color-Coded Sounds
3
Task: approximating sounds Materials
✰ Where’s That Sound?
Preparation Cards (pages 93–94)
Copy the Where’s That Sound? Cards. Cut apart the cards in the first row. Turn ✰ scissors
over the cards, and write the target letter on the back of each one. Draw a
✰ paper lunch sacks
dot below the letter to the left, middle, or right to indicate the position of the
✰ green, blue, and red
target sound in the word, and laminate the cards. Write the target letter on
markers
a paper sack, and place the cards in the sack. Repeat this process with the
✰ index cards
remaining sets of cards. Draw three horizontal lines—one green, one blue,
and one red—along the bottom of four separate index cards. Laminate the ✰ plastic counters
index cards.

Color-Coded Sounds
Invite two to four children to play the game. Place a paper sack in the playing area. Give each
How player an index card and three counters. Have a player draw a card from the sack and name
to the picture on it. Ask the player to decide if the target letter (written on the sack) is the begin-
play ning, middle, or ending sound of the word. Tell the player to place the counter on the green line
if it is the beginning sound, on the blue line if it is the middle sound, and on the red line if it is the
ending sound. Invite the next player to draw a card and repeat the process. Tell players that if
they draw a card with a sound that has already been covered on their index card, they must
place the card back in the sack and pass it to the next player. Have children play until each
player has covered all three lines on his or her index card. Invite children to repeat the activity
with a new set of cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The target sound and its placement in the word are written on the back of each card.
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Color-Coded Sounds

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 95

 Level Read My Mind
3
Task: isolating beginning
and ending sounds Materials
✰ Read My Mind Cards
(pages 97–100)
Preparation ✰ scissors
Copy the Read My Mind Cards. Make a double-sided copy of each set of
cards. (Each set includes one page of picture cards and one page of sound
cards.) Cut apart the cards, and laminate them.

Read My Mind
Invite two or more children to play this game. Shuffle the cards (with the pictures faceup), and
How place them in a pile. Ask a player to draw the top three cards and place them faceup on a flat
to surface. Tell the player to silently choose one of the cards and give the other players clues
play about the beginning and ending sounds in the picture’s name. For example, for the bat picture
card, a player could say I’m thinking of a word that begins with /b/ and ends with /t/. Invite
the other players to guess the word. The player who guesses the word takes the card, draws a
new one from the pile, and places it faceup beside the other two cards. Ask this player to
select the new secret word and give clues about it. Have the children repeat the process with
the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The beginning and ending sounds for the name of the picture are written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Read My Mind

96 Level 3: Sequence of Sounds

 Read My Mind Cards—Set I
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 97

 Read My Mind Cards—Set I

r_n b_t p_n

p_g t_n s_n

n_t b_k c_k

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

cl_k p_t c_t

98 Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
 Read My Mind Cards—Set II
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Level 3: Sequence of Sounds 99

 Read My Mind Cards—Set II

f_r f_t l_t

t_p m_k l_n

k_n n_t m_n

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

b_l h_s l_k

100 Level 3: Sequence of Sounds
 Level Penny Push
4
Task: matching sounds Materials
✰ Penny Push repro-
ducible (page 102)
Preparation ✰ Penny Push Word
Cards (page 103)
Copy the Penny Push reproducible, cut apart the strips, and laminate them.
Copy and cut apart the Penny Push Word Cards. Write the number of sounds ✰ scissors
(not letters) in the word (e.g., ladder has four sounds, /l/ /a/ /d/ /r/) on the ✰ paper lunch sack
back of each card. Laminate the cards, and place them in a paper sack. ✰ pennies

Penny Push
Give a child a strip and four pennies. Invite the child to draw a card from the paper sack and
How place it above his or her strip. Ask the child to slowly name the picture on the card and place a
to penny in a separate box for each sound he or she says. For example, a child would place four
play pennies as he or she says /h/ /a// n/ /d/ for hand. Invite the child to repeat the process
with the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The number of sounds in the name of the picture is written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Penny Push

Level 4: Separation of Sounds 101

102
Level 4: Separation of Sounds
Penny Push

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 Penny Push Word Cards
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Level 4: Separation of Sounds 103

 Level Count the Sounds
4
Task: counting sounds Materials
✰ Graph reproducible
(page 40)
Preparation ✰ Counting Sounds
Make two copies of the Graph reproducible, and tape them together to make Cards (pages
four columns of eight. Label below the bottom rows from 1 to 4, and laminate 105–106)
the graph. Copy and cut apart the Counting Sounds Cards. Write the number of ✰ tape
sounds (not letters) in the word (e.g., knee has two sounds, /n/ /e/) on the
✰ scissors
back of each card. Laminate the cards, and place them in a paper sack.
✰ paper lunch sack

Count the Sounds

Place the graph on a flat surface. Invite a child to draw a card from the paper sack, name the
How picture, and decide how many individual sounds are in the word. For example, a child selects
to the card with the baby picture, says /b/ /a/ /b/ /y/, and identifies that there are four
play sounds in the word. Tell the child to place the card in the column on the graph with the matching
number. Have the child repeat the process with the remaining cards. For play with two or more
children, give each player a graph. Invite the players to take turns drawing cards and placing
them on their graph according to the number of sounds in the words. Tell players that if they
select a card with a number of sounds they have already covered on their graph, they must
place the card back in the sack and pass it to the next player. Have the children play until each
child has placed a card above all four numbers on his or her graph.

Self-Correcting Feature
The number of sounds in the name of the picture is written on the back of each card.
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Count the Sounds

104 Level 4: Separation of Sounds

 Counting Sounds Cards
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Level 4: Separation of Sounds 105

 Counting Sounds Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

106 Level 4: Separation of Sounds

 Level Towers of Sounds
4
Task: segmenting sounds
Materials
✰ Counting Sounds
Cards (pages
105–106)
Preparation
Copy and cut apart the Counting Sounds Cards. Write the number of sounds ✰ scissors
(not letters) in the word (e.g., knee has two sounds, /n/ /e/) on the back of ✰ paper lunch sack
each card. Laminate the cards, and place them in a paper sack. ✰ linking cubes

Towers of Sounds
Invite a child to draw a card from the paper sack. Tell the child to draw cards and place them
How back in the sack until he or she draws a card with a picture that has two sounds in the name.
to Have the child connect two linking cubes, and place the two-cube “tower” beside the card. Tell
play the child to draw another card and place it back in the sack until he or she draws a card with a
picture that has three sounds in the name. Have him or her build a three-cube tower. Invite the
child to repeat the process with four- and five-sound words. For play with two or more children,
have the players take turns drawing a card and building individual towers in sequence.

Self-Correcting Feature
The number of sounds in the name of the picture is written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Towers of Sounds

Level 4: Separation of Sounds 107

 Level Sound Sorting Houses
4
Task: counting sounds Materials
✰ More Counting
Preparation Sounds Cards (pages
109–110)
Copy and cut apart the More Counting Sounds Cards. Write the number of
sounds (not letters) in the word (e.g., tie has two sounds, /t/ /i/) on the back ✰ House reproducible
(page 14)
of each card. Laminate the cards, and place them in a paper sack. Make four
copies of the House reproducible. Write numbers from 2–5 on the roof of each ✰ scissors
house, and laminate the houses. ✰ paper lunch sack

Sound Sorting Houses

Place the houses on a flat surface. Invite a child to draw a card from the paper sack, identify
How the number of sounds in the word, and place it in the house with the matching number. For exam-
to ple, if a child picks the pin picture card, he or she would place it on the house marked 3. Have
play the child repeat the process with the remaining cards. For play with two or more children, give
each player a house. Have the first player draw a card. If the picture on the card has the same
number of sounds as the number on his or her house, he or she may keep the card and draw
another card. If the card does not have the same number of sounds, the player places the card
back in the sack, and the next player takes a turn. Have children repeat the process with the
remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The number of sounds in the name of the picture is written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Sound Sorting Houses

108 Level 4: Separation of Sounds

 More Counting Sounds Cards
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Level 4: Separation of Sounds 109

 More Counting Sounds Cards

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

110 Level 4: Separation of Sounds

 Level Spin and Take
4
Task: counting sounds
Materials
✰ More Counting
Sounds Cards
Preparation (pages 109–110)
Copy and cut apart the More Counting Sounds Cards. Write the number of ✰ number spinner
sounds (not letters) in the word (e.g., tie has two sounds, /t/ /i/) on the back (page 112)
of each card, and laminate the cards. Copy and cut out the number spinner and ✰ scissors
arrow, and laminate them. (Use the letter spinner for the activity on page 131.) ✰ brass fastener
Use a brass fastener to attach the arrow to the center of the spinner.

Spin and Take

Scatter the cards faceup on a flat surface. Invite a child to spin the spinner and find a card with
How a matching number of sounds. Have the child repeat the process with the remaining cards. For
to play with two or more children, have each player take turns spinning the spinner and taking a
play card with a matching number of sounds. When a player spins a number and a card with that
number of sounds is no longer available, the player passes to the next player. Have children
repeat the process with the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The number of sounds in the name of the picture is written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Spin and Take

Level 4: Separation of Sounds 111

112
2

Level 4: Separation of Sounds

3
4

B
Spinners

E
M
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Number Race
4
Task: counting sounds Materials
✰ Number Race repro-
ducible (page 114)
✰ More Counting
Preparation
Sounds Cards
Make four copies of the the Number Race reproducible, and laminate them.
(pages 109–110)
Copy and cut apart the More Counting Sounds Cards. Write the number of
✰ scissors
sounds (not letters) in the word (e.g., tie has two sounds, /t/ /i/) on the back
of each card. Laminate the cards, and place them in a paper sack. ✰ paper lunch sack
✰ game markers

Number Race
Invite two to four children to play this game. Give each player a Number Race reproducible
How and a game marker. Tell the children to place their game marker on “Start.” Invite a player to
to draw a card, name the picture, and decide how many sounds are in the word. Tell the player to
play place his or her marker on the first number after “Start” that matches the number of sounds in
his or her word. Ask the next player to draw a card and repeat the process. Tell the players that
if the number they are looking for is not available in front of their marker, they must move back-
wards to the number. Have children continue the activity until each player reaches “Stop.”

Self-Correcting Feature
The number of sounds in the name of the picture is written on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Number Race

Level 4: Separation of Sounds 113

Stop Number Race

1 3

1
3
5

2
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

4
Start
114 Level 4: Separation of Sounds
 Level Change It
5
Task: manipulating beginning Materials
and ending sounds ✰ Change the Beginning
Sound reproducible
(page 116)
✰ Change the Ending
Preparation Sound reproducible
Copy the Change the Beginning Sound and Change the Ending Sound repro- (page 117)
ducibles, and cut apart the strips. Write the word for both pictures on the back ✰ Letter Cards (pages
of the strips, and laminate them. Copy and cut apart the Letter Cards, and lami- 53–54)
nate them. ✰ scissors

Change It
Shuffle the strips, and place them faceup in a pile. Scatter the letter cards faceup around the
How pile. Invite a child to draw a strip and place it on a flat surface. Have the child name the first
to picture on the strip, and use the letter cards to spell the word. Ask the child to name the second
play picture, decide which sound is different, and change a letter to make the new word. Have the
child repeat the process with the remaining strips.

Self-Correcting Feature
The cards have both picture words written on the back.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Change It

f o x
b
Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 115
116
Change Change

to to

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

Change Change

to to

Change Change

to to

Change Change
Change the Beginning Sound

to to

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

 117
Change Change

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

Change the Ending Sound

to to
Change Change
to to
Change Change
to to
Change Change
to to
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Zigzag Words
5
Task: manipulating beginning
and ending sounds Materials
✰ Zigzag Words
reproducibles
(pages 119–120)
Preparation ✰ scissors
Copy the Zigzag Words reproducibles, cut them apart along the thick lines, ✰ paper clips
and laminate them. Fold back the word lists, and clip them together. ✰ transparency marker

Zigzag Words
Give a child a folded zigzag card, and have him or her read the word on the first line. Tell the
How child to look at the second word and use a transparency marker to write the letter that appears
to directly above each blank line. Ask the child to repeat the process until he or she has made nine
play new words. Invite the child to unfold the word list and check the answers. Tell the child to clean
the card and pick a new one.

Self-Correcting Feature
The words in the lists on both sides of the card should match.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Zigzag Words

118 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

 119
s i t s i t t e n t e n

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

b _ _ bit p _ _ p e n
_ _ g big _ _ g peg
Zigzag Words

p _ _ pig b _ _ beg
_ _ n pin _ _ t b e t
f _ _ f i n m _ _ m e t
_ _ t f i t _ _ n men
h _ _ h i t h _ _ h e n
_ _ p hip _ _ m hem
s _ _ sip th _ _ t hem
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
120
c a p cap f u n f u n
m _ _ map s _ _ s u n

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

_ _ n man _ _ m sum
p _ _ pan g _ _ gum
_ _ d pad _ _ t g u t
s _ _ sad b _ _ b u t
_ _ p sap _ _ d bud
Zigzag Words

n _ _ nap m _ _ mud
_ _ b nab _ _ m mum
c _ _ cab h _ _ hum
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Level Criss-Cross Words
5
Task: manipulating beginning
and ending sounds Materials
✰ Criss-Cross Word
Cards (pages
122–123)
Preparation ✰ scissors
Copy the Criss-Cross Word Cards, and cut apart the cards along the thick ✰ glue
lines. Cut apart the strip of words above each card, glue it to the back of the ✰ transparency marker
card, and laminate the cards.

Criss-Cross Words
Give a child a Criss-Cross Word Card, and tell him or her to read the sounds and words along
How both sides. Invite the child to look at the first word on the card and use a transparency marker
to to draw a line to connect the word to a sound that would change the beginning of the word to
play make a new word. For example, a child could connect the w to tag to make wag. Tell the child to
connect the other two sounds to make two additional words. Ask the child to clean the card,
pick a new one, and repeat the activity.

Self-Correcting Feature
A list of the new words is on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Criss-Cross Words

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 121

 Criss-Cross Word Cards
wag, fat, gap pen, get, web

w nap pet t
f tag gem b
g sat wet n
job, top, not cup, bug, bun

j mop cut n
t mob but p
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

n lot bus g
122 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds
 Criss-Cross Word Cards
den, get, red dot, rod, pop

d men dog p
g fed rob t
r pet pot d
fun, jug, cub dig, wit, skim

f dug did t
j bun wig m
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

c tub skin g
Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 123
 Level Word Puzzles
5
Task: manipulating beginning
Materials
and ending sounds ✰ Word Puzzles (pages
125–126)
Preparation
✰ Word Puzzles Lists
Copy the Word Puzzles and Word Puzzles Lists. Cut apart the pieces in column
(page 127)
1 on the Word Puzzles, write 1 on the back of each piece, and laminate the
pieces. Write the word bad and the number 1 on an envelope, and place the ✰ scissors
pieces inside the envelope. Cut out the corresponding list, and tape it to the ✰ envelopes
back of the envelope. Repeat this process with the remaining seven sets of ✰ tape
pieces and their corresponding word list using 2–8.

Word Puzzles
Give a child an envelope, and ask him or her to remove the pieces. Ask the child to read the
How word on the envelope and connect the pieces to make that word. Tell the child to change one of
to the pieces to make a new word and write the new word on a piece of paper. Have the child
play continue changing letters and writing as many new words as he or she can. Tell the child to
compare his or her list with the list on the envelope. Have the child return the pieces to the
envelope, pick a new one, and repeat the activity.

Self-Correcting Feature
A list of words appears on the back of each envelope.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Word Puzzles

124 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

 125
bad a 1 wet e 2 rig i 3 mop o 4

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

b w r m
h j d c
Word Puzzles

l m j p
s p w t
m t g h
d b d p
g ll m m
t st p t
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
126
cut u 5 kit i 6 bag a 7 big i 8

c k b b

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

g h l j
h p n p
n b r w
t t g g
Word Puzzles

b ll d d
d n m n
p d t t
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press
 Word Puzzles Lists
bad wet rig mop
had jet dig cop
lad met jig pop
sad pet wig top
mad bet rim hop
mat web rid mom
bag well did cot
hat jest dim pot
sat pest dip tom
bat west rip tot
lag
sag
hag

cut kit bag big

cub hit lag jig
cud pit nag pig
cup bit rag wig
gut kill bad bid
hut kin bam bin
hub kid bat bit
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

hill lad pin

hid ram pit
pill rat win
pin wit
bill
bin
bid

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 127

 Level Now It Says
5
Task: manipulating beginning
Materials
and ending sounds ✰ Now It Says
Preparation reproducibles
(pages 129–130)
Copy the Now It Says reproducibles. Look at the first word. Color the letter
cards to the left of the word green, and color the letter cards to the right of the ✰ green and red
word red. Cut apart the word card and the corresponding letter cards, and crayons or markers
write 1 on the back of each card. Laminate all the cards. Write the word and 1 ✰ scissors
on an envelope, and place the pieces inside the envelope. Repeat this process ✰ envelopes
with the remaining seven sets of words and their letter cards using numbers
2–8.

Now It Says
Give a child an envelope, and ask him or her to remove the cards. Tell the child that the green
How letters are beginning letters and the red letters are ending letters. Invite the child to read the
to word on the card. Then, have the child change one beginning or ending letter, say Now it says,
play and read aloud the new word. Invite the child to use different beginning and ending letters to
make as many words as he or she can. Invite the child to return the word and letter cards to the
envelope, pick a new one, and repeat the activity.

Self-Correcting Feature
Any combination of first or last letters makes a real word.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Now It Says

128 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

 Now It Says

b f h cat b n p

f t w pin g ll t

f l w b e d g ll t
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

h m s b a d ck g t
Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 129
 Now It Says

b h r did gmp

h p st mop b d m

m s t cap n st t
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

d p r big d n t
130 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds
 Level Spin a New Word
5
Task: manipulating sounds
Materials
✰ Spin a New Word
Cards (page 132)
Preparation ✰ letter spinner
Copy and cut apart the Spin a New Word Cards, and laminate them. Copy and (page 112)
cut out the letter spinner and arrow, and laminate them. (Use the number spinner ✰ scissors
for the activity on page 111.) Use a brass fastener to attach the arrow to the ✰ brass fastener
center of the spinner.

Spin a New Word

Invite a small group of children to play this game. Shuffle the cards, and place them facedown
How in a pile. Invite a player to draw a card and read it aloud. Ask the player to spin the spinner to
to learn whether he or she should change the beginning (B), middle (M), or ending (E) of the word.
play Tell the player to change the sound indicated by the arrow and say the new word. For example,
a player could change the word cat to bat, cut, or cap depending upon the direction on the
arrow. Invite a different player to draw a new card and spin the spinner. Have children repeat
the process with the remaining cards.

Self-Correcting Feature
The children in the group will recognize when a real word is made.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Spin a New Word

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 131

 Spin a New Word Cards

cat map sat

bed pen big

win bit dug

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

cub hum run

132 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds
 Level Start and Stop
5
Task: manipulating beginning
and ending sounds Materials
✰ Start and Stop
reproducibles
(pages 134–135)
Preparation
Copy the Start and Stop reproducibles, and cut each paper in half along the ✰ scissors
thick line. Cut apart the first set of cards, and write 1 on the back of each card. ✰ envelopes
Laminate the cards, and place them in an envelope labeled 1. Repeat this
process with the remaining three sets of cards using numbers 2–4.

Start and Stop

Give a child an envelope, and ask him or her to remove the cards and place them faceup on a
How flat surface. Ask the child to find the word card and read it aloud. Tell the child to find a card
to that he or she can connect to the last letter of the word to make a new word. Have the child
play continue attaching cards to the last letter of the new word until no cards remain. Invite the child
to place all the cards back in the envelope, pick a new one, and repeat the activity.

Self-Correcting Feature
The last word should match the first word.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Start and Stop

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 133

 Start and Stop

o i
bat p mop g
e a
in t um n
a e
ub d ot n
a u
im n ab m Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

a o
ab t om p
134 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds
 Start and Stop

e i
nut n map n
i a
ap n ut g
u e
ot b et n
o e
at p ip g
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

u a
an t um p
Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 135
 Level Star Power
5
Task: manipulating vowels
Materials
✰ Star Power
Preparation reproducible
Make four copies of the Star Power reproducible, cut apart the cards, and use (page 137)
a colored marker to write one of the following words in the center of each star:
✰ scissors
bad, clock, bag, pan, pat, tan, jag, pack, sack, tack, ham, bat, rad, hat, ball, and
lack. On the back of each star, write a list of three real words a child could ✰ colored marker
create by changing the vowel in the center word. For example, the list on the
back of the star labeled bad would read bed, bid, bud. Laminate the stars.

Star Power
Shuffle the cards, and place them faceup in a pile. Invite a child to draw a card and read the
How word in the center of the star. Tell the child to write the word on a piece of paper and underline
to it. Have the child use three of the vowels in the points of the star to make three different real
play words. Ask the child to read the new words aloud and then write them on the paper. Invite the
child to repeat the process with the remaining cards. For play with four children, have the first
player draw a card, read the word in the center of the star, and pass the card to the next player.
Ask the next player to change the middle sound of the word to make a new word and then pass
it to the next player. Have players repeat the process until each player has handled the card
and named a real word. Invite the last player to draw a new card and repeat the activity.

Self-Correcting Feature
A sample list of the new words is printed on the back of each card.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Star Power

136 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

 Star Power

a e a e

u i u i
o o

a e a e

u i u i
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

o o

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 137

 Level Alphabet House Materials
5 ✰ House reproducible
Task: manipulating beginning (page 14)
and ending sounds ✰ Letter Cards
(pages 53–54)
Preparation
✰ Alphabet House
Copy the House reproducible, and laminate it. Copy and cut apart several sets Word Cards (pages
of Letter Cards, and laminate them. Copy and cut apart the Alphabet House 139–140)
Word Cards and Alphabet House Word Lists, and laminate them. Place each
✰ Alphabet House
word card, corresponding letter cards (as indicated in the Use These Letters Word Lists (page 141)
column next to each word card), and the corresponding word list in an enve-
✰ scissors
lope. Repeat this process with the remaining word cards.
✰ envelopes

Alphabet House
Give a child a house and an envelope. Tell the child to place the word card above the roof
How of the house and the letter cards in the house. Ask the child to read the word card and use the
to letters cards to spell the word in the roof of the house. Then, have the child change the first,
play middle, and last letters to create new words, write the new words on a piece of paper, and
compare the words on his or her list with the list in the envelope. Have the child place the
cards back in the envelope, pick a new one, and repeat the activity.

Self-Correcting Feature
All possible words appear on the word list.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Alphabet House

rug a t
m b h
138 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds
 Alphabet House Word Cards
Use These Letters:

rug r
a
u
b
g
h
m
t

Use These Letters:

bag b
i
a
d
g
f
w
p
r

Use These Letters:

nut n
b
u
c
t
e
r
g
h

Use These Letters:

hot h
a
o
c
t
d
p
g
n
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Use These Letters:

bit b
a
i
f
t
h
s
l
p

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 139

 Alphabet House Word Cards
Use These Letters:

dog d
b
o
i
g
j
r

Use These Letters:

bed b
a
e
f
d
g
t
l
r

Use These Letters:

cub c
a
u
g
b
r
t
s

Use These Letters:

can c
f
a
i
n
m
t
p
r
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Use These Letters:

bid b
a
i
h
d
l
s
r

140 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

 Alphabet House Word Lists
rug dog
rag bag tag bug bog jog dig big
hug tug mug rub jig rig job rob
rut bat hat rat rib
mat tab ham ram

bed
bag
bad fad lad tad
big dig fig pig
fed led red beg
rig wig bad bar
leg bet let bag
rag wag dip rip
rag tag bar far
rid
tar bat rat

nut cub
but cut hut rut cab rub sub tub
gut net bet get car cat rat sat
hug rug rub rug tug gut rut

can
hot
fan man pan ran
hat cat pat cot
tan cap cat mat
dot not pot hog
pat rat fat fin
had got can pan
pin tin rip tip
nag
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

rim fit pit

bit
bat fat hat pat bid
sat fit hit lit bad had lad sad
pit sit sip sap hid lid rid bar
lap has

Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 141

 Level Flip-Flop Books
5
Task: matching rhyming words
Materials
✰ Flip-Flop Books
reproducibles
Preparation
(pages 143–144)
Copy the Flip-Flop Books reproducibles. Cut apart the first strip (with the word
✰ plastic binding
cat and the letters m, r, p, and n), and laminate the strip. Cut out the m and r let-
machine/binding
ter cards, and place them over the c in cat. Cut out the p and n cards, place them
over the t in cat. Bind the strips together. Repeat this process with the remaining
seven strips of word and letter cards to create eight separate flip-flop books.

Flip-Flop Books
Give a child a flip-flop book, and tell him or her to flip to the word on the last page. Invite the
How child to flip the flaps in the last column to change the ending sound of the word. Tell the child to
to read aloud each new word he or she makes. Have the child flip back to the word again and
play then flip the flaps in the first column to change the beginning sound of the word. Invite the child
to pick a new book and repeat the activity.

Self-Correcting Feature
Any combination of letters makes a real word.

Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

Flip-Flop Books

142 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds

 Flip-Flop Books

m r cat p n

c b mop b d

r h bug t m
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

m f bad t n
Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds 143
 Flip-Flop Books

l n cap t b

bw fit n g

r b hum t g
Getting Ready to Read © 2002 Creative Teaching Press

f w pin g t
144 Level 5: Manipulation of Sounds