From FreeReading
What to do
- I’m going to pretend to be an alien from planet Paz. On Paz, people speak in a strange way—like we speak, but much more slowly. So instead of saying the word Sam, they say, Sssaaammm, and they touch their arm like this when they talk. Touch your shoulder as you make the first sound; your elbow as you make the second; and your hand as you make the third. Repeat, Sssaaammm. Hold each letter sound for about a second and don't pause between sounds. The idea is to mirror the way students will sound out words for themselves later on.
- See if you can tell what word I’m saying. Ready? Mmmaaad. Touch your shoulder, elbow, and hand as you say each sound.
- Praise the students who get the word. Repeat for the word sit. Watch for students who aren’t answering, and ask them to try on their own to recognize the first word, Sam, as you segment it again. Keep going until everyone can recognize all the words without errors.
- Great job. Now you pretend you’re from the planet Paz too. Say the word with me slowly, the way people on Paz say it, then say it fast. Ready? I’ll say the word first: Sssaaammm. You say it the same way: (Students) Sssaaammm. Now say it fast. What's the word? (Students) Sam.
- Continue with the other words: mmmaaad. Now you say it like they do on Paz. What's the word? Mad. Sssiiit. Now you say it like they do on Paz. What's the word? Sit. Remember to touch your arm.
- If a student leaves off a sound or says the wrong sound, model the correct sounds, and then ask the student to do the same. Then, return to the start of the word list with that student until he can blend all the words. Praise him or her strongly. If the student continues to have trouble, make a note in an Activity Log.
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