Saying Silly Sounds

There is a strong relationship between children's understanding of the sounds of language and children's early literacy and readiness to read. These sounds include alliteration, words that start with the same sound and recognition of syllables, Segments of speech. 

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Tools and Materials

Children's Books

Steps to take

Steps detailed below

At Home

If you have 3 minutes

  • Sound out syllables- beginning with your child's name and other familiar names, say words slowly as you clap out the syllables "Sa-man-tha", you can also jump, stomp, snap, or beat a drum to the syllables. *HINT: syllables can be hard for young children to identify at first. To check how many syllables are in a word, place the back of your hand directly under your chin, then say the word. Every time your chin hits your hand is a syllable(ln saying Samantha your chin hits 3). If you have more time
  • Read books with alliteration: Each, Peach, Pear, Plum by Janet Ahlberg; Jamberry by Bruce Degan; Miss Mary Mack and Other Children's Street Rhymes by Joanna Cole; Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein; For Laughing out Loud, Poems to Tickle Your Funny Bone by Jack Prelutsky; Llama, Llama, Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney .
     

On the Go

If you have 3 minutes   

  • Fun with words-Be on the lookout for fun words to say aloud with your child, say them in fun rhythmic ways, getting louder and softer, speaking slower than faster (examples are: abracadabra, macaroni, cappuccino, Timbuktu, I love you!) Say them slowly as you clap, jump, stomp, snap, or bounce a ball to the syllables.

If you have more time

  • Break a word into syllables and see if your child can guess the word, "Do you want wa-ter-mel-on?"
  • Say a word and ask your child to find a word that starts with the same sound (for instance, jumping - jaguar) use the words you come up with to make up silly songs and chants that use the same letter to start words frequently ("The jumping jaguar jiggled and jived.")
     

Words to Know

Syllable   Different  Word   Sounds   Alliteration  Rhyme    Same

Possible Observations

Sings songs; listens to books; responds by imitating and adding sounds; counts syllables of words; recognizes rhyming words