Using 44 Sounds of the English Language Video Lesson, students sing and learn consonant sounds, vowel sounds, and vocabulary words for all 44 phonics sounds.
This RF.K.3 common core activity has preschool and kindergarten students sort 26 picture cards onto letter cards by beginning sound. Answer key included, so practice stays quick and fun.
Say it, play it, hear it clearly
Preschoolers are still learning how to make all the sounds in English. They practice saying sounds clearly, like /b/ in ball and /m/ in moon, and they start to notice that words are made of sounds. Some sounds, like /r/ and /th/, often come later, and that's normal. Playing with rhymes, silly sounds and songs builds the listening skills they'll need for reading. The happy moment comes when a child proudly says a tricky word clearly for the first time.
Gentle, playful and full of modeling. No pressure, just practice.
When a child says "wabbit," simply repeat it back the right way: "Yes, a rabbit!" Don't ask them to say it again. Hearing the correct sound many times helps more than a correction.
Why it works: handing over the work step by step, from teacher to student, is one of the most widely used teaching frameworks (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).
Try it with44 Sounds of the English Language Video LessonSongsOpen it →Play a short video lesson on English sounds and pause to make each sound together. Have kids watch your mouth and copy it. Seeing how a sound is made helps them make it too.
Why it works: a catchy, repeating tune gives the brain a hook to hang words on, so sung text is remembered better (Wallace, 1994).
Try it with44 Sounds of the English Language Video LessonSongsOpen it →Hold up an object and say its first sound slowly, like "/s/ /s/ sock." Kids repeat the sound and think of another word that starts the same way.
Why it works: teaching letter sounds directly and in order is one of the best-supported findings in reading research (National Reading Panel, 2000).
Try it withRF.K.3 Common Core ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Teacher favorites right now: 44 Sounds of the English Language Video Lesson and RF.K.3 Common Core Activity.
Yes, very normal. Many children are still learning sounds like /r/, /l/ and /th/ well into the early school years.
Model the word correctly without asking them to repeat it. Read, sing and talk together every day so they hear lots of clear speech.
If others have trouble understanding your child, or you have concerns, talk with your pediatrician or a speech-language pathologist. They can tell you what's typical for your child's age.
Yes! Songs slow down words and repeat sounds, which gives kids lots of fun practice hearing and saying them.
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